Bixby Bridge is the image many people have in mind when they picture Big Sur: a pale concrete arch thrown across a deep coastal canyon, with Highway 1 curling along the cliffs above the Pacific. Built in the early 1930s, it remains both an engineering landmark and one of the most photographed road views in California.
The pullouts near the north end give the standard view back toward the bridge and the coast. Traffic and roadside parking can be messy in summer, so stop only where it is safe and keep well clear of the highway edge.