🌊 行程总览
沿一号公路南下：Big Sur 大苏尔 + 中部海岸，一路到 Santa Barbara 圣塔芭芭拉 掉头。不去 LA（你没兴趣，且太远）。节奏很轻松：每天开车≤3小时（FSD 代劳），全程睡海边营地、海岸凉爽。
路线：Santa Clara → Monterey → 大苏尔 → San Simeon 象海豹 → Morro Bay → Pismo → Santa Barbara（最南） →（走101快速返回）
| 天 | 路段（开车） | 住（海边 · 有淋浴） |
|---|---|---|
| D1 周二 7/28 | Santa Clara → 大苏尔（~2.5h） | Pfeiffer Big Sur 州立公园 |
| D2 周三 7/29 | 大苏尔 → San Simeon → Morro Bay（~2.5h） | Morro Bay 州立公园 |
| D3 周四 7/30 | Morro Bay → Santa Barbara（~2h） | El Capitán / Refugio 海滩 |
| D4 周五 7/31 | Santa Barbara 玩 → 北返 Pismo（~1.5h） | Pismo / Oceano 海滩 |
| D5 周六 8/1 | Pismo → 回 Santa Clara（101，~3–3.5h） | 到家 |
为什么这条 vs 大峡谷：海岸常年凉爽（60–70°F、早上有雾），不像大峡谷谷底110°F；单程只有大峡谷的约1/3；而且每天只开2–3小时，很轻松。
唯一要盯的两件事：①营地要抢——加州海岸州立公园营地提前6个月放位、夏天基本满，现在只能捡取消（见"营地"页）。②出发前查 Caltrans 一号公路大苏尔路段有没有塌方封路。
D1 · 周二 7/28 · 开车 ~2.5 小时
Santa Clara → Monterey → 大苏尔
101/156 → Monterey → 一号公路南下大苏尔。Monterey 是进大苏尔前最后的超充（之后90英里没电没信号）。
| 时间 | 安排 | 备注 |
|---|---|---|
| 09:00 | 不急，睡饱再走 | ~75 mi 到 Monterey |
| 11:00 | ⚡ Monterey / Seaside 超充 充满 + 午餐（Cannery Row / Fisherman's Wharf） | 务必充满——大苏尔无充电 |
| 12:30 | 🦦 Point Lobos 自然保护区：海獭、海豹、蓝绿海湾步道 | 门票$10/车；旺季早点到停车 |
| 14:30 | 📸 Bixby Creek 桥 拍照；一路观景点慢慢开 | 大苏尔最经典画面 |
| 16:00 | 🏖️ Pfeiffer Beach 紫沙滩（窄路进去，海蚀拱门） | 入口容易错过，找 Sycamore Canyon Rd |
| 17:30 | 🏕️ Pfeiffer Big Sur 州立公园 扎营（红杉林、有淋浴） | 日落后红杉下很凉，带厚睡袋 |
D2 · 周三 7/29 · 开车 ~2.5 小时
大苏尔 → San Simeon 象海豹 → Morro Bay
一号公路继续南下（最精华的悬崖段）→ San Simeon → Morro Bay。慢慢开，观景点多。
| 时间 | 安排 | 备注 |
|---|---|---|
| 09:00 | 💦 McWay 瀑布（Julia Pfeiffer Burns 州立公园）：瀑布直接落进蓝绿海湾 | 路边步道5分钟到观景台 |
| 10:30 | 🛣️ Ragged Point 观景 + 咖啡（大苏尔南端） | |
| 11:30 | 🦭 Piedras Blancas 象海豹群（San Simeon）：几百头象海豹就在栈道下 | 免费，全年都有，超好看 |
| 12:30 | 可选：Hearst Castle 赫斯特城堡（需网上订导览票）；或 Cambria Moonstone 海滩散步 | 城堡票提前订 |
| 15:00 | ⚡ Cambria / San Luis Obispo 补电 | 大苏尔之后第一处充电 |
| 16:30 | 🪨 Morro Rock 巨岩 + Morro Bay 海边小镇；🏕️ Morro Bay 州立公园扎营（有淋浴） | 看水獭、划皮划艇 |
D3 · 周四 7/30 · 开车 ~2 小时
Morro Bay → Pismo → Santa Barbara（最南）
Morro Bay → SLO → 101 南下 → Santa Barbara 海岸。这是全程最南、最"南加州"的一天。
| 时间 | 安排 | 备注 |
|---|---|---|
| 09:30 | 🌅 可选：Montaña de Oro 州立公园晨间海崖步道（Morro Bay 旁） | 安静、极美、免费 |
| 11:00 | 🏄 Pismo Beach：可开车上沙滩（Oceano Dunes）、码头、蛤蜊镇 | 午餐海鲜 |
| 13:00 | 可选顺路：Solvang 丹麦村（101旁，风车+丹麦点心）或 Los Olivos 酒乡 | 不想绕就直接南下 |
