Bench
This overlook sits at 1,618 feet on the Big Sur Coast Highway (Route 1), facing 240 degrees with land dropping 1,042 feet within 600 meters of the bench. Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park lies west-southwest at 0.7 miles, while McWay Falls and Saddle Rock are both visible to the south at 0.9 miles, with the falls at 173 feet elevation and the peak at 37 feet. The facing direction is oriented about 30 degrees off a direct sunset view, so the sun sets at an angle relative to the overlook rather than straight ahead. Sunset times vary through the year, from 20:28 at the June solstice to 16:56 at the December solstice. The nearest towns are Soledad at 26.1 miles northeast, Monterey at 32.2 miles north-northwest, and Salinas at 34.8 miles north. The next lookout along the route is Julia Pfieffer Burns Vista Point.
![500px provided description: Taken near Julia Pfeiffer State Beach. [#sky ,#landscape ,#water ,#blue ,#coast ,#ocean ,#rocks ,#california ,#seascape ,#pacific ocean ,#big sur ,#HDR]](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c3/Big_Sur_California_%28126357003%29.jpeg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled)
What you’re looking at
Named terrain inside the view from this overlook, nearest first.
- Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park8 ftwest-southwest · 0.7 mi
- McWay Falls173 ftsouth · 0.9 mi
- Saddle Rock37 ftsouth · 0.9 mi
Light
This overlook faces sunset — 30° off square to it.
| Date | Sunrise | Sunset | Golden hour |
|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox | 07:11 | 19:19 | 18:45 |
| June solstice | 05:51 | 20:28 | 19:50 |
| September equinox | 06:55 | 19:05 | 18:31 |
| December solstice | 07:15 | 16:56 | 16:17 |
Local time (America/Los_Angeles). Computed for this exact position.
Where it is
- Soledad26.1 mi northeast
- Monterey32.2 mi north-northwest
- Salinas34.8 mi north
Take the scenic way to Bench.
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How high is Bench?
Bench sits at about 1,618 feet (493 m).
What can you see from Bench?
From Bench: Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park (WSW, 0.7 mi); McWay Falls (S, 0.9 mi); Saddle Rock (S, 0.9 mi).
Is Bench better at sunrise or sunset?
Sunset. The land falls away from Bench toward the sunset, so at sunrise the light is behind you. Exact times shift through the year; the page shows the current window.
What is the nearest town to Bench?
Soledad, 26 miles NE of Bench.
What is the next lookout after Bench?
Julia Pfieffer Burns Vista Point is the next surfaced lookout along the same route after Bench.
Drive to Bench with Byway
Byway plans the scenic way there — real places along Big Sur Coast Highway - Route 1, real weather, zero hallucinations — and hands the turns to the navigation you already use.
Byways with this lookout
Day trips start here
- Carmel Valley · 22 mi
- Soledad · 26 mi
- Monterey County · 28 mi
- Carmel · 30 mi
- Carmel Point · 30 mi
Locals make it Verified.
Bench — confirmed, rated, and photographed by people who actually pulled over. A local confirmation is what upgrades a lookout from Discovered to Verified. Zero hallucinations.
Confirmed by locals1
- hiiiiwas here · Jul 30, 2026
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