Car camping in Big Sur, California, has been on my bucket list for years! And as of May 2026, I finally made my dreams come true! I managed to snag camping permits at Limekiln State Park, so my husband and I loaded all our camping gear into our 2016 Toyota RAV4 and set out on the 11-hour drive from Phoenix to Big Sur, California.
From camping among redwood trees to pitching our tent at the Pacific Ocean, hiking in the forest, visiting waterfalls, and beach days, this was one of the most beautiful road trips I’ve ever been on.
This post shares the three-day itinerary of our camping adventure in Big Sur, California!
>> Please respect nature by practicing Leave No Trace. Learn more about how to apply the principles of Leave No Trace on your next outdoor adventure here.
Hey! I wanted to let you know that this post contains affiliate links! By purchasing through these links, I earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thanks for your support!
Three-Day Itinerary Camping in Big Sur
Big Sur has it all: gorgeous beaches, ancient redwood forests, waterfalls, wildflowers, dramatic cliffs, and abundant wildlife. This rugged stretch of the California Coast is roughly 71 miles of California State Route 1, south of Carmel and north of San Simeon, California.
This is one of the most beautiful and wild places I’ve ever been. There’s absolutely no cell service, and this section of the Central Coast is isolated, with only around 2,000 year-round residents.
Before I share our three-day Big Sur itinerary, here are some tips for visiting:
- Download your maps before visiting. There is no cell service in Big Sur! That means unless you have your maps downloaded, you won’t have a way to navigate! Be sure to download maps to the destinations you want to visit, your audiobooks, and any music you want to listen to on the drive. And enjoy being fully off-grid!
- Pack as it will rain. Being on the coast, we woke up to fog every single day. And our last day was met with heavy rain. The weather is unpredictable, so I highly recommend packing a rain jacket.
- The drive requires patience. The drive along California’s Highway 1 is beautiful and requires patience. There are lots of twists and turns, with gorgeous views around every corner. The speed limit is low, and there are no passing lanes. However, there are dozens of pull-off sections if you want to stop to take in the views. Please drive with care and follow the speed limit.
Car Camping in Big Sur
There are a couple of car camping options in Big Sur; most of them are California state parks. Reservations fill up quickly and often need to be made several months in advance.
- Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park Campground – The largest campground in the area, there are 189 RV and tent sites situated on or near the Big Sur River.
- Kirk Creek Campground – With the best ocean views (but minimal shade), this campground has 33 campsites on a bluff overlooking the Pacific.
- Limekiln State Park Campground – The campground we stayed in had 28 campsites, half in the forest and half near the ocean.
Car Camping in Limekiln State Park
On our three-day visit to Big Sur in May 2026, we were lucky enough to reserve three nights of camping in Limekiln State Park. This particular park is relatively central in the Big Sur area and has the best of both worlds: redwood forest and beach access.
Limekiln State Park is truly a gem. It is one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever camped!
We spent two nights in the Redwood Campsite and one night in the Ocean Campsite. You can pull your vehicle directly up to your campsite. Each site features a wooden picnic table and campfire ring and has access to the park’s two bathrooms (with flush toilets and showers).
The best part about camping in Limekiln State Park is the trail and beach access. Through the Redwood Campsites, you have access to the stunning Limekiln Trail.
And through the Ocean Campsites, you have access to the beach! If we hadn’t driven so far to explore the rest of Big Sur, we could have happily spent all three days in the state park.
Redwood Camping in Limekiln State Park
For the first two nights, we camped in Redwood Campsite 17. Even though it was the smallest campsite, we thought it was the best. Located on the corner, we had only one neighbor to our left and the shortest hike to the bathrooms. We pitched our tent beneath a massive redwood tree, and behind us, down a short hill, ran a gorgeous creek that eventually flowed to the ocean.
If I could recommend Redwood Campsites in Limekiln State Park, I’d suggest site 17 for couples and sites 23 and 24 for larger groups.
Ocean Camping in Limekiln State Park
We spent our last night in Ocean Campsite 7. Out of the two campsite options in Limekiln State Park, we preferred the privacy of the Redwood sites. While it was nice to have the beach so close to camp, the sites themselves were very close together, and the wind coming off the ocean was cold.
If I could recommend Ocean Campsites in Limekiln State Park, I’d suggest sites 4 and 5.
