Bixby Creek Bridge

Introduction:

What? : Bixby Creek Bridge is probably the most famous bridge of highway 1 road, the bridge is at the top of any “must see” lists, it is an iconic and the most photogenic Big Sur subject.

 

Few Related Blog Links:

• Monterey
• Big Sur Highway 1 from Monterey to Morro Bay
• Andrew Molera State Park
• Pfeiffer Beach
• Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park - McWay Falls
• San Simon: Hearst Castle and Elephant Seal Point 
• Montaña de Oro State Park
• Morro Bay
• Pismo Beach

Where? : The bridge is located 18 miles south from Monterey.

Google Map Link

 

Due note 1: Best at sunset as the sun is not directly behind the bridge.

 

Due note 2: As one of the main road attractions this place is usually packed with people and cars on the roadside, drive slowly because people are crossing the road and taking pictures as well as backed up cars that pull out from their road-side parking. Do not block the road or stop at the bridge.

 

My thoughts: I visit this bridge many times and always find it as an amazing view of engineering work that somehow flow with the coastline cliffs traversing over the deep canyon below. Highly recommended even for a short stop on your way.

 

Some information about the bridge:

The reinforced concrete open-spandrel arch bridge was built for $200,000, and officially opened on November 27th 1932. Standing at 280ft high with a total length of 714ft, Bixby Creek Bridge was the highest single-span archway in the world at the time it opened.

 

Where to park:

This is congested are so drive slowly and prepare to stop.

 

If you are coming from the north (Monterey):

The best place is to stop on the right side just before the bridge, there is a small parking place.

If you started to cross the bridge do not do a U turn but rather keep driving there is another small place to park your car few hundred feet after the bridge or much higher at the cliffs, a mile away south.

Another option to park near the north side of the bridge is to turn left into a dirt road just when the road turns right onto the bridge (be careful when you cross to the other side of the road). This is a narrow unpaved road that is leading to hills, try to park near the entrance, soon the road narrow and you cannot park your car or make an easy U turn.

 

If you are coming from the south (San Simon):

Stop first at Hurricane highest viewpoint, 1 mile before the bridge. From here you have the view down the road all the way to the bridge at the end.

On a busy day, the preferred parking is right after you are crossing the bridge turn right into the dirt road and park there, cross the road to the main viewing point on the other side of the road.

 Pictures: