Point Lobos & Big Sur in 1 Day??
 

Hi Everyone - I will have 1 day in the Big Sur area in July driving from Carmel to Cambria. I need to be in Cambria by around 5:30PM. I'd like to hike a few trails in Point Lobos and still leave myself time to enjoy the drive down the Big Sur coastline and see McWay Falls, Pfeiffer Falls, Limekiln Falls and also have lunch at Nepenthe or Cielo?? + when I get closer to Cambria, I'd like to see the elephant seals. I know this is a lot to see/do - I plan to start at Point Lobos at 9AM when the park opens. Can I accomplish all of this without driving myself crazy and still make it to Cambria by 5:30PM or so??

Also, a few questions:

- Which trails are the most scenic and still good for a beginner hiker at Point Lobos - I was thinking of doing Bird Island, Sea Lion Point & Cypress Grove

- Nepenthe or Cielo - which one would you do?

- Any other stops I should check out on the way which I haven't mentioned?

- Should I skip one of the falls?? I heard McWay is a must see, but how about the others.

Thanks!! Your feedback as always is invaluable!! - Laura

Yes, I think it's doable. Obviously longer would be better, but I think spending a day in the area is much more worthwhile then not doing so.

I think Point Lobos is the best hiking spot of all, and I would take your time there, even if you have to cut down on your hiking in Big Sur later. Sorry, I don't remember the trails by name, but you can't go wrong at Point Lobos. Whatever trail goes farthest out on the north side of the point is the one I remember as being the most spectacular.

My recommendation re Cielo and Nepenthe depends in part on the weather. If visibility is good, I would make a stop at each. While they are very close together, their views are quite different because Cielo is at a much higher altitude than Nepenthe (you drive up a hill from the highway--not a long drive, maybe five minutes--to get there.)

It's a fact that the best viewing from either is from the outside terraces where, especially at Nepenthe, primarily drinks are served. The view is not so great inside either restaurant. So actually, you can sip and linger and enjoy the finest of both views without paying or staying for a full meal--something you might consider with limited time.

On a clear, sunny day, when you can see a magnificent panorama extending 50 miles up the coast, and the tops of the coastal mountains seem close enough to touch, Cielo will mainly be serving lunch out on the terrace. Their food is far superior to Nepenthe's. On such a day, this terrace is one of my favorite places in the world and my absolute recommendation for lunch.

However, as you may already know, summer fog is not unusual in this area and due to its altitude, Cielo can get socked in with it pretty easily and there are times when you can see little or nothing up there, while you can still see quite a bit down nearer the water at Nepenthe. If you draw a foggy day, head up the hill anyway. Sometimes Cielo is above the clouds and the view can be spectacular. But you may find yourself "inside the great gray pearl," no one eating outside, and if you stay it will be for the superb cuisine and service.

Whatever you do at Cielo, do stop for a drink (it needn't be alcoholic) at Nepenthe's terrace and drink in their different but no less world-class view. It is less likely to be totally obscured on a foggy day than Cielo's, but sometimes it is too. In my opinion, there is no reason to eat lunch at the main restaurant here, though. Inside the building, the view's not great, and the food is run of the mill, overpriced tourist fare in my judgement. Instead, if you haven't eaten lunch at Ventana, walk down to Cafe Kevah, Nepenthe's lower priced outdoor cafe serving lighter breakfasts and lunches. It's right below the terrace at Nepenthe, with basically the same view, and much kinder to the pocketbook.

Of the falls, McWay is the can't miss, not only because it is the only one to fall into the Pacific, but because it is the shortest, easiest walk. I have done the hike to Pfeiffer Falls, but not to Limekiln. The Pfeiffer walk and falls are nice, but the walk is much longer and the falls not as uniquely set. In my opinion, Big Sur is more about coastal views than falls (Yosemite's the place for them!) and other than McVay, which is on the coast, if pinched for time I would let seeing the falls go, even Limekiln although I am saying that without having seen them. For hiking, Pfeiffer Beach and Andrew Molera Beach might be higher priority if you have time for more hiking having done Point Lobos and McVay (which is at Julia Pfeifer Burns State Park.) If you have not read the trip report in this forum by Easytraveler on Hiking the Big Sur State Parks, put that title in the search box and find it by all means. She may have more info on the Point Lobos trails by name--I don't remember--but I do remember as well as Point Lobos she included hikes at McVay, Pfeiffer Falls and Beach, Molera, and Limekiln. How she would prioritize these for the person with time as limited as yours, among each other or as opposed to just enjoying the many fantastic vistas from highway turnouts, I don't know. Hopefully, she will show up here and tell you!

