RV route guide
Pacific Coast Highway — Big Sur (Carmel to San Simeon)
The 90-mile cliff suspension that defines California-1. Drive it slowly, in a small rig, with current Caltrans status open in another tab.
The Big Sur section of Pacific Coast Highway runs about 90 miles between Carmel and San Simeon, and it is the most photographed coastal road in the United States for good reason. It is also the section most frequently disrupted by landslides, the section with the tightest switchbacks, and the section where a Class A motorhome is genuinely the wrong tool. This guide is for renters and owners who want the truth before they commit, not the postcard.
- Tier
- Scenic byway
- State
- California
- Best season
- May through June and September through October. Summer fog smothers the headlands; winter brings the slide risk window. Avoid the week between Christmas and New Year — locals call it gridlock for a reason.
- Sources
- Cited official (.gov / .org)
Can I drive PCH Big Sur in an RV?
Yes if your rig is under roughly 25 feet and you accept slow-going, tight pull-outs, and a real chance of an active closure somewhere on the route. Class B campervans are ideal. Class C up to 25 feet works for confident drivers. Class A motorhomes over 30 feet are not advised by us or by California-coast RV park operators we have talked to. Always check the Caltrans QuickMap for active CA-1 closures the morning you drive — this segment closes seasonally for slide repairs and reopens on no fixed schedule.
- About 90 miles end to end
- Drive time: 2.5 to 5 hours with stops
- Class B ideal; Class C ≤25 ft works; large Class A not advised
- Active closures common — check Caltrans QuickMap day-of
- Best months: May-June and September-October
At a glance
Route facts worth checking before you roll out
Conservative, source-minded numbers for planning — always confirm against current conditions and state DOT 511 before you depart.
Distance
90 mi
Carmel-by-the-Sea to San Simeon, CA-1 mainline
Drive time
2.5–5 hr
1-2 days savoured
Elevation
0–1,200 ft
RV compatibility
Small RV only (Class B / van)
Best season
May through June and September through October. Summer fog smothers the headlands; winter brings the slide risk window. Avoid the week between Christmas and New Year — locals call it gridlock for a reason.
Cell coverage. Spotty between Carmel Highlands and Ragged Point. AT&T is the most reliable carrier per coverage map self-reports. Verizon better than T-Mobile in the canyons. Plan that the middle 50 miles may have no service for stretches of 15-20 minutes.
Elevation profile
Sea level at the river crossings; climbs to roughly 1,000-1,200 ft on the headlands south of Bixby Bridge; back to sea level at the Big Sur River; up over Lucia and back down past Ragged Point.
Cumulative gain roughly 8,000 ft north to south because of the constant up-and-down
Vehicle restrictions
- No posted height or weight limit on CA-1, but tight switchbacks between Big Sur River and Lucia favour rigs under 25 ft
- Bixby Bridge structurally rated for full highway loads — no posted restriction
- Trailers wider than 8 ft (96 in) struggle with oncoming traffic at the tightest curves
- Active landslide closures since 2017 — Caltrans QuickMap is the source of truth
Segment-by-segment — what to expect mile by mile
Carmel-by-the-Sea to Bixby Bridge (about 13 miles): two-lane CA-1 climbs out of Carmel along headlands. Several developed pull-outs. Bixby Bridge is the iconic photo stop — its north-side pull-out fills by 10 a.m. in season. Hyatt Carmel Highlands and Garrapata State Park anchor this stretch.
Bixby Bridge to Big Sur River (about 12 miles): Andrew Molera State Park, Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park, and Nepenthe are the marquee stops. Pfeiffer's campground is the only NPS-or-state campground in this stretch that takes RV reservations — see Reserve California or the Pfeiffer page on parks.ca.gov. Diesel availability is thin; fill up in Carmel or Monterey before you commit.
Big Sur River to Lucia (about 18 miles): the cliff section starts here. The Henry Miller Library, McWay Falls, and Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park are the highlights. Tight switchbacks and narrow shoulders. This is the segment that closes most often — when CA-1 is closed at Mud Creek or Paul's Slide, this is where you will be turned around.
