Bixby Bridge

Amazing view point along the Big Sur Coast! Bixby Bridge has a beautiful view and has a few little trails for visitors to hike down. This spot is definitely worth a stop if you are driving around in the area — you will leave with some great pictures!

You have to pass the Bixby Bridge on PCH so you might as well stop to snap a shot here! Before the Golden Gate Bridge, this used to be THE bridge, but even so, it remains as one of the world’s tallest single-​span concrete bridges. No PCH trip is complete without at least a shot of this iconic bridge set in a beautiful backdrop!
Don’t worry about missing it: you won’t. Even if you were oblivious of the road, you will know you have reached the bridge if you see a large parking crowd and even pedestrians crossing the highway. You will find plenty of parking here even with the crowd, so there is no excuse for you not to stop here for at least a moment!

The Bixby Bridge is a MUST if you are visiting Big Sur, Monterey, or Carmel-​by-​the-​Sea. Really, outside of the Golden Gate Bridge it has to be the most photographed bridge on the West Coast and quite possibly America. It really is one of the rare times something man-​made nearly stands up to Mother Nature’s awesomeness. Almost.
Now, I don’t know much about bridges, so I turned to
for the details. According to the website, the bridge is an open-​spandrel concrete arch bridge that is 716 feet with a curve that was completed on November 23, 1932 making it a boring Sagittarius. Imagine if it was built just two days earlier? It could have been an awesome Scorpio like me and then I could say the bridge was curved to resemble a scorpion… what could have been…
What is really interesting though is that the bridge and Highway 1 aka Pacific Coast Highway (PCH) along the Big Sur coast was built by convicts from San Quentin. Add that to the list of things I did not know were made by prisoners such as Victoria Secrets panties, license plates, and books for the blind.
Back to the bridge… It’s named for some dead dude named Charles Bixby that owned some land and a sawmill in the area. ZZZzzzz… Now for some useful information, where to park!
Two areas to park and take photos from are both on the northern side of the bridge. Heading southbound from Carmel-​by-​the-​Sea right before the bridge is a turnout on the right side (coastal side of PCH). You can usually find parking at this turnout unless a Chinese tour bus is parked like a dickbutt taking up all the spaces.
But fear not, if you can’t find parking in the turnout, on the left side (mountainous side of PCH) is the unpaved Old Coast Road where you can park on the side. Just be wary of cars travelling northbound on PCH turning blindly into Old Coast Road.
Like all postcard and poststamp places, expect tourists. However, if you are patient and wait for the tour buses to leave you can still get some good shots.
Also, don’t be that fool that dies taking a selfie or Instagram photo. It’s just not worth it. Honestly, I witnessed a flip-​flop wearing amateur photographer nearly fall off the cliff because he was trying to get a better angle of the bridge using his Canon DSLR that was likely set to Auto. Almost.
At the end of the day, the breathtaking view of the Pacific Ocean and the Big Sur coastline separated by the Bixby Bridge was really a sight to see.
* I bet you didn’t know but John Steinbeck also worked on building PCH!
Click below for more interesting facts about PCH from the US Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration
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Coming from the North, Bixby Bridge is always an iconic landmark that marks the start of Big Sur for me. I have come to Big Sur on Valentine’s weekend the past two years and hope to keep it a tradition.
Bixby Bridge is gorgeous and therefore gets crowded woth tourists quickly. I have always come super early in the morning to admire the view without too many other people around. I also like to park on the Old Coast Road side to get nice views of the cliffs and ocean behind the bridge for pictures.
If you come in the afternoon or later, be prepared to squeeze in to a spot or have to wait as the road gets crowded and congested. It is worth it though!

Such a beautiful historic bridge! This was our first stop for our Big Sur camping trip. If you’re around Monterey or Big Sur, I suggest you stop by.
It’s an easy stop to make because there are parking spots. There’s also a lot of tourists. So try to be patient. Lots of people trying to get that photo op.
But seriously, just stop and appreciate the view.
It’s really pretty and just one of those things that you’ll be glad that you stopped.
You don’t even have to walk. Once you stop, it’s right there. You just have to be careful because there are a lot of fast cars passing by.
Really worth stopping by though! It’s beautiful!

Like most people I was on my way to San Francisco and decided to take the scenic route. I as we continued driving I thought every bridge I came across was the Bixby Bridge. I maybe came across 4 until I decided to pull over and ask someone, they mentioned it was a couple miles up and would not miss it. I have Verizon carrier and we also had a phone from AT&T, well none of us had service the whole way up, which was about 4 hours. The weather was not the best, it was November and overcast and I was a bit disappointed. However, once we came across the Bixby Bridge were amazed by the beautiful view. We like everyone else pulled over and took pictures. I definitely want to come just to big sur and spend a day of camping here, there is so much to explore!

Had the opportunity of visiting The Bixby Bridge on my way up to NorCal via the 1 Highway. This bridge is definitely a must see if you are traveling up the coast to wherever you are going. There’s so many good things to praise about this landmark but here are some highlights:
1. Very accessible and ample parking
2. That history though (since 1932)
3. Amazing and gorgeous view, despite any type of weather
4. You can climb all the way down to the coast if you really want to!
Generally, a great landmark isn’t so great anymore when there’s rain, but I absolutely loved how the Bixby Bridge looked in the gloomy weather. There were a lot of people around, and it seemed like the perfect tourist spot. Just make sure that you are aware of your footing!
Have fun and prosper folks,

BEAUTIFUL & AMAAAZING view! This is definitely a place to stop by when driving through the pacific coast!

