Big Sur Trailmap Home

Get up-to-date local trail knowledge! Trail and camp locations can be incorrect on online maps of the Big Sur Ventana & Silver Peak wilderness areas.

[User experiences+testimonials]

Big Sur Trailmap provides accurate trail and camp locations based on local knowledge (GPS'd), also locally-known "use trails", seasonal water sources, waterfalls, and other features in Big Sur state parks and wilderness areas. Plus current wilderness and state park trail conditions and closures. Created by a Big Sur explorer, updated weekly from local reports.

Been here ?

(click for larger images)

"Experience nature in the wild" "The wild is still there, just off a trail" "Find your own adventure"

Wilderness photo challenge

Wilderness hikers

"A line on a map is just a line on a map"

Wilderness trails are not park‑like trails !

Wilderness trails may not be signed or passable or followable
Know the current trail conditions

Trail maintenance in National Forest is by VWA trail crew, not USFS !

ImpassableClear

100%

State-of-the-Trails = 67% "Clear" = 70 miles, 22% of network

The trails need YOU

Help maintain the trails

CURRENT
STATUS

Expanded Extended National Forest Closure Order

now includes Tassajara Road
now ends Jan. 31,2024

(began Jan. 2023)

Extended Nacimiento-Fergusson Road Closure
now ends Aug. 31, 2024

(began Aug. 2020)

Most USFS trails open
Most USFS roads
closed-to-vehicles

USFS statement on road closures

Rte.1 Big Sur closure in effect
(map) (IS shown on trailmap)

Level 2 fire restrictions: Stoves allowed in National Forest (with permit), but no backcountry fires (fires allowed in designated campgrounds)

Regional Weather Forecast

Interactive Weather Forecast

Big Sur River Current Flow

CLOSURE INFO
Trails & Roads
USFS & State Parks

TRAIL 60-day NEWS:
(click for details/older)

Dec.5 Old Coast Road closed

Dec.5 Old Coast Road open

Nov.29 Old Coast Road closed

Nov.22 Old Coast Road open

Nov.10 Barlow seep instability bridged on Pine Ridge Trail…

original route restored with crib wall at seep thanks to VWA

Nov.4 Old Coast Road closed to all traffic…

foot/cycle/vehicle by MoCo due to "upcoming weather"

Oct.31 USFS Closure expanded and extended til Jan.31, 2024…

contining closure of USFS roads, now adding Tassajara Road

Oct.19 Pfeiffer Big Sur & Andrew Molera SP footbridges removal on Oct. 31

Oct.18 Andrew Molera SP campground closes for season on Oct. 31

SITE 60-day NEWS:
(click for details/older)

Nov.29 Added Avg. Trail Condition to routes in backpack suggestions webpage

Nov.26 Added Lost Valley backpack suggestion

Nov.17 Created 'I Was There' on-line camp register…

to see if anyone uses out-of-the-way camps

Oct.11 Report USFS trails total "Clear" mileage on home page…

with percent of total network mileage

Latest blog post:

Albino redwood dies in fire

Latest forum post:

Rock slide after Buck Skin Flat

Hiking info for Big Sur
Iconic places to visit
in Big Sur wilderness areas

Backpacking suggestions
and Route Photomaps
Long backpacks
in Big Sur wilderness areas
Off-trail hiking
in Big Sur wilderness areas
Notable Routes on/off-trail
Sykes Camp and Hot Spring
info and maps
Large printed maps for Big Sur
Choosing and Using a GPS

Search this website [Finds words in webpages]

Find a Big Sur place name Trails, camps, USGS names
Gives map & description

Download GPX files for trails,
camps, & water sources Personal-use-only (copyright)
Not for sharing on public site
such as OpenStreetMap

GoogleEarth overlays & GoogleEarth usage tips Big Sur Trailmap, USGS
topo, wilderness areas, …

Display map at known locator Lat/Lon OR UTM OR
Section/Township/Range

Create an interactive map link
for your route or location
Photomap - hike photos:
Jack Glendening
Photomap - hike photos:
Paul Danielson (with j.glendening)

Trailmap legend [what icons & line colors show]

Trailmap contributors [have given time or information]

Trailmap user experiences
& testimonials [culled from other websites]

Ventana Wilderness Alliance
(VWA) Forums
VWA Trailcrew Outings
USFS Monterey Ranger District

USFS Campgrounds
USFS Day Use Areas

Closure webpage no longer provided
by Parks Management

Andrew Molera State Park
Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park
Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park
Limekiln State Park
Pfeiffer Beach Day Use Area
Big Sur Chamber of Commerce
My Big Sur Map Collection
(with historic trail maps)
Double Cone Register
(historic articles)
My Monterey County
Map Collection

Hiking info for Big Sur
Iconic places to visit
in Big Sur wilderness areas

Search this website [Finds words in webpages]

Trailmap legend [what icons & line colors show]

Trailmap contributors [have given time or information]

Trailmap user experiences
& testimonials [culled from other websites]

Ventana Wilderness Alliance
(VWA) Forums
VWA Trailcrew Outings
USFS Monterey Ranger District