Lucia to Ragged Point (about 25 miles): the most remote stretch. No fuel. No reliable cell. Limited pull-outs. Limestone Creek slide site reopened 2024. Take it slow and yield to oncoming traffic at the tight blind curves.
Ragged Point to San Simeon (about 22 miles): the road opens up. Piedras Blancas elephant seal rookery is mile 0 of the recovery — a half-mile of seals, free public viewing, NOAA-managed signs. Hearst San Simeon State Park has the only large RV-friendly campground at the south end of the segment.
Day-of departure checklist
Check Caltrans QuickMap for CA-1 closures
The morning of your drive. Mud Creek and Paul's Slide are the recurring trouble spots; new closures get posted as they happen.
Top off fuel before Carmel or Monterey
There is no diesel between Carmel and Cambria. Gas is available at Big Sur River Inn area but limited and premium-priced.
Empty grey + black tanks if you are mid-trip
There are no public dump stations on the Big Sur section. Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park has a dump station for paying campers only.
Confirm campground reservation if you have one
Pfeiffer Big Sur and Hearst San Simeon both require reservation in season. Walk-ups are unreliable.
Download offline maps
Cell coverage drops out. Have the route cached.
Real warnings — what guidebooks gloss over
Do not pass on blind curves
Tourists from countries with right-hand drive sometimes drift left in panic. Stay deeply in your lane and slow down before curves rather than into them.
dangerMost pull-outs are not RV-sized
Many photogenic pull-outs are 4-vehicle deep. A 30-ft Class C entering a 4-car pull-out will block traffic. Use the developed state-park lots instead.
cautionThe road does close mid-trip
If a slide closes the road behind you mid-trip, you may have to back-track 100+ miles. Caltrans posts but does not pre-announce closures.
cautionWildlife on the road at dusk and dawn
California sea otters cross at McWay; mountain lions and bobcats reported. Drive slowly in low-light conditions.
cautionDrone use prohibited in state parks
All California state parks ban drone takeoff/landing. Big Sur park rangers actively enforce.
info
What Lonely Planet + Travel + Leisure Big Sur write-ups doesn't tell you
Glossy travel guides describe Big Sur as a romantic three-hour drive. The drive can take three hours — in a sports car at 6 a.m. in March. The honest reality for an RV traveller is closer to five hours minimum during high season, longer if you actually stop at the pull-outs you came to see.
What the magazines do not tell you is that Big Sur is not really a destination, it is a transit corridor with twelve memorable stops along it. The hotels along the route are some of the most expensive in California — the Post Ranch Inn runs above $1,500 per night. There is no town. Cambria and Carmel are where you sleep before and after.
Most importantly, guides rarely disclose the closure history. CA-1 has been closed at one of three points (Mud Creek, Paul's Slide, Rat Creek) somewhere in the country for most of 2017-2024. Plan your trip with a back-up route through US-101.
Frequently asked questions
- Is PCH Big Sur open today?
- Check Caltrans QuickMap at quickmap.dot.ca.gov before you drive. CA-1 closes for slides, sometimes for weeks at a time. There is no other route — closure means a 90-mile back-track via US-101 through Salinas.
- Can a Class A motorhome drive Big Sur?
- Mechanically yes; practically no. The lane width and switchback radius were designed before motorhomes existed. RV park operators in the area routinely turn back Class A bookings and recommend Hearst San Simeon SP or Andrew Molera SP for shorter rigs only.
- Where can I dump tanks on Big Sur?
- Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park has a dump station for registered campers. There are no public dump stations on the cliff section. Cambria's Cambria Pines or San Simeon's Hearst SP both have dump stations.
- Is there an EV charger?
- ChargePoint has installed Level 2 chargers at Big Sur Lodge and at Ragged Point Inn. There are no DC fast chargers between Carmel and Cambria as of 2026. Plan range carefully.
- Can I free-camp / boondock on Big Sur?
- No overnight parking is allowed in pull-outs or vista points. Los Padres National Forest dispersed sites exist inland off Nacimiento-Fergusson Road but are unsuitable for most RVs. Use designated campgrounds.
Authoritative sources
Verify current conditions with state DOT 511 systems before departure. RV restrictions may change. Weather may close roads.
Planning an RV trip along Pacific Coast Highway?
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