Big Sur 3-Day Itinerary
Now that you know how we camped, here’s what we did on our three-day visit to the beautiful Big Sur, California:
Day 1 in Big Sur: Arrive to Camp at Limekiln State Park
We had an 11-hour drive from Phoenix, Arizona, to Limekiln State Park. It was a long drive, but we made the most of it by listening to an audiobook I downloaded, Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman.
I knew gas prices would be high in Big Sur, so we made sure to stop in Morro Bay to fill up. We arrived at camp around 4 pm, set up our gear, and got the lay of the campground before making dinner. After a long drive and knowing we had a big day ahead, we went to bed as soon as the sun went down.
Day 2 in Big Sur: Pfeiffer Beach, Café Kevah and McWay Falls
After our morning French Press and breakfast at camp, we wanted to stretch our legs before getting back in the car, so we went for a hike on the camp grounds! As mentioned above, Limekiln State Park has a couple of miles of trails to explore. Once you cross a bridge over Limekiln Creek, you’re immediately met by ancient redwood trees and ferns galore. I can’t say it enough: this was one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever been.
After our morning hike around camp, we got back in the car to drive north to our first destination, Pfeiffer Beach. This is one of the more popular recommendations for visiting Big Sur, known for its unique purple sand and the natural Keyhole Arch.
Visiting Pfeiffer Beach requires a slow, one-lane drive through a canyon and a $15 day-use entry fee. When paying our entry fee, we noticed a sign that read, “It’s windy! No refunds.” And oh boy, was it windy.
While the beach was beautiful and it was cool to see the natural arch in the rock, we agreed we could have skipped this “must-see Big Sur destination”.
After another slow drive out of the canyon, we drove a couple of minutes down the road to grab lunch at one of the most scenic (and pricey) restaurants in Big Sur: Café Kevah.
Café Kevah is known as one of the most scenic places to grab coffee, and I have to agree! There aren’t many restaurant options in Big Sur, so along with our coffee, we opted for brunch. The food was good, but we mostly paid for the stunning patio views of the Pacific and towering Santa Lucia Mountains.
If you’re looking for a higher-end lunch or dinner, just up the steps from the Café is Nepenthe. With an even better view, this sister restaurant is a great place to enjoy a glass of wine or a steak.
While you’re there, be sure to pop down to explore the shops for local souvenirs.
On our drive back to camp, we stopped at a couple of roadside pull-offs to take in the views of Big Sur’s rugged coast.
One of my favorite stops was to see the infamous McWay Falls.
Just outside Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park, McWay Falls is an 80-foot waterfall that cascades into a sandy beach.
To see McWay Falls, simply park at one of the numerous roadside pull-offs and walk to the viewing area.
It’s a popular spot, so trust me, you can’t miss it!
Day 3 in Big Sur: Sand Dollar Beach
We started our third day in Big Sur with another hike through Limekiln State Park. We really enjoyed camping in the Redwood Campsite, and we’re excited to move to the ocean-front campsite.
We woke to gorgeous weather, so after our hike and packing up camp, we drove 8-minutes down the road to Sand Dollar Beach.
A popular day-use area with a self-pay station ($10 for the day), Sand Dollar is the largest public beach on the Southern Big Sur Coast. There are plenty of picnic tables and bathrooms. To access the beach, you take a short walking path and climb down about 100 stairs.
There are unpredictable riptide currents at Sand Dollar Beach, so swimming is not advised. We didn’t mind, though, because the beachcombing and sunbathing were perfect.
We spent about four hours walking the beach and reading our books before heading back to camp for one final night at Limekiln State Park.
Overall Thoughts on Visiting and Camping in Big Sur, California
Big Sur takes up only about 71 miles of the California coast, so it’s relatively small. Three days were plenty of time for us to see what we wanted to see and enjoy our campground. While you could easily explore Big Sur in a day, I highly recommend camping if you can reserve a spot at one of the local state parks.
From my research, there is no free car camping in Big Sur. Please respect the locals and the law.
If I were to visit again, I’d go backpacking in Big Sur. From what we saw while exploring and from my limited research, there are many great backcountry backpacking trails in the Big Sur area.
I hope this blog post helped you plan your bucket-list trip to Big Sur, California! We loved our trip and feel so grateful to have been truly immersed in the beauty of this wild place.
