We drive the Power Wagon along Old Coast Road in Big Sur, California. This fantastic 10-mile stretch of single-track dirt road was, as its name suggests, the old coastal road used by those traveling from San Franciso to Los Angeles.
Interactive 3D map of this track and GPX download: four.wheel.travel/old-coast-r...
All tracks in this series: four.wheel.travel/off-the-bea...
In 1932 the iconic Bixby Bridge was completed and the opening of that bridge basically bypassed this stretch of dirt road. The Old Coast Road is maintained by the county for access to the various private properties for whom the road is the primary access, and driving along the road is really a step back in time as it traverses shelf roads, Redwood stands, single-lane bridges, and peeks out here and there with spectacular views of the Pacific Ocean!
We would recommend a high-clearance vehicle. The road is rutted in places, and rocky in others. We would strongly advise against attempting this without at least all-terrain tires, and four-wheel drive or at least all-wheel drive is recommended. The road is impassable when wet, and if you've traveled this route, you will know why - there are shelf roads with sheer drops of hundreds of feet interspersed throughout the track, and there's no way I'd want to be out here in slippery conditions!
We traveled in the north-south direction, starting at Bixby Bridge on the Pacific Coast Highway, then traveling the 10 miles of dirt track to emerge back onto the PCH at the Andrew Molera State Park.
There is no camping anywhere along the Old Coast Road, and it is essential to note that county roads such as this often cross private property. While you may have a right to travel along the route, all 'no trespassing' signs must be obeyed. There is absolutely no camping and no fires are allowed along the track, with hefty fines for those caught breaking these rules.
Edit: I called out Bixby Mountain in the video; there is a Bixby Mountain nearby but the peak we were looking at is Pico Blanco, a 3,709 ft peak composed of Granite, from which is derived the name Pico Blanco, or White Peak. This peak is visible from various points along the Old Coast Road.
Chapters:
0:00 Intro and map visualization
0:43 Old Coast Road at Bixby Bridge/PCH
3:19 Bixby Bridge overlook
5:12 Single Lane Bridge over Bixby Creek
7:02 Redwoods at Sierra Creek
7:57 2x Hyperlapse through Redwoods at Sierra Creek
9:57 More Redwoods at Sierra Creek (non-hyperlapse)
11:32 Narrow shelf road above Sierra Creek
12:43 Pacific Ocean overlook
13:09 Rutted, rocky, and overgrown downhill shelf road
14:23 Steep section above the Little Sur river
16:05 Single-lane bridges at Little Sur and Little Sur South Fork rivers
17:45 Redwoods alongside the Little Sur South Fork river
19:25 GoPro battery expires, switch to Rove dashcam
19:49 Crest the final ridge before the descent to rejoin the PCH at Andrew Molera State Park
21:02 Old Coast Road rejoins the PCH
21:18 Drive on the PCH over Bixby Bridge
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▶ 3WA for the points along the route:
Begins at Bixby Bridge: w3w.co/bonfires.radial.congra...
Ends at Andrew Molera State Park: w3w.colandscape.desk.reintrod...
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▶ Social Media Links:
* All The Links: four.wheel.travel
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The playlist for this series is here:
• Off The Beaten Track -...
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▶ Gear we use:
* GoPro Hero 11 Black: amzn.to/3fQw4Hf
* GoPro Hero7 Black: amzn.to/3Lld3s0
* GoPro Suction Cup Mount: amzn.to/3Dyc59X
* RAM Mounts X-Grip Phone Holder: amzn.to/3UmBAB5
* RAM Mounts Suction Base: amzn.to/3xt3OQU
* Garmin VIRB 360 Camera: amzn.to/2RSPyze
* Tube Mounted base for Rotopax: amzn.to/3nI4g8L
* General Rotopax Accessories at Amazon: amzn.to/3ySw4gU
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#oldcoastroad #bixbybridge #offroadtrails #offthebeatentrack