×
Nighttime Soberanes Wildfire
in NO BACKCOUNTRY FIRES season
Black Butte Pano photo
to find your own adventure
Printed map screenshot
the print/PDF/Garmin maps ...
Metrics calculation screenshot Route metrics control
the route planning tools ...
Trail Conditions screenshot Trail Conditions legend
the trail conditions map ...
Interactive map screnshot Interactive map control
USE the interactive map ...


with Camps, Water Sources, and Points of Interest
for Ventana/SilverPeak wilderness explorers

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.    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 from local reports.  Helping 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 trails 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:  Nov 7  [2 attended]  
0% 
 ImpassableClear 
 100%
State-of-the-Trails = 70%  "Clear" = 95 miles, 30% of network   History

The trails need YOU
Smokey Bear
Help maintain the trails
 


CURRENT
STATUS
Most USFS trails open.
Most USFS roads
closed to vehicles.
Extended Extended Extended National Forest Closure Order
now ends July 18,2025
(began Jan. 2023)
Extended Nacimiento-Fergusson Road Closure
now ends Aug. 31, 2024
(began Aug. 2020)
Flash flood and debris flow warning for 2020/21 burn areas effective Saturday   More info
Sunday Route 1 closure
Apr. 30 4am-1pm
south of Carmel for Big Sur Marathon
Close Rte.1 Big Sur closure in effect  
 (map  info)  (IS shown on trailmap)
stove Level 2 fire restrictions: 
No backcountry fires in National Forest.  Stoves OK (with permit).  Fires allowed in designated campgrounds

Regional Weather Forecast
   Point Weather Forecast   
Big Sur River Current Flow 

CLOSURE INFO
Trails & Roads
USFS & State Parks

Latest Trail Reports
(13 reports in last 60 days)
Nov.3   Arroyo Seco Trail

TRAIL NEWS
filled by js
(7 news in last 60 days)
Nov.7    South Fork Tr. Trailwork
 2 VWA volunteers worked 4 days
Nov.4    Limekiln State Park open for day use
Limekiln and Alvin Trails open, all else remains closed More info
Oct.31  Arroyo Seco Tr. Trailwork
 9 VWA volunteers worked 4 days
Oct.25  Horse Pasture Tr. Trailwork
 7 VWA volunteers worked 3 days
Oct.11  Santa Lucia Tr. Trailwork
 1 VWA volunteer worked 3 days
Sep.27  Camp Pico Blanco Trailwork
 29 VWA volunteers worked 3 days
Sep.19  ArroyoSeco-Indians Fireroad north end open
construction completed

SITE NEWS
filled by js
(1 news in last 60 days)
Sep.17  Fix metrics error response

Latest forum post: 
Blog comments broken - fixed

Wanted:  Gpx track of Lost Valley Trail, Upper Higgins to Pelon Camp   More


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]



CURRENT
STATUS
Most USFS trails open.
Most USFS roads
closed to vehicles.
Extended Extended Extended National Forest Closure Order
now ends July 18,2025
(began Jan. 2023)
Extended Nacimiento-Fergusson Road Closure
now ends Aug. 31, 2024
(began Aug. 2020)
Flash flood and debris flow warning for 2020/21 burn areas effective Saturday   More info
Sunday Route 1 closure
Apr. 30 4am-1pm
south of Carmel for Big Sur Marathon
Close Rte.1 Big Sur closure in effect  
 (map  info)  (IS shown on trailmap)
stove Level 2 fire restrictions: 
No backcountry fires in National Forest.  Stoves OK (with permit).  Fires allowed in designated campgrounds

Regional Weather Forecast
   Point Weather Forecast   
Big Sur River Current Flow 

CLOSURE INFO
Trails & Roads
USFS & State Parks

Latest Trail Reports
(13 reports in last 60 days)
Nov.3   Arroyo Seco Trail

TRAIL NEWS
filled by js
(7 news in last 60 days)
Nov.7    South Fork Tr. Trailwork
 2 VWA volunteers worked 4 days
Nov.4    Limekiln State Park open for day use
Limekiln and Alvin Trails open, all else remains closed More info
Oct.31  Arroyo Seco Tr. Trailwork
 9 VWA volunteers worked 4 days
Oct.25  Horse Pasture Tr. Trailwork
 7 VWA volunteers worked 3 days
Oct.11  Santa Lucia Tr. Trailwork
 1 VWA volunteer worked 3 days
Sep.27  Camp Pico Blanco Trailwork
 29 VWA volunteers worked 3 days
Sep.19  ArroyoSeco-Indians Fireroad north end open
construction completed

SITE NEWS
filled by js
(1 news in last 60 days)
Sep.17  Fix metrics error response

Latest forum post: 

Wanted:  Gpx track of Lost Valley Trail, Upper Higgins to Pelon Camp   More

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
Interactive Trailmap

Cool Grin   Trails and POIs,
shaded topo gives context

[map updated: Nov 14]
View the interactive
trail conditions map
Trail Conditions
Trail Conditions Map

Cool Grin   Colors show trail
conditions and closures

[conditions updated: Nov 14 ]
Compute route metrics
between two locations 
Route Metrics
Trailmap Metrics

Cool Grin   For mileage &
cumulative gain+loss

[routing updated: Nov 14]
Download one-page
printable Trailmap sections
Printed page
Printed Trailmap

PDF with options for
background & trail condition

[map updated: Nov 13]
Download a PDF-format
Trailmap for a smartphone
Avenza
Avenza screenshot

For Avenza, can add
searchable "Features" layer

[pdf updated: Nov 14]
Use the Trailmap in a
smartphone GPS app
Smartphone
BackcounryNavigator GPS app screenshot

Multiple options available,
depending upon the app
Download a Garmin-format
Trailmap for a GPS
Garmin GPS
Garmin Trailmap

Routable, so along-trail
distance-to-go accessible

[map updated: Nov 13]
Download a "Google
Earth
"
Trailmap
Google Earth
GoogleEarth Trailmap

Display trailmap line/icon
overlay on 3-D terrain

[kmz updated: Nov 14]

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



Jack Glendening (credit:p.danielson)
 Jack Glendening 

AddressImage
Home page BLOG Bona fides
    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 webpage "Comments" section 
OR
email: AddressImage
Trailmap improvements help other hikers and will be credited
(and builds good trail karma)
Trailmap Contributors 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. 

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.

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