Big Sur: Free Things to Do

We love to visit Big Sur!

In Big Sur, when you're driving South along Highway 1 from the Monterey/Carmel area, with imposing cliffs rising to the left of you and more dropping off to the right, ocean vistas that seem to go on forever, and a two-lane road that will probably never be widened, there's no doubt you've stumbled into a very special place indeed.

In fact, it's such an extraordinarily unique spot that it's been discovered by the rich and famous, which can make it an expensive place to visit.

You can stay in the most luxurious and expensive places, like Ventana Inn or Post Ranch; enjoy five-star dining and fine wines; indulge in luxury spas...

But it doesn't have to be that way. With a little imagination and some help from our insider secrets, you'll find that there are free things to do as well!

I don't know about you, but even during bountiful times we think it's fun to discover things we can do without spending much money. So here are some of our free and almost-free things to do.

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5 Free Things To Do in Big Sur

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5 Almost Free Things To Do in Big Sur

1. Visit! Any of the California State Parks for the price of a day use pass (usually around $10 per vehicle) for full access to picnic areas, hiking trails, various rivers, creeks, beaches, and historic sites. With terrain that runs the gamut from beach to forested wilderness and most everything in between, you're in for some serious communing with nature.
2. Follow! The Overlook Trail in Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park to McWay Falls for some stunning views along the way, with McWay Falls dropping onto the beach (or into the ocean when the tide is high). It's all yours as part of your day use fee to the park.
3. Stroll! Through the redwoods along the Limekiln Trail in Limekiln State Park to see the four humungous limekilns that were used to purify the mined limestone before hauling it out of the canyon and down to the coast where ships were waiting. Beautiful scenery combined with a history lesson, and it's included in the price of entry to the park.
4. Visit! Point Sur State Historic Park and Lighthouse (formerly Point Sur Lightstation) for a guided tour of the facilities of this historic lighthouse, which played (and still plays) such an important part in saving lives, cargoes, and ships along the coast.
5. Picnic, sunbathe, read a good book, beachcomb! And catch a breathtaking sunset from Pfeiffer Beach as the final rays of sunshine slant through Keyhole Arch like beacons from Heaven. It's hard to find (look for a yellow sign that says "Narrow Road" on the west side of Highway 1), but well worth the effort. There's a small parking fee ($5 last time we were there).
   

Do you have a favorite NorCal story?
From a family visit from years ago to something
you discovered last weekend,
Share it with the rest of us - we'd love to learn about it!

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For more about the area, follow these links:

• Discover Big Sur
  What make this stretch of Northern California coastline so unique?
  
• Attractions
  Places to go, things to do, people to meet
  
• Beaches
  Sandy stretches, driftwood huts, semi-precious gems, and nudity
• Camping
  Overlooking the beach, along the streams and rivers, amongst the trees, and in the wilderness
• Day Trips
  Things to see and do nearby
  

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