| 15:30 | ⚡ Santa Maria / Buellton 补电 | |
| 16:30 | 🏕️ El Capitán / Refugio 海滩州立公园扎营（热水淋浴，Santa Barbara 西17英里） | 棕榈树海滩、看日落 |
D4 · 周五 7/31 · 开车 ~1.5 小时
Santa Barbara 玩半天 → 北返 Pismo
上午玩 Santa Barbara，下午沿 101 往北开回 Pismo/SLO 一带扎营，把明天回家的路缩短。
| 时间 | 安排 | 备注 |
|---|---|---|
| 09:00 | 🌴 Santa Barbara：Butterfly Beach、码头 Stearns Wharf、西班牙老城/Mission | "美国的里维埃拉" |
| 12:30 | 海边午餐后北返（101） | ~90 mi 到 Pismo |
| 15:00 | 🏕️ Pismo State Beach / Oceano Dunes 扎营（海边、凉快） | 缩短明天回家的车程 |
| 18:00 | 沙丘看日落；也可去 Avila Beach 泡温泉/散步 | 放松最后一晚 |
D5 · 周六 8/1 · 开车 ~3–3.5 小时（全程最长一天）
Pismo → 回 Santa Clara（101）
101 北上：Pismo → Paso Robles → Salinas → Gilroy → 家。这是唯一略超3小时的一天（FSD 高速很省心）。
| 时间 | 安排 | 备注 |
|---|---|---|
| 09:30 | 不急，海边早餐后出发 | |
| 途中 | ⚡ Paso Robles / Salinas 超充 + 午餐（想歇就歇） | 把最长一天拆成两段 |
| ~14:00 | 🏠 到 Santa Clara | 下午到家，充裕 |
想更轻松？如果不想有这天3.5小时：把最南点改成 Pismo/SLO（不去 Santa Barbara），则每天都≤2.5小时——代价是少了 Santa Barbara。见"总览"权衡。
🚗 回家
⚡ 充电计划
⚠️ 大苏尔是充电+信号双盲区：Monterey 到 San Simeon/Cambria 之间约90英里没有充电、也几乎没手机信号。进大苏尔前在 Monterey/Seaside 充满，离线地图下好。
沿途超充
| 方向 | 顺序 |
|---|---|
| 南下 | Gilroy → Seaside/Monterey（进大苏尔前充满！） → 〔大苏尔90mi盲区〕→ San Luis Obispo/Atascadero → Santa Maria → Buellton/Goleta（Santa Barbara） |
| 北返 | Goleta → Santa Maria → Atascadero/Paso Robles → Salinas → Gilroy → 家（走101，超充密） |
Camp Mode 耗电：海边夜里凉，空调用得少，约8–12%/晚。营地（州立公园）多半没有车充——白天在镇上超充充够，睡前别低于40%。海岸州立公园偶有 L2，带 J1772 转接头备用。
🏕️ 营地 & 预订
⚠️ 这是全程最大风险——现在就抢！加州海岸州立公园营地提前6个月放位，夏天几乎全满。你们9天前订，基本只能捡取消：上 reservecalifornia.com 天天刷，或用 campnab 挂取消提醒。订不到就用下面的私营/KOA 兜底。
| 晚 | 营地 | 设施 |
|---|---|---|
| 周二 7/28 | Pfeiffer Big Sur 州立公园（红杉林） | ✅ 淋浴、厕所。备选：Kirk Creek（悬崖看海，无淋浴） |
| 周三 7/29 | Morro Bay 州立公园 | ✅ 淋浴。备选：Montaña de Oro（无淋浴）、San Simeon Creek |
| 周四 7/30 | El Capitán / Refugio 海滩（Santa Barbara） | ✅ 热水淋浴、海滩。备选：Carpinteria（投币热水澡） |
| 周五 7/31 | Pismo State Beach / Oceano Dunes | ✅ 淋浴。备选：Pismo KOA（好订、有淋浴） |
兜底（一般都有位）：沿途 KOA / 私营营地（Pismo、Santa Barbara、Monterey 附近都有），有淋浴，比州立公园好订。州立公园订不到就先订一个 KOA 保底。
📍 车机导航地址（无网时手动输入）
进大苏尔前把当天地址设成收藏（那段没信号）。GPS 给手机离线地图。
| 地点 | 地址 | GPS |
|---|---|---|
| ⚡ Monterey/Seaside 超充 | Seaside, CA（车机搜 "Seaside Supercharger"） | 36.61, -121.85 |
| 🦦 Point Lobos 保护区 | 62 CA-1, Carmel-by-the-Sea, CA 93923 | 36.5160, -121.9520 |
