Highway 1 Hidden Secrets

Highway 1 Discovery Route Map Unlocks 25 Hidden Secrets

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We all could use some outdoor adventures right about now, perhaps a treasure map that leads us to one hidden secret after another. The Highway 1 Discovery Route is full of such mysteries, whether you want to observe the magic of the elephant seal birthing season, kayak to a secluded cove, or soar above the sea and coastal landscape in a vintage biplane. Where else can you hit a mountain bike trail with ocean views in the morning then go wine tasting under the shadow of a castle? There are sparkling gems to be discovered all along the Central California Coast. All you have to do is click on the treasure map to find these hidden secrets along Highway 1.

Of course, every treasure hunt requires a spyglass. Fear not, Ragged Point Inn has you covered. Visit Ragged Point, known as the Gateway to Big Sur, and peer through the outdoor circular sculpture to catch a glimpse of what spiritual teacher Frederick Lenz called “a fascinating place … one of the true power places in America.” Ragged Point is known to harbor plenty of its own jewels, including Hidden Beach, where you’ll find a waterfall tumbling onto the black sand beach at the end of the Black Swift Trail.

Gateway to Big Sur

Hidden Beach

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Point your compass south, and you’ll come upon another otherworldly locale, one of the most accessible elephant seal rookeries in the world. Most elephant seal rookeries are on impossible-to-reach rocky outcroppings, but in San Simeon, you observe the astounding birthing and pupping seasons from less than 100 yards away. More than 24,000 elephant seals visit the Piedras Blancas Rookery each year, from 70-pound newborns to 5,000-pound adult bulls. The 1,800-pound females and males swim as far as 3,000 miles to and from this rookery each year.

Locals’ tip: Head north from the Rookery on the Boucher Trail to avoid the crowds and find five more elephant seal overlooks.

Piedras Blancas Rookery

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Photo by Danna Dykstra-Coy

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Though the rookery is protected, you can paddle along sublime San Simeon Bay, a protected inlet that’s perfect for beginners and enticing for experts. You can put down your paddle and pick up a pinot noir without ever leaving the beach. The Hearst Ranch Winery tasting room is on the edge of the bay directly across from Sebastian’s General Store, a mercantile throwback. Ponder the sea over local vintages and a bite from the Field to Table food truck. The Highway 1 Discovery Route abounds with outdoor recreational potential, human-powered adventure habitat with few peers on Earth. Whatever mode you may prefer, be it pedal, paddle, hoof, or hiking boot, you’ll find an outlet here. Fiscalini Ranch Preserve alone is transected by 17 trails, paths leading over hills, into forests, and along the shoreline. You can disappear among the wildflowers and native plants, explore tidepools, get your bike ride on, and view a spectrum of coastal habitats replete with an impressive array of bird species all from driftwood bench you can find along the path.

Hearst Ranch Winery

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San Simeon Bay

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Fiscalini Ranch Preserve

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Not far away, Cambria’s Covell Ranch offers the rare opportunity to ride a majestic Clydesdale through the Monterey pines. Usually seen pulling wagons and beer carts, these magnificent draft horses provide a ride you’ll never forget. The trails undulate along the famous Central California hills, a gorgeous landscape that appears to ripple before the sea. If cycling stirrups are your preferred mode of hill travel, consider Old Creek Road, a challenging series of climbs and thrilling descents. Like visiting Linn’s Fruit Bin farm stand for olallieberry pie, capturing Morro Rock, especially at sunset, is a local tradition. #MorroRock images appear more than 75,000 times on Instagram alone. The Highway 1 Discovery Route Map suggests the best vista points for #MorroRock snaps as well as many other picture-perfect places, like the Estero Bluff Trail. It leads to a photogenic abandoned fishing boat in the cove below. The whale tail bench on Cayucos’s 1st Street is another preferred sunset photo perch.

Cambria's Covell Ranch

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It isn’t just sedentary monoliths and fishing vessels that draw the click-and-post crowds to Highway 1. Central Coast wildlife is never far away if you know where to look. Morro Bay is home to a lesser-known sea otter preserve, an excellent spot for watching these furry clowns go about their playtime. Keep your eyes peeled for pups in Morro Bay and along the Highway 1 Discovery Route. California sea otters are year-round residents, but many other mammals are just passing through. Migrant gray whales are usually seen heading south in October and on their return to Alaskan waters, often with calves in tow, from mid-February to May. Blue whales, the largest animal on Earth, as well as humpbacks, fin, and other whales go krill crazy off the Central Coast in summer. There are several Whale Trail turnouts—more than anywhere in CA—along this stretch of Highway 1. Ocean wildlife viewing tours depart most days from Avila Beach and elsewhere. Viewing wildlife from the best spots is definitely one reason to check your Highway 1 Discovery Route Map, but there are also pods of cultural destinations that are worthy of a watch party. Arroyo Grande’s Swinging Bridge is unique in all of California. Nipomo’s Monarch Club at Trilogy features a sculpture garden with works by many local artists. Guadalupe-Nipomo Dunes Center displays a large Sphinx head, one of several set props from Cecil B. DeMille’s “The Ten Commandments” that were buried under sand and excavated decades later.

Cambria's Covell Ranch

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Estero Bluffs Trail

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Whales in Avila Bay

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Morro Bay Sea Otter Preserve

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Speaking of secrets, don’t miss the Secret Garden at Sycamore Mineral Springs, a lovely chef’s garden that will inspire home cooks and green thumbs alike. The Highway 1 Discovery Route Map is also littered with whisper-worthy spots, especially for the romantics among us. Many proposals have been made from the Point San Luis Lighthouse tree swing. The Montaña de Oro Bluff Trail, as well as just about anywhere in the 22,000-acre Oceano Dunes, invites long strolls with little company save the ocean breeze and coastal birds.

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For over 12,000 years, the indigenous Chumash shared fishing and foraging secrets through a complex oral tradition. Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo and other Spanish explorers began charting the protected bays along the Central California Coast in the mid-16th century. The Highway 1 Discovery Route Map continues these traditions, an interactive guide to the hidden secrets of the region. Whether you desire a beach repast with the Cayucos Picnic Company, some family seaweed foraging, or seeing a herd of zebra enjoying the ocean breezes, download our map - Hidden Secrets Along Highway 1 - and chart your own course to the perfect vacation.

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The Fiscalini driftwood bench

Whales in Avila Bay

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Oceano Dunes preserve

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