Highway 1 was open through Big Sur on 21 October 2026, with one-way traffic control at Rocky Creek Bridge and Mud Creek and no full closures on the Caltrans road page. The road has closed several times this year, so read the status section before you go. We read Caltrans, CAL FIRE and California State Parks pages on 14 October 2026.
Is Highway 1 open? Checked 21 October 2026
Caltrans' highway conditions page, read at 2:08 p.m. on 21 Oct 2026, lists no full closures of Highway 1 in Big Sur. It lists one-way traffic control at Rocky Creek Bridge, 15.7 miles south of Monterey, 24 hours a day through 6 a.m. on 30 Nov 2026 for construction. It also lists one-way control at Mud Creek from 6:30 a.m. to noon, Monday to Friday, through 13 Nov 2026 for emergency work. Check the page again on the day you drive.
The two closures below were planned for earlier dates in October.
Note: Caltrans District 5 release of 2 Oct 2026: full overnight closures of Highway 1 near Point Sur, between Post Mile 54.2 and 55.6, just north of the Point Sur Lighthouse, from 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. Monday 12 Oct through Thursday 15 Oct. Overnight one-way traffic control on Friday 16 Oct, 11 p.m. to 5 a.m., with delays of about 10 minutes. Crews are removing temporary sheet piles in the emergency repair of the Point Sur embankment, which began in February after the embankment under the southbound lane failed. Afterward the area returns to one-way signal control. Read 14 Oct 2026
Note: Caltrans release of 1 Oct 2026: a full overnight closure at Post Mile 44.3, just north of Nepenthe, on Thursday 8 Oct from 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. to repair a drainage structure. It was due to end on the morning of 9 Oct
Caltrans said the Point Sur area would go back to one-way signal control after that work, so expect a signal there.
On 14 Oct 2026 the Caltrans page showed the same Rocky Creek and Mud Creek work. A blog also mentioned Torre Canyon Bridge. The Caltrans page did not list it, so we did not confirm it.
What happened this year
Note: Regent's Slide, 14 Jan 2026: the governor's office says the closed section reopened at noon on 14 Jan 2026, 75 days ahead of the 30 Mar estimate. It says Regent's Slide happened on 9 Feb 2024, and Paul's Slide, about six miles south, closed the highway from 14 Jan 2023 to 23 Jun 2024. It also says winter storms may bring temporary closures at Regent's Slide (gov.ca.gov, 14 Jan 2026, read 14 Oct 2026)
Note: Storm debris, 17 Feb 2026: Caltrans closed 6.8 miles of Highway 1, from two miles north of Lucia to one mile south of the Esalen Institute, with "no estimated time for a full reopening" (Caltrans District 5, read 14 Oct 2026). A local blog said the road was open from Carmel to Cambria by 10 Mar. We did not find a Caltrans notice of that reopening
Note: Wildfires, Aug and Sep 2026: on 27 Aug Caltrans closed about forty miles of Highway 1, from Gorda (Post Mile 10.2) to just north of Captain Cooper Elementary (Post Mile 50.1), for the Timber and Plaskett fires. CAL FIRE's page says the Timber Fire closure was lifted by 3 Sep. On 13 Sep at 6:45 p.m. the CHP lifted the Plaskett closure, and Highway 1 was fully reopened. The Timber Fire is 97% contained, and the last evacuation orders were lifted on 7 Oct (CAL FIRE, updated 9 Oct 2026, read 14 Oct 2026)
So the road has been open end to end since 13 September, apart from the work above. We did not see a Caltrans release after 2 October.
How far and how long
Note: The Big Sur Chamber of Commerce says "Big Sur is a 90 mile stretch of rugged coastline" south of the Monterey Peninsula (bigsurcalifornia.org home page, read 15 Oct 2026)
Note: The federal America's Byways listing gives Route 1 Big Sur Coast Highway as 72 miles (115.9 km) and says to allow 1.5 hours to drive it or five hours to experience it. Neither figure is a Caltrans measure (FHWA America's Byways page for the byway, read 15 Oct 2026)
We found no Caltrans mileage or drive time. The road is slow and winding, so plan a full day for the stops below, and more if the one-way signals are running. Fill your tank before you start. We did not check where gas is sold on the route.