| 📸 Bixby Creek 桥 | Bixby Bridge, CA-1, Big Sur | 36.3719, -121.9018 |
| 🏕️ Pfeiffer Big Sur 州立公园 | 47225 CA-1, Big Sur, CA 93920 | 36.2480, -121.7870 |
| 💦 McWay 瀑布（J. Pfeiffer Burns） | 52801 CA-1, Big Sur, CA 93920 | 36.1577, -121.6706 |
| 🦭 Piedras Blancas 象海豹群 | CA-1, San Simeon（灯塔以南） | 35.6620, -121.2550 |
| 🏕️ Morro Bay 州立公园 | Morro Bay State Park Rd, Morro Bay, CA 93442 | 35.3480, -120.8410 |
| 🏄 Pismo State Beach / Oceano | 555 Pier Ave, Oceano, CA 93445 | 35.1010, -120.6270 |
| 🏕️ El Capitán 海滩州立公园 | 10 Refugio Rd, Goleta, CA 93117（101旁） | 34.4610, -120.0270 |
| 🌴 Santa Barbara 码头 Stearns Wharf | 217 Stearns Wharf, Santa Barbara, CA 93101 | 34.4100, -119.6860 |
🎒 装备（海岸露营 · 沿用之前的清单）
优先级：🔴 必带 · 🟡 重要 · ⚪ 可选
- 🔴 保暖层 + 防风外套——海岸早晚有雾、凉（60°F 出头），红杉林里更凉
- 🔴 床垫、睡袋、枕头；🔴 湿纸巾；🔴 干净塑料袋；🔴 头灯 ×2
- 🔴 淋浴代币/quarter（州立公园/KOA 都投币）；🔴 离线地图（大苏尔无信号）
- 🔴 CCS 转接头（备用快充）+ 🟡 J1772 转接头（州立公园 L2）
- 🟡 卡式炉+气+锅；🟡 保温箱+冰袋；🟡 泳衣/沙滩巾（Pismo/Santa Barbara 下水）；🟡 太阳镜/防晒
- 🟡 后排空调导流片（DIY）；🟡 车内挂袋收纳；⚪ 车载冰箱；⚪ 外带电瓶（想吹头发，Model Y 不支持外放电，≥1500W）
🌊 天气 & 安全
不用担心热：海岸全程凉爽（白天60–70°F、常有晨雾），和大峡谷完全相反。只有往内陆（Paso Robles、Solvang）才会热到80–90°F。
① 出发前查一号公路封路。大苏尔常年有塌方封路（Caltrans）。出发前查 Caltrans QuickMap / “Highway 1 Big Sur closures”；万一中段封了，就把行程改成"到 Big Sur 折返 + 走101南下 SLO/Santa Barbara"。
② 大苏尔山路 + 无信号。一号公路弯多、临崖、慢；黄昏有雾能见度低。白天开这段、别赶夜路；离线地图下好，告诉家人大致行程（那段没信号）。
③ 疯狗浪 + 潮池：北海岸那套照旧——别背对海、站稳、看好脚下湿滑礁石。海崖没护栏，站远点。
📚 资料来源（7/19 查）
- 加州州立公园 — Pfeiffer Big Sur：红杉营地、有淋浴；reservecalifornia 预订。
- El Capitán 海滩州立公园 + Refugio：热水淋浴、$35–50/晚、Santa Barbara 西17英里。
- ReserveCalifornia：所有加州州立公园营地预订，提前6个月放位；夏天需捡取消。
- Morro Bay 州立公园 + Montaña de Oro：Morro Bay 有淋浴；Montaña de Oro 海崖步道。
- Pismo State Beach / Oceano Dunes：海滩露营、可开车上沙滩。
- Friends of the Elephant Seal（Piedras Blancas）：San Simeon 象海豹群，免费观景栈道，全年可见。
- Caltrans QuickMap：出发前查一号公路大苏尔路段实时封路/塌方。
- Point Lobos 保护区、Hearst Castle（导览票需网上预订）。
诚实声明：营地余量、一号公路封路、充电桩状态随时变。出发前24–48小时复查 reservecalifornia、Caltrans QuickMap、PlugShare。
🌊 Trip overview
Down Highway 1: Big Sur + the Central Coast, turning around at Santa Barbara. No LA (you're not into it, and it's too far). Very relaxed: ≤3 hours of driving a day (FSD does the work), every night at a coastal campground, cool coast throughout.