USFS Campgrounds
USFS Day Use Areas

Closure webpage no longer provided
by Parks Management

CURRENT
STATUS

Expanded Extended National Forest Closure Order

now includes Tassajara Road
now ends Jan. 31,2024

(began Jan. 2023)

Extended Nacimiento-Fergusson Road Closure
now ends Aug. 31, 2024

(began Aug. 2020)

Most USFS trails open
Most USFS roads
closed-to-vehicles

USFS statement on road closures

Rte.1 Big Sur closure in effect
(map) (IS shown on trailmap)

Level 2 fire restrictions: Stoves allowed in National Forest (with permit), but no backcountry fires (fires allowed in designated campgrounds)

Regional Weather Forecast

Interactive Weather Forecast

Big Sur River Current Flow

CLOSURE INFO
Trails & Roads
USFS & State Parks

TRAIL 60-day NEWS:
(click for details/older)

Dec.5 Old Coast Road closed

Dec.5 Old Coast Road open

Nov.29 Old Coast Road closed

Nov.22 Old Coast Road open

Nov.10 Barlow seep instability bridged on Pine Ridge Trail…

original route restored with crib wall at seep thanks to VWA

Nov.4 Old Coast Road closed to all traffic…

foot/cycle/vehicle by MoCo due to "upcoming weather"

Oct.31 USFS Closure expanded and extended til Jan.31, 2024…

contining closure of USFS roads, now adding Tassajara Road

Oct.19 Pfeiffer Big Sur & Andrew Molera SP footbridges removal on Oct. 31

Oct.18 Andrew Molera SP campground closes for season on Oct. 31

SITE 60-day NEWS:
(click for details/older)

Nov.29 Added Avg. Trail Condition to routes in backpack suggestions webpage

Nov.26 Added Lost Valley backpack suggestion

Nov.17 Created 'I Was There' on-line camp register…

to see if anyone uses out-of-the-way camps

Oct.11 Report USFS trails total "Clear" mileage on home page…

with percent of total network mileage

Latest blog post:

Albino redwood dies in fire

Latest forum post:

Rock slide after Buck Skin Flat

Trail conditions/closures

are shown on:
Interactive Big Sur Trailmap
Interactive Trail Conditions map
Interactive Route Metrics map
Google Earth overlay map
are not shown on:
Garmin-format maps
Smartphone maps
are optionally shown on:
Printed maps
PDF-format maps

View the interactive
Big Sur Trailmap

Interactive map

Trails and POIs,
shaded topo gives context
[map updated: Dec 6]

View the interactive
trail conditions map

Trail Conditions

Colors show trail
conditions and closures
[conditions updated: Dec 6 ]

Compute route metrics
between two locations

Route Metrics

For mileage &
cumulative gain+loss
[routing updated: Dec 6]

Download one-page
printable Trailmap sections

Printed page

PDF with options for
background & trail condition
[map updated: Dec 6]

Download a PDF-format
Trailmap for a smartphone

Avenza

For Avenza, can add
searchable "Features" layer
[pdf updated: Nov 23]

Use the Trailmap in a
smartphone GPS app

Smartphone

Multiple options available,
depending upon the app

Download a Garmin-format
Trailmap for a GPS

Garmin GPS

Routable, so along-trail
distance-to-go accessible
[map updated: Dec 6]

Download a "Google
Earth" Trailmap

Google Earth

Display trailmap line/icon
overlay on 3-D terrain
[kmz updated: Dec 6]

Trail conditions/closures

Jack Glendening

Home page BLOG Bona fides

Latest blog post:

"Albino redwood dies in fire"

In memoriam: Paul Danielson

If you have something to contribute or find an error,

( problems don't get fixed if not reported ! )

please post to my forum.
Big Sur Trailmap FORUM
or in the "Comments" section on the webpage (if it has one),
or email directly:

Trailmap contributions help other hikers and will be credited
(and builds good trail karma)

Contributors

Feedback

I welcome feedback about the info on this website at the Big Sur Trailmap Forum, which will benefit all Big Sur hikers. But I am not a personal trip advisor so do not provide individual trip guidance! If the info here is not sufficient for your planning or if you want personal trip guidance, please use the VWA Discussion Forum, which is read by many Big Sur hikers.

The information and data on this website are copyrighted by John W. (Jack) Glendening. You may freely search, view, download and print the documents and information contained on this site for personal and non-commercial purposes. Public use of this data must be attributed to Jack Glendening, not be presented as being the work of someone who has copied it from this site instead of doing the actual field work themselves. In particular, copyright information is not to be removed from data and data is not to be placed on public websites such as Open Street Map or All Trails.

License

Disclaimer

This information is provided 'as is', without warranty of any kind - It is believed the best available but can contain errors.

Photo credits

Photos from Jack Glendening, Paul Danielson, Maria Ferdin, Betsy MacGowan, Jim Ringland, Leor Pantilat, Hillary Trout, Paul David Tuff, Nathan Kistler, Amanda Sevall, Perry Way, Brett Pall, and anonymously from the web. Jim Ringland's photos are under the CC‑BY‑NC‑4 license.