Stops from north to south
Note: Bixby Bridge: Monterey County supervisors approved a 12 month no-parking ordinance on 23 Jun 2026, 4 to 0. It covers both sides of Highway 1 from about 900 feet north of the north end of the bridge to about 700 feet south of the south end. It takes effect when signs are placed (KION, 3 Aug 2026, read 14 Oct 2026)
Note: At a county press briefing on 5 Aug, the county Public Works director said the signs were installed on 4 Aug and the zone can now be enforced. CHP Monterey said vehicles in violation "will be subject to enforcement action." Neither article gives the fine (Monterey County NOW, 3 Aug 2026, updated 5 Aug, and KSBW, 5 Aug 2026, both read 15 Oct 2026)
| Stop | What we confirmed | Fee and hours |
|---|---|---|
| Point Lobos State Natural Reserve | No reservation listed for general visitors. Dive trips need one, and tours and buses need a permit. No closures listed on 14 Oct | $10 a car. Open 8 a.m. to 7 p.m., last entry 6:30 p.m. |
| Bixby Bridge | No parking on Highway 1 within the zone above | Free to look at from where you may stop |
| Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park | Closed on 14 Oct. State Parks says it reopens 16 Oct 2026. Pfeiffer Falls, Valley View, Oak Grove, Mt. Manuel, Big Sur River Gorge and Pine Ridge trails stay closed | $10 a car. 8 a.m. to sunset |
| Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park | Partly open. No beach or ocean access at McWay Falls. Backcountry trails east of Highway 1 are closed | $10 a car. 8 a.m. to sunset |
| Piedras Blancas elephant seals | No fees or reservations, viewing areas open every day, per Friends of the Elephant Seal | Free |
| Hearst Castle | Grand Rooms Tour $35 adult, $18 ages 5 to 12, with a $5.50 registration fee | Book up to 60 days ahead |
Sources: California State Parks pages for Point Lobos, Pfeiffer Big Sur and Julia Pfeiffer Burns, each shown as last checked 14 Oct 2026, and the State Parks notice of 9 Oct 2026 on the Pfeiffer reopening. The seal details are from elephantseal.org, undated. The Hearst Castle prices are from hearstcastle.org, undated, with a 2026 footer. Hearst Castle is closed on Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day.
Friends of the Elephant Seal says the seal count at the rookery peaks in late January, when most pups have been born. Its site says young seals also haul out on the beaches from September to November.
Camping
State Parks says the Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park campground, day use areas and Big Sur Lodge reopen on 16 October 2026. We did not check campsite fees, reservation rules or any other campground. The Kirk Creek area was inside the Plaskett Fire closure, and we did not confirm its campground status.
What we checked and what can change
Checked on 21 October 2026: Caltrans' highway conditions page for Route 1 (roads.dot.ca.gov, as of 2:08 p.m.). Checked on 14 October 2026: the same page (as of 11:54 a.m.), Caltrans District 5 releases of 17 February, 1 October and 2 October 2026 and the Caltrans fire closure notice of 27 August 2026. Also the governor's office release of 14 January 2026, CAL FIRE's Timber Fire page (updated 9 October), California State Parks pages for Pfeiffer Big Sur, Julia Pfeiffer Burns and Point Lobos, the Hearst Castle ticket page, the Friends of the Elephant Seal site and a KION report of 3 August 2026 on Bixby Bridge. Read on 15 October 2026: the Big Sur Chamber of Commerce home page, the FHWA America's Byways page for Route 1 Big Sur Coast Highway, and reports on the Bixby signs from Monterey County NOW (3 August, updated 5 August 2026) and KSBW (5 August 2026).
Not confirmed: road status after 2:08 p.m. on 21 October, the Caltrans date for the end of the 17 February closure, the Carmel to San Simeon mileage and drive time from Caltrans, the Bixby fine, one-way control at Torre Canyon, the Pfeiffer reopening on the day, camping fees and reservations, rookery viewing hours, and gas on the route. We included no lodging prices because we did not check any. Fires and winter storms can close the road again with little notice. Check Caltrans QuickMap or call 1-800-427-7623 before you leave.