Route: Santa Clara → Monterey → Big Sur → San Simeon elephant seals → Morro Bay → Pismo → Santa Barbara (turnaround) → (fast return on US-101)
| Day | Leg (driving) | Sleep (beach · showers) |
|---|---|---|
| D1 Tue 7/28 | Santa Clara → Big Sur (~2.5h) | Pfeiffer Big Sur SP |
| D2 Wed 7/29 | Big Sur → San Simeon → Morro Bay (~2.5h) | Morro Bay SP |
| D3 Thu 7/30 | Morro Bay → Santa Barbara (~2h) | El Capitán / Refugio Beach |
| D4 Fri 7/31 | Santa Barbara, then back north to Pismo (~1.5h) | Pismo / Oceano Beach |
| D5 Sat 8/1 | Pismo → Santa Clara (US-101, ~3–3.5h) | Home |
Why this vs the Grand Canyon: the coast stays cool year-round (60–70°F, foggy mornings) — not the canyon's 110°F floor; it's about a third of the distance; and you only drive 2–3 hours a day.
The only two things to watch: (1) campsites are competitive — California coast state parks open 6 months ahead and are basically full in summer, so you'll be cancellation-hunting (see the Camping tab). (2) Before you go, check Caltrans for Highway 1 Big Sur closures.
D1 · Tue 7/28 · ~2.5 hrs driving
Santa Clara → Monterey → Big Sur
101/156 → Monterey → Highway 1 south into Big Sur. Monterey is the last Supercharger before Big Sur (90 mi with no power or signal after).
| Time | Plan | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 09:00 | No rush — sleep in first | ~75 mi to Monterey |
| 11:00 | ⚡ Monterey / Seaside Supercharger to full + lunch (Cannery Row / Fisherman's Wharf) | Charge to 100% — nothing in Big Sur |
| 12:30 | 🦦 Point Lobos Reserve: sea otters, seals, turquoise cove trails | $10/car; arrive early in peak season |
| 14:30 | 📸 Bixby Creek Bridge photo stop; take the viewpoints slowly | The classic Big Sur shot |
| 16:00 | 🏖️ Pfeiffer purple-sand Beach (narrow road in, sea arch) | Easy to miss — look for Sycamore Canyon Rd |
| 17:30 | 🏕️ Pfeiffer Big Sur SP — camp in the redwoods (has showers) | Cold under the redwoods after dark — warm bag |
D2 · Wed 7/29 · ~2.5 hrs driving
Big Sur → San Simeon elephant seals → Morro Bay
Continue south on Highway 1 (the best cliff stretch) → San Simeon → Morro Bay. Go slow — lots of viewpoints.
| Time | Plan | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 09:00 | 💦 McWay Falls (Julia Pfeiffer Burns SP): a waterfall dropping into a turquoise cove | 5-min walk from the roadside to the overlook |
| 10:30 | 🛣️ Ragged Point viewpoint + coffee (south end of Big Sur) | |
| 11:30 | 🦭 Piedras Blancas elephant seal rookery (San Simeon): hundreds of seals right below the boardwalk | Free, year-round, a real highlight |
| 12:30 | Optional: Hearst Castle (book a tour online), or stroll Cambria's Moonstone Beach | Reserve castle tickets ahead |
| 15:00 | ⚡ Charge at Cambria / San Luis Obispo | First charging after Big Sur |
| 16:30 | 🪨 Morro Rock + Morro Bay town; 🏕️ camp at Morro Bay SP (has showers) | Otters, kayaking |
D3 · Thu 7/30 · ~2 hrs driving
Morro Bay → Pismo → Santa Barbara (turnaround)
Morro Bay → SLO → US-101 south → the Santa Barbara coast. Your farthest-south, most "SoCal" day.
