San Francisco to Morro Bay
Highway 1 is a tough trip to complete on a budget. Almost all camping along the road is fee-required, and most camping fees start at $30/night. Not only that, many of these spots book up months in advance, so if you’re anything like us and are not great at advance planning, this can be a challenge.
If you are are camping, like we were, use apps like SEKR, freecamping.net, or The Dyrt to find places to park for the night. We did not park along Highway 1 at night, but have heard that it’s possible as long as you are not in a “No Parking” zone. The closer you get to Big Sur, the more “No Parking” signs you’ll see.
We spent a short, but sweet, few days driving along the coast in March. If we went back, we would opt to go in the fall to avoid the chilly wind that we experienced on our trip. We did not have Ute with us, which was a good thing, as many of the stops do not allow dogs.
our favorite stops along highway 1
In order from North – South
- Gray Whale Cove State Beach, Half-Moon Bay
- Gorgeous views, empty beach & fun beach-combing! We loved having lunch on this beach and walking the coast. Although we didn’t see any gray whales, we felt like the only ones on the beach. We found a handful of sea glass to top off our time here!
- $: Free!
- Point Lobos State Natural Reserve
- Oh my gosh, cannot say enough about how lovely this place is. Turquoise water, beautiful shaded walking trails, and a welcoming and informative visitor center. In March, we saw baby of all the marine animals: sea otters, harbor seals, and sea lions. I could have watched them for hours.
- We did a huge trail that I highly recommend if you have the time: North Shore Trail to South Shore Trail, ending on Plateau Trail and back to our vehicle.
- $ Budget Tip: As you pull up, you’ll see a line of vehicles parked along the highway. If you park outside of the park and walk in, you don’t have to pay the entrance fee! **Make sure that there are no “No Parking” signs where you park.** We had a police car pull up behind us and we were able to double check with the officer that we were parked legally.
- Mcway Falls, Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park
- This was a must-visit for me and it was stunning, but we were largely disappointed by the hike inside of the park itself. The view of the fall is much more grand right from the road pull-off.
- $ Budget Tip: Skip Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park and take in the view of the falls from the roadside pull-off.
- Elephant Seal Vista Point, San Simeon
- This honestly may have been my FAVORITE stop. The elephant seals were up close to the vista point, there must have been thousands on the beach. They were so fun to watch coming in and out of the ocean and seeing the males get into their wrestling matches.
- $: Free! But donations are super appreciated, as this is a conservation area largely ran by volunteers.
have you been down highway 1?
We loved our time here! Take your time & enjoy the journey.