«Is this the real life?
Is this just fantasy?
Caught in a landslide,
No escape from reality.
Open your eyes,
Look up to the skies and see,»
For some reason, I’m reminded of those opening lines from Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody whenever I stop by Bixby Bridge. Perhaps, it’s because it’s so beautiful (and treacherous, when you stand close to the cliff). Driving south on CA-​1, there is a parking lot right before the bridge where you can get down and take pictures. The bridge, cliffs, beaches and the natural curvature of the land makes this really gorgeous. Also, every time I’ve stopped here, I’ve seen a different vista due to the changing fog and sun conditions.

Bixby Bridge, which is pretty high up as the Northern Part of your Big Sur trip, is Highway 1 for those glorious 8 – 10 seconds. There’s a vista point after where you can stop at and take pictures. Be careful — very careful here! There were a lot of people backing up and signaling and trying to get spots– the spots are on the road. People walk across the street because that’s where you take the picture! Oy vey. Be careful!
Honestly don’t know what else to say because I felt nothing special about the Bixby Bridge: P You get a view of the ocean, which (yes) looks nice here as well [most of Big Sur actually].
Hope it’s not foggy when you come here and sorry for my bad pictures: P I think I took a slanted photo haha. If it’s not up, it’ll be uploaded soon!
Bixby Bridge, depending on your direction, will be the beginning or the end of your Big Sur trip!

Bixby Creek Bridge is a-​must to do points whenever you drive along the Pacific Ocean on the Big Sur Coastal Highway One! This one reminds me more of the Rainbow Bridge near the Niagara Falls, which on the outlook-​wise I find both very similar. However, from the internet facts I understand that Bixby Bridge is the oldest, still stands tall and proves to be West Coast’s reigning pride.
Adding more beauty to the view is the Bixby Creek Bridge Beach, which can be seen below when you look down from the bridge. The view is stunning and the beauty is unmatched especially when you see the ocean waves hitting on the rocky coastline. The beach access is, however, restricted to the public since it’s a private property and is also quite risky to hike down as it’s too rocky and steep (from what I saw). May be, one can hit the beach via boat.
Parking tip,
Roadside free parking. There is a small pull-​out area near the bridge, you can park your vehicle there or find a good and safe parking spot anywhere at the north side of the bridge, for the view is amazing!
Bixby Bridge point is the most popular photographed places, most sort after ones for many observers or pro photographers. Certainly, it’s worth driving this far!

You can’t drive to/​through Big Sur without stopping at Bixby Bridge!
My friend and I planned a day trip to Big Sur and we left even before sunrise. We parked at the side of the road, sat on one of the rocks, and waited until the sun rose. BEAUTIFUL! GORGEOUS! BREATH-​TAKING! Good thing we came early— avoided all the people doing the same thing as us (taking photos). Love the scenery.
Oh! It wasn’t foggy at all when we went a few days ago.

When you think of Big Sur, Bixby Bridge should come to mind. Think of the car commercials on tv. Most of the car commercials are shot driving on Bixby Bridge or along the beautiful West Coast.
On my roadtrip up north, my friends and I took the scenic route, highway 1. BTW, the scenic route is always the best route to take. This historical landmark is definitely a place you would want to stop at during your roadtrip.

Along with the McWay Falls, Bixby Bridge is one of the most photograph landmarks by many photographers.
13 miles south of Carmel. Less than an hour from McWay Falls.
Worth the stop and take few pictures of the bridge.
You can easily find parking along the coast and just walk down a hill for a better angle.
The north side of it has less people, so you can own the spot to yourself.
Incredible architecture! Finally got to see it.
It’s not hard to avoid this bridge as you can it from a distance.

One of the famous landmark of PCH 1 scenic route from So Cal to Nor Cal (or vice versa). Since I was coming from the south, Bixby Bridge was the last stop for me before I went back inland to go home.
There was a lot of people taking pictures when I arrived but parking is very easy since there’s parking available on both side after I crossed the bridge. The view was amazing and breathtaking. Since I was driving the entire time, I didn’t really get to soak up the scenery until I pit-​stopped here. All Californians must do this trip at least once in their lives!

Bixby Bridge is one of the most photographed bridges on the West Coast because of its beautiful design. It’s been used in many automobile commercials!
Fun Facts:
— The bridge opened in 1932
— It is one of the tallest single span concrete bridges in the world
— The bridge is named after Charles Henry Bixby
— Also known as the Rainbow Bridge
— Featured in Heros and a Death Cab for Cutie song
If you’re driving south to Big Sur, don’t mistake it for the first bridge you come across. That’s Rocky Creek Bridge!

What an underrated treasure of NorCal. Finding the bridge is easy; finding parking on the other hand during a busy weekend isn’t. This is such a scenic spot that has a superb view of the Pacific Ocean and the mountain plains coinciding together. What a sight to behold! The amazing architecture of the bridge, combined with the natural scenery makes it a wonderful place to enjoy.
Incredibly breathtaking. Bring those cameras and have fun taking lots of landscape pictures! You will want to!

The Historic Bixby Bridge is another nice stopping point along the PCH.
Obviously many people want to stop here for a pretty photo op. There is a parking area on the coast side. There is also a dirt road on the other side that will take you to a different view of the bridge.
The bridge itself is not that large. I guess I’m comparing it to the Golden Gate or Mackinaw Bridge. It is still beautiful and scenic.
I’m glad we stopped at another piece of history on the California coast.

COAST DRIVE = BEAUTIFUL
Much needed escape from the city to see the coast. The coast was beautiful. First time seeing the Bixby Bridge (from my knowledge) and took amazing pictures to capture the moment. The bridge cascading over the water was stunning to see. I had thought the bridge was much larger than it really is but it isn’t. Still nice to see.
–Expect a handful of tourist taking pictures
–There is a ledge you can take cool pictures on but be VERY CAREFUL
Until the next review…