Big Sur Trailmap Home

Get up-to-date local trail knowledge! Trail and camp info 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.
[Aiding coast+inland hikers since 2010]

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 hikers

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

Big Sur wilderness trails are not park‑like trails !

Some trail segments not signed or passable or followable !
Know the current trail conditions !

Trail maintenance in National Forest is by VWA trail crew, not USFS
Last VWA volunteer trailcrew outing: Apr 18

ImpassableState-of-the-TrailsClear

100%

"State-of-the-Trails" = 72% "Clear" = 114 miles (35% of network)

The trails need YOU

Help maintain the trails

CURRENT
STATUS

No fire restrictions:
Campfires & stoves allowed in National Forest

Rte.1 Big Sur closure in effect
Map Details (IS on trailmap)

Regional Weather Forecast

Point Weather Forecast

Big Sur River Current Flow

CLOSURE INFO

Trails & Roads
USFS & State Parks

LATEST TRAIL REPORTS

24 updates in last 60 days

Latest below, click for all

Apr.13 Cone Peak Trail

TRAIL NEWS

13 items in last 60 days

filled by index.html js

Apr.18 Big Sur Tr. Trailwork…

: 1 VWA volunteer worked 3 days

Apr.16 (Old) Coast Road open

Apr.4 Santa Lucia Tr. Trailwork…

: 4 VWA volunteers worked 3 days

Apr.1 East Molera Trail closed…

to April 3 for fuel reduction

Mar.28 Boronda Tr. Trailwork…

: 11 VWA volunteers worked 3 days

Mar.20 Church Creek Tr. Trailwork…

: 2 VWA volunteers worked 3 days

Mar.21 South Coast Ridge roads opened…

after being closed by Forest Order since 2021 Willow Creek wildfire

Mar.15 Carrizo Tr. Trailwork…

: 2 VWA volunteers worked 2 days

Mar.12 (Old) Coast Road closed

Mar.8 N. Coast Ridge Tr. Trailwork…

: 6 VWA volunteers worked 2 days

Mar.8 Pfeiffer Beach Day Use Area open…

per USFS alert page

Feb.27 Marble Peak Tr. Trailwork…

: 3 VWA volunteers worked 3 days

Feb.27 Limekiln State Park to open March 1…

for day use only

SITE NEWS

4 items in last 60 days

filled by index.html js

Apr.10 Created "National Map" background for use in GoogleEarth…

- shaded-terrain map ala interactive map background: "network link" kml download

Apr.5 On smartphone webpage, added Guru Maps to GPS apps…

- an android or iphone app that can display trailmap gpx or tiled info

Apr.3 Fixed bug giving occasional bad gpx file from Route Metrics…

thanks to Gary Neier for the detailed report

Apr.2 Made 4 Molera SP trails "historic" ("lost")…

abandoned by State Parks after 2017 flood : Beach, Hidden, River, Twin Cottonwoods Trails

Latest forum post:

South Coast Ridge Road open?

Latest blog post:

Finding the Mount Manuel Trail - Hike 2

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

Backpacking suggestions
and Route Photomaps
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 AllTrails or OpenStreetMap or non-private CalTopo

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

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
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]

CURRENT
STATUS

No fire restrictions:
Campfires & stoves allowed in National Forest

Rte.1 Big Sur closure in effect
Map Details (IS on trailmap)

Regional Weather Forecast

Point Weather Forecast

Big Sur River Current Flow

CLOSURE INFO

Trails & Roads
USFS & State Parks

LATEST TRAIL REPORTS

24 updates in last 60 days

Latest below, click for all

Apr.13 Cone Peak Trail

TRAIL NEWS

13 items in last 60 days

filled by index.html js

Apr.18 Big Sur Tr. Trailwork…

: 1 VWA volunteer worked 3 days

Apr.16 (Old) Coast Road open

Apr.4 Santa Lucia Tr. Trailwork…

: 4 VWA volunteers worked 3 days

Apr.1 East Molera Trail closed…

to April 3 for fuel reduction

Mar.28 Boronda Tr. Trailwork…

: 11 VWA volunteers worked 3 days

Mar.20 Church Creek Tr. Trailwork…

: 2 VWA volunteers worked 3 days

Mar.21 South Coast Ridge roads opened…

after being closed by Forest Order since 2021 Willow Creek wildfire

Mar.15 Carrizo Tr. Trailwork…

: 2 VWA volunteers worked 2 days

Mar.12 (Old) Coast Road closed

Mar.8 N. Coast Ridge Tr. Trailwork…

: 6 VWA volunteers worked 2 days

Mar.8 Pfeiffer Beach Day Use Area open…

per USFS alert page

Feb.27 Marble Peak Tr. Trailwork…

: 3 VWA volunteers worked 3 days

Feb.27 Limekiln State Park to open March 1…

for day use only

SITE NEWS

4 items in last 60 days

filled by index.html js

Apr.10 Created "National Map" background for use in GoogleEarth…

- shaded-terrain map ala interactive map background: "network link" kml download

Apr.5 On smartphone webpage, added Guru Maps to GPS apps…

- an android or iphone app that can display trailmap gpx or tiled info

Apr.3 Fixed bug giving occasional bad gpx file from Route Metrics…

thanks to Gary Neier for the detailed report

Apr.2 Made 4 Molera SP trails "historic" ("lost")…

abandoned by State Parks after 2017 flood : Beach, Hidden, River, Twin Cottonwoods Trails

Latest forum post:

South Coast Ridge Road open?

Latest blog post:

Finding the Mount Manuel Trail - Hike 2

Trail conditions/closures

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

View the interactive
Big Sur Trailmap

Interactive map

Trails, Camps, POIs, ...
shaded topo gives context

[map updated: Apr 20]

View the interactive
trail conditions map

Trail Conditions

Colors show trail
conditions and closures

[conditions updated: Apr 20 ]

Compute route metrics
between two locations

Route Metrics

For mileage &
cumulative gain+loss

[routing updated: Apr 20]

Download one-page
printable Trailmap sections

Printed page

PDF with options for
background & trail condition

[maps updated: Apr 19]

Download a PDF-format
Trailmap for a smartphone

Avenza

For Avenza, can add
searchable "Features" layer

[pdf updated: Apr 19]

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 known

[files updated: Apr 16]

Download a "Google
Earth" Trailmap

Google Earth

Display trailmap line/icon
overlay on 3-D terrain

[kmz updated: Apr 20]

Trail conditions/closures

Jack Glendening

Home page BLOG Bona fides

Latest blog post:

Finding the Mount Manuel Trail - Hike 2

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 a webpage's "Comments" section
OR
email: AddressImage

Trailmap improvements 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.

Disclaimer

Big Sur Trailmap and its webpages created as a public service by Jack Glendening, with all costs paid by him (no ads!). The information is provided 'as is', without warranty of any kind - it is believed the best available but can contain errors.

The information and data on this website are copyrighted by John W. (Jack) Glendening. You may search, view, download and print the documents contained on this site for personal non-commercial purposes. Public use of site 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.

Data License

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.