Be sure to write us a trip report--reading them is our "payment!"

You shouldn't have a problem time wise. What day of the week are you doing this on? A weekend will take a little longer because of the traffic.You might just want to see McWay falls and if you have time you can stop by Limekiln. At Pt. Lobos if you start out on a trail and it's taking too long just turn around and go back. We usually park in the southern parking lot and walk along the cliff to sea lion point. It takes about an hour. I've only eaten at Nepenthe, the food is good but overpriced and the view is awesome.

Thanks so much for the advice!! I'm glad that this is somewhat doable. Wish I could spend more time in this area since it sounds spectacular. Also, I have tried to find easytraveler's trip report several times and I can't?? Not sure how old it is, but do you think Fodors would have deleted it?? If someone has a copy, can you post it to this thread? Thanks!!

P.S. I searched under easytraveler & Hiking the Big Sur State Parks and can't find it. I will be sure to write my own trip report when I return!!

This is copied from a trip report of mine from last year - this was one day of our trip saturday or sunday of Memorial day weekend:

We left Torrance at 6:30 am and drove up 101 as far as San Luis Obispo and then highway 1 the rest of the way. First stop Cambria. We walked along the beach which is a dark sanded beach with lots of interesting rocks. Also good for stone hunting and supposed to have some jade, we didn't see any but I actually don't know if I would recognize it if I saw it since I?m sure it doesn't look like the polished worked jade you buy. We watched some surfers for a while and then I climbed some rocks to get some photos and discovered (too late) they are covered in [sticky tar]. There is a bathroom at the small parking lot so I was able to change, regular hand wipes weren't working so used my nail polish remover cloths to get the stuff off my hands ... and my husband says I over pack stuff I'll never need!

Had lunch at the Moonstone Bar & Grill. Ate outside overlooking the beach. I could watch the waves forever. Good food ... Excellent view. Fish had a nice light coating but was chewy rather than flaky ... nice flavor though. Ed had a good (large) burger. Pricey but your paying for the view which was, for us, worth it. There is also inside seating near large windows that I think must be amazing if your there during a storm.

Made some stops at several scenic spots north of San Simeon point, one overlook was I believe Elephant Seal Point. Lots of seals, mostly sleeping but some jockeying for a better spot on the beach which was cool to watch. There was a crazy squirrel at one spot that came right up to us when my husband called it and then followed us all over the place ... when we left Ed drove slowly along the parking lot (nobody else there) and it jumped from rock to rock following us ... funny now but I thought it was going to jump into the convertible which at the time I didn't think was funny. Ed was cracking up at the squirrel and my reaction but personally I like a little distance from squirells ... cute from a distance but up close I start to see rats with fuzzy tails!

Julia Pfieffer Burns State Park. We walked down to the waterfall which was a little smaller than I had imagined it but still very pretty and a great view in general, got some nice photos and spent some time just relaxing and enjoying the view. It was fairly quiet, not too many other people, strange because we expected a crowd on the holiday weekend but very nice! We did just that short trail and also walked a little ways into the woods, but there are many trails to explore if you have more time.

At Bixby Creek Bridge there is a good photo spot if you stop on the north side of the bridge. The bridge itself, and others along the way, fascinated Ed who likes that sort of thing and had seen a show on construction of some of the highway 1 bridges.

Point Lobos State Preserve. Wow is this place beautiful! Our favorite stop of the day and a place we want to return to for at least a full day of hiking. We did two of the shortest trails (Sea Lion Point Trail, Sand Hill Trail, and a short section of South Shore Trail) and saw seal lions and otters, rocky coast with spraying waves, wild flowers, and rock formations. Driving out (DRIVE SLOWLY) we paused to let a Momma deer and two fawns cross! Just an excellent park.

It was a gorgeous incredible day. The drive itself includes amazing views and wicked curves. Ed drove and I was terrified much of the time in the Big Sur area but loving every second of it at the same time. Ed had a blast doing the driving and having a convertible made a huge difference. He did however get a burn on his head that shook his denial concerning his thinning hair ... lol ... don't forget a hat if you need it! I also recommend that anyone with a problem with heights (as I have) make the trip south to north at least the first time you do it. I did a very small portion of it (closer to San Fran so not even the scariest part) by myself a few years ago and driving north to south was tough especially when you meet a huge RV going the other way! Watch your gas on this drive, you use more than you might think going slowly up and down those hills and curves. We came close to running out and the stations are few and far between. Stopped at Big Sur Center where gas was $3.19 a gallon! I guess its tough to get the gas up there and we were so close to empty we were (almost) happy to pay it.