| Time | Plan | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 09:30 | 🌅 Optional: Montaña de Oro SP morning bluff trail (next to Morro Bay) | Quiet, gorgeous, free |
| 11:00 | 🏄 Pismo Beach: drive-on sand (Oceano Dunes), the pier, clam-town lunch | Seafood lunch |
| 13:00 | Optional detour: Solvang (Danish village off 101) or Los Olivos wine country | Skip it to go straight south |
| 15:30 | ⚡ Charge at Santa Maria / Buellton | |
| 16:30 | 🏕️ Camp at El Capitán / Refugio State Beach (hot showers, 17 mi west of Santa Barbara) | Palm-lined beach, sunset |
D4 · Fri 7/31 · ~1.5 hrs driving
Santa Barbara morning → back north to Pismo
Spend the morning in Santa Barbara, then drive north up 101 to camp around Pismo/SLO — shortening tomorrow's drive home.
| Time | Plan | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 09:00 | 🌴 Santa Barbara: Butterfly Beach, Stearns Wharf, the Spanish old town / Mission | "The American Riviera" |
| 12:30 | Seaside lunch, then head north (101) | ~90 mi to Pismo |
| 15:00 | 🏕️ Camp at Pismo State Beach / Oceano Dunes (beachside, cool) | Cuts tomorrow's drive home |
| 18:00 | Sunset on the dunes; or Avila Beach (hot springs / stroll) | Easy last night |
D5 · Sat 8/1 · ~3–3.5 hrs driving (the longest day)
Pismo → home to Santa Clara (US-101)
101 north: Pismo → Paso Robles → Salinas → Gilroy → home. The one day slightly over 3 hrs (easy on FSD/highway).
| Time | Plan | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 09:30 | No rush — beach breakfast, then roll | |
| en route | ⚡ Paso Robles / Salinas Supercharger + lunch (break it up) | Splits the longest day in two |
| ~14:00 | 🏠 Home in Santa Clara | Comfortable afternoon arrival |
Want it even easier? To avoid this 3.5-hr day, make Pismo/SLO your turnaround (skip Santa Barbara) — then every day is ≤2.5 hrs, at the cost of Santa Barbara. See the Overview trade-off.
🚗 Home
⚡ Charging plan
⚠️ Big Sur is a charging AND signal dead zone: ~90 miles between Monterey and San Simeon/Cambria with no charging and almost no cell service. Charge to full in Monterey/Seaside before you enter, and download offline maps.
Superchargers en route
| Direction | Order |
|---|---|
| Southbound | Gilroy → Seaside/Monterey (charge to full before Big Sur!) → 〔Big Sur 90-mi gap〕 → San Luis Obispo/Atascadero → Santa Maria → Buellton/Goleta (Santa Barbara) |
| Return | Goleta → Santa Maria → Atascadero/Paso Robles → Salinas → Gilroy → home (US-101, dense Superchargers) |
Camp Mode: cool coastal nights mean little A/C, ~8–12%/night. Campgrounds (state parks) usually have no EV charging — charge up in town during the day, don't sleep below 40%. Some coast state parks have L2; bring a J1772 adapter as backup.
🏕️ Camping & bookings
⚠️ This is the biggest risk — start now! California coast state park campsites open 6 months ahead and are nearly full in summer. Booking ~9 days out, you're mostly cancellation-hunting: check reservecalifornia.com daily, or set a campnab alert. If nothing opens, use the private/KOA fallbacks below.
| Night | Campground | Facilities |
|---|---|---|
| Tue 7/28 | Pfeiffer Big Sur SP (redwoods) | ✅ Showers, toilets. Alt: Kirk Creek (cliffside, no showers) |
| Wed 7/29 | Morro Bay SP | ✅ Showers. Alt: Montaña de Oro (no showers), San Simeon Creek |
| Thu 7/30 | El Capitán / Refugio Beach (Santa Barbara) | ✅ Hot showers, beach. Alt: Carpinteria (coin hot showers) |
| Fri 7/31 | Pismo State Beach / Oceano Dunes | ✅ Showers. Alt: Pismo KOA (easy to book, showers) |
Fallback (usually available): KOA / private campgrounds along the route (near Pismo, Santa Barbara, Monterey) have showers and book more easily than state parks. If the state parks are full, lock in a KOA as your safety net first.
