The time is now for a Highway 1 road trip: 'It's so rare to experience Big Sur like this'

"Sometimes, the best place you can go is a dead end. Especially when that dead end is surrounded by crashing surf on empty beaches, dramatic cliffs and lonely trails through forests thick with redwoods. That's the situation along Big Sur's South Coast right now. A chunk of the cliff-clinging highway has been closed for a series of landslide repairs since January 2023, making the classic, coast-hugging, 98-mile San Simeon-Big Sur-Carmel drive impossible."

"Caltrans has said it aims to reopen the route by the end of March 2026, if weather permits. That means the 44-mile stretch from San Simeon to Lucia will likely be lonely for at least six more months. Travelers from the near north (Carmel, for instance) will need to detour inland on U.S. 101. Meanwhile, many Canadian travelers (usually eager explorers of California) are boycotting the U.S. altogether over President Trump's tariff policies and quips about taking over their country."

"And so, for those of us in Southern California, the coming months are a chance to drive, hike or cycle in near solitude among tall trees, steep slopes and sea stacks. The weather is cooler and wetter. But over the three October days I spent up there, the highway was quieter than I've seen in 40-plus years of driving the coast. Moreover, those who make the trip will be supporting embattled local businesses, which remain open, some with reduced prices."

Big Sur's South Coast has a closed, cliff-clinging highway section due to landslide repairs that began in January 2023. Caltrans aims to reopen the route by the end of March 2026, weather permitting. The 44-mile stretch from San Simeon to Lucia will likely remain quiet for months, forcing northbound travelers to detour on U.S. 101. Reduced Canadian travel has further thinned traffic. The quieter coast offers opportunities for driving, hiking and cycling in near solitude amid cooler, wetter fall weather. Local businesses remain open, in some cases lowering rates to attract visitors.

Read at Los Angeles Times