My husband and I are going to be driving from Hearst Castle along the Pacific Coast Highway to Big Sur in late July. The plan is to begin in LA on the interstate in the early morning, stop at Hearst Castle around noon and then drive along the Pacific Coast Highway to Big Sur. I have heard there are several state parks along the way where we can picnic/hike. Are there any specific state parks or areas we should specifically look to stop along our way? Also, has anyone ever done this drive? If so, how long did it take you? Thanks for your help! Californiabound

Based on a tip we got in Morro Bay, we stopped at Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park on our way north. We took the delightful walk out to McWay Falls, which is a great overview of the ocean meeting the coast. Pix at http://community.webshots.com/user/bookhall .

A quick point of reference for more information is at http://www.pelicannetwork.net/big.sur.coast.htm . You might also do a search in this United States forum on Big Sur. Questions are oft-asked, and there's been a lot of info posted.

Put the screen name "easytraveler" in the search box and click on find. The threads she's participated in will appear to the left. Scroll down till you find one named "Hiking the Big Sur State Parks" or something very similar. Click on it and you'll find a very detailed, well written report directly addressing your questions.

johncharles -- just did a search for Easytraveler's trip report on hiking Big Sur -- couldn't find it.

Californiabound: did you find this thread? I'd also be interested to read this. In a couple of weeks we'll be spending a day hiking there, also.

californiabound: If you are going to tour the Hearst Castle and see the movie, you will need to spend three hours there. If you add an hour for waiting and lunch, you wont be getting on the road until 4pm. You would be better off staying the night in San Simeon or Cambria and then driving Hwy 1 when you are fresh and have the whole day to explore.

californiabound and CarolM, I topped Easytraveler's Big Sur State Parks trip report for you, since CarolM reported difficulty finding it. You can now find it more easily by clicking on my screen name above.

johncharles, thanks for topping that report for me. it was really informative, as you said.

carol

I am wondering about the state park entrance fees. We are going to tour Hearst Castle late in the day, spend the night in Cambria, and then proceed up Highway 1 to Monterey. We want to stop at some of the state parks along the way. I read somewhere that California has raised fees at their parks to help with their financial crisis. I thought I read in a post on this board recently from a person who said they paid one fee and it was good for the entire day, but I can't find the post. Can anyone tell me what the fees are to enter the parks and if there is a one day pass good for all parks? Thanks