Itineraries
The Highway 1 Coastal Route: San Francisco to Big Sur by RV
The classic California drive, adapted for an RV: where to stop, where to sleep, and which stretches to respect.
The route
San Francisco to Big Sur via Highway 1 is about 150 miles of some of the best coastal driving on earth, and some of the most demanding. Plan it as 2 to 3 days, not a day trip.
Suggested stops
- Pacifica and Half Moon Bay: easy first leg. Base at San Francisco RV Resort.
- Santa Cruz: boardwalk, redwoods nearby at Henry Cowell. Good resupply stop.
- Monterey and Carmel: aquarium, 17-Mile Drive (check RV restrictions), provisioning.
- Big Sur: the payoff. Camp at Limekiln State Park if your rig is 24 feet or under.
Where to sleep
Book every night ahead in summer. Limekiln and the Big Sur private campgrounds fill months out. North of Big Sur, the parks in our park directory cover the SF end.
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