The first Europeans to see Big Sur were the Spanish conquistadores, who called it el Sur Grande, or the Big South. They built a series of missions there, but otherwise took little interest. Under American rule, the prohibiting terrain kept settlers out, except for a few ranchers. It remains sparsely populated today, over six decades after the Pacific Coast Highway was put through with the use of New Deal funds and prison labor[?]. The only two towns in Big Sur, excepting the relatively flat southern reaches, are Big Sur[?] and Lucia[?]. Most of the land along the very coast is privately owned, but the vast Los Padres National Forest[?] encompasses the inland portions, and there is a number of small state parks. The area is still quite inaccessible compared to many of California's other natural tourist attractions, but it has a low capacity for visitors and becomes very crowded during major vacation[?] periods.
Big Sur has attracted and inspired a number of writers and artists. most notably Robinson Jeffers[?] and Edward Weston.
List of state parks in Big Sur (north to south)
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