📍 Car-nav addresses (for no-signal stretches)
Favorite the day's addresses before you enter Big Sur (no signal there). GPS is for offline phone maps.
| Place | Address | GPS |
|---|---|---|
| ⚡ Monterey/Seaside Supercharger | Seaside, CA (search "Seaside Supercharger") | 36.61, -121.85 |
| 🦦 Point Lobos Reserve | 62 CA-1, Carmel-by-the-Sea, CA 93923 | 36.5160, -121.9520 |
| 📸 Bixby Creek Bridge | Bixby Bridge, CA-1, Big Sur | 36.3719, -121.9018 |
| 🏕️ Pfeiffer Big Sur SP | 47225 CA-1, Big Sur, CA 93920 | 36.2480, -121.7870 |
| 💦 McWay Falls (J. Pfeiffer Burns) | 52801 CA-1, Big Sur, CA 93920 | 36.1577, -121.6706 |
| 🦭 Piedras Blancas elephant seals | CA-1, San Simeon (south of the lighthouse) | 35.6620, -121.2550 |
| 🏕️ Morro Bay SP | Morro Bay State Park Rd, Morro Bay, CA 93442 | 35.3480, -120.8410 |
| 🏄 Pismo State Beach / Oceano | 555 Pier Ave, Oceano, CA 93445 | 35.1010, -120.6270 |
| 🏕️ El Capitán State Beach | 10 Refugio Rd, Goleta, CA 93117 (off 101) | 34.4610, -120.0270 |
| 🌴 Santa Barbara / Stearns Wharf | 217 Stearns Wharf, Santa Barbara, CA 93101 | 34.4100, -119.6860 |
🎒 Gear (coastal camping · from the earlier lists)
Priority: 🔴 essential · 🟡 important · ⚪ optional
- 🔴 Warm layers + windbreaker — the coast is foggy and cool morning/evening (low 60s °F), colder under the redwoods
- 🔴 Mattress, sleeping bag, pillows; 🔴 wet wipes; 🔴 clean plastic bags; 🔴 headlamps ×2
- 🔴 Shower tokens/quarters (state parks & KOAs are coin-op); 🔴 offline maps (Big Sur has no signal)
- 🔴 CCS adapter (backup fast charging) + 🟡 J1772 adapter (state-park L2)
- 🟡 Camp stove + fuel + pot; 🟡 cooler + ice; 🟡 swimsuits/beach towels (Pismo/Santa Barbara); 🟡 sunglasses/sunscreen
- 🟡 DIY rear-AC deflector; 🟡 in-car hanging organizer; ⚪ 12V car fridge; ⚪ portable power station (blow-dry — Model Y has no V2L, ≥1500W)
🌊 Weather & safety
No heat to worry about: the coast is cool the whole way (60–70°F by day, frequent morning fog) — the opposite of the Grand Canyon. Only inland (Paso Robles, Solvang) warms to the 80s–90s.
① Check Highway 1 closures before you go. Big Sur regularly has landslide closures. Check Caltrans QuickMap / "Highway 1 Big Sur closures" before departure; if the middle is closed, switch to "Big Sur out-and-back + US-101 south to SLO/Santa Barbara."
② Winding road + no signal. Highway 1 is slow, curvy and cliff-edged; foggy dusk hurts visibility. Drive it in daylight, don't push at night; download offline maps and tell family your rough plan (no signal through Big Sur).
③ Sneaker waves + tidepools: same as the north coast — never turn your back on the ocean, watch your footing on slick rock. Sea bluffs have no guardrails — stay back.
📚 Sources (checked 7/19)
- CA State Parks — Pfeiffer Big Sur: redwood campground with showers; reserve on reservecalifornia.
- El Capitán State Beach + Refugio: hot showers, $35–50/night, 17 mi west of Santa Barbara.
- ReserveCalifornia: all CA state-park camping, opens 6 months ahead; summer = cancellation-hunt.
- Morro Bay SP + Montaña de Oro: Morro Bay has showers; Montaña de Oro bluff trails.
- Pismo State Beach / Oceano Dunes: beach camping, drive-on sand.
- Friends of the Elephant Seal (Piedras Blancas): San Simeon rookery, free boardwalk, year-round.
- Caltrans QuickMap: live Highway 1 Big Sur closures/slides — check before departure.
- Point Lobos Reserve, Hearst Castle (tour tickets online).
Honesty note: campsite availability, Highway 1 closures and charger status all change. Re-check reservecalifornia, Caltrans QuickMap and PlugShare 24–48 h before you leave.