Hi Laura, Cielo is very good. We have had several meals there out on the back patio with sweeping views of the ocean. You also might want to consider Sierra Mar across the street at the Post Ranch Inn. Where are you staying in Cambria? We like the Cypress Cove Inn but have also enjoyed stays at the Fireside and the Blue Whale Inn, all on Moonstone Drive. Don't miss Robin's and the Sow's Ear Cafe while in Cambria. Have a great trip! ***kim*** ((*))

Imavolio, I just brought Easytraveler's thread to the top for you, so you now should be able to find it among recent threads. Looks like she put an extra i in Hiking in the title--"Hikiing"--which is probably why your searches didn't work. Let me know if you still can't find it, and I'll help.

I didn't include Sierra Mar at Post Ranch Inn, recommended by kimamom above, in my comparison of Nepenthe and Cielo (which I assume you know is located at the Ventana Inn, right across the road from the Post Ranch Inn)because I haven't been to Sierra Mar yet. It may have the best view and food of the three, from all I have heard, but also by all accounts is in another league entirely from the other two pricewise, especially at lunch. One thing I especially appreciate about Cielo, which is very expensive for dinner, is that I observed an unusually sharp drop off in their prices between lunch and dinner, making lunch on their terrace accessible for little more than you would pay for a substantially lower level of food and service at Nepenthe's main restaurant. Cafe Kevah, the outdoor, self service light fare alternative of Nepenthe's which is my recommendation if you choose to eat lunch at that property, is of course by far the most inexpensive choice in the group.

Thanks!! I found easytraveler's post & mcqueeney thanks for yours as well!! By the way, to answer another posters question above, I will be doing this trip/drive on a Wednesday, so hopefully traffic won't be too bad??

Also, I noticed in easytraveler's trip report that the Limkiln Falls hike seemed a little "hairy" having to cross streams, etc. Would you recommend it for a newbie hiker?? This is going to be a great trip regardless, but it's always good to have a thought out plan in mind beforehand. Thanks everyone!! I really don't know how I would plan these trips without this Fodors board!!

Imavolio, I haven't taken the Limekiln Falls hike myself, but I have to agree with you, from easytraveler's account and others, that it sounds like it's for the more surefooted than myself.

Pfeiffer Falls may be only a 1/2 mile walk and McWay Falls 1/2 mile as easytraveler describes them, but my perception was that Pfeiffer took quite a bit more time. That may be just because Pfeiffer is a genuine forest path, although an easy one, and McWay is a paved, perfectly level walkway. As I said, I find McWay a more unique view as well as quicker to get to.

Since I would tend to emphasize coastal views over waterfalls in Big Sur, and seek easier trails, I might substitute walks to Pfeiffer Beach and perhaps also Molera Beach. Directions to both are found by following this link (scroll all the way down):
http://www.bigsurcalifornia.org/beaches.html

If you'd just like a fairly easy uphill walk to a great hilltop view of the coast (with a bench provided!), follow the road which goes uphill in back of Deetjen's Big Sur Inn. The view and bench is what you see when you open the www.deetjens.com website, which also has other good links for the area.

Also, if you haven't discovered it yet, this site has a wealth of pictures and info about the area: www.pelicannetwork.net

Thanks JBC!! The web sites are VERY helpful. When you say you would substitute Pfeiffer Beach & Andrew Molera, are you saying you would substitute those in favor of just stopping at the lookout points off of Highway 1 for the coastal views?(instead of pulling off to see the parks??) Let me know what you think. Deetjens looks beautiful!! Hope I will have a chance to get back in this area and will plan to stay there in the future.

Imavolio, in answer to your question, what I was trying to suggest is that if I were going to do a couple or three hikes, with limited time and agility less tham easytraveler's, I'd probably choose to hike to Pfeiffer Beach and maybe Molera Beach rather than Pfeiffer Falls and Limekiln Falls. I would definitely do the quick and easy walk out to McWay Falls, as much for the great coastal view as for the Falls.

I don't think you're going to be able to resist stopping at many of the turnouts--nor should you! They include some of the best views to be had. This is part of why this section of road always takes people not familiar with it much longer than they expect.