Black Butte Pano photo
to find your own adventure.
Printed map screenshot
the print/PDF/Garmin maps ...
Metrics calculation screenshot
the route planning tools ...
Trail Conditions screenshot Trail Conditions screenshot overlay
the trail conditions map ...
Interactive map screnshot
Use the interactive map ...



Get local, up-to-date trail knowledge!  Trail and camp locations are incorrect on most 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), plus 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.  Created by a Big Sur explorer, updated weekly from local reports. 

(click for larger images)
      "Experience nature in the wild"         "The wild is still there, just off a trail"            "Find your own adventure"        

Wilderness hikers: 
Wilderness trails are not park-like walking trails !
Additional knowledge/preparation often required
A wilderness trail may not be signed or passable or followable  
Know the current trail conditions rating  
Average Forest Trail Conditions = 70%   [Pre2016Wildfire=74%: 
history
]
The trails need YOU - do good while outdoors: 
trailcrew outings

(or donate to the VWA)



 90-day TRAIL NEWS 
Feb21  Gaia Big Sur Trailmap "Layer" users: see this forum post regarding lost access after http→https change
Feb12  Accurate Wilderness Press Big Sur Map: updated version to be released pre-May
Jan11  Access road to Escondido Camp now GATED: supposedly for the winter
Jan9  Old Coast Road now OPEN
Jan8  Tassajara Road still offically closed, but people are succesfully driving it when dry
Dec21  Waters Trail now OPEN in Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park
Dec5  Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park now OPEN but Tassajara and Old Coast Roads are CLOSED
Dec2  Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park CLOSED: due to heavy rains and flooding

 90-day SITE NEWS 
Feb18  "Trail condition" road type+color change: now public & gated (was paved & dirt)
Jan29  Ft. Ord NM: georeferenced multi-scale KMZ trail map now available (GoogleEarth,Garmin,etc)
Jan15  Bordered lines now used on interactive Big Sur Trailmap
Latest blog post: 
Latest forum post: 

   CURRENT STATUS   
Level 1 fire restrictions:  Campfires & stoves allowed in backcountry  
National Forest closures:  three wilderness trails remain closed after 2016 wildfire (Sykes Camp access blocked) 
State Park closures:  many trails are officially closed  (but some are hikeable)  
Long-term Road closures:  Palo Colorado Road
Road closures block access to many northern trailheads:  Big Pines Trail, Carmel River Trail, Skinner Ridge Trail 


 90-day TRAIL NEWS 
Feb21  Gaia Big Sur Trailmap "Layer" users: see this forum post regarding lost access after http→https change
Feb12  Accurate Wilderness Press Big Sur Map: updated version to be released pre-May
Jan11  Access road to Escondido Camp now GATED: supposedly for the winter
Jan9  Old Coast Road now OPEN
Jan8  Tassajara Road still offically closed, but people are succesfully driving it when dry
Dec21  Waters Trail now OPEN in Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park
Dec5  Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park now OPEN but Tassajara and Old Coast Roads are CLOSED
Dec2  Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park CLOSED: due to heavy rains and flooding

 90-day SITE NEWS 
Feb18  "Trail condition" road type+color change: now public & gated (was paved & dirt)
Jan29  Ft. Ord NM: georeferenced multi-scale KMZ trail map now available (GoogleEarth,Garmin,etc)
Jan15  Bordered lines now used on interactive Big Sur Trailmap
Latest blog post: 
Latest forum post: 

   CURRENT STATUS   
Level 1 fire restrictions:  Campfires & stoves allowed in backcountry  
National Forest closures:  three wilderness trails remain closed after 2016 wildfire (Sykes Camp access blocked) 
State Park closures:  many trails are officially closed  (but some are hikeable)  
Long-term Road closures:  Palo Colorado Road
Road closures block access to many northern trailheads:  Big Pines Trail, Carmel River Trail, Skinner Ridge Trail 




(what icons & line colors show) 


(those who have given time or data) 


(culled from other websites) 




(trails, camps, USGS names, etc - gives description and location map) 


(search for words in webpages) 


(Personal-use-only copyright - not to be promulgated to public source ala OpenStreetMap/GaiaCloud)


(USGS quads, wilderness areas, Soberanes wildfire area) 


(Lat/Lon OR UTM OR Section/Township/Range) 





































View the interactive
Big Sur Trailmap

USGS shaded topo background
gives context and terrain contours
[last update: Feb 20]
View the interactive
trail conditions map

Colors show USFS trail conditions
and state park trail closures
[last rating change: Feb 19 ]
Download one-page-
printable Trailmap sections

Trails, camps, etc. on printable
PDF USGS quadrangle map
[last update: Feb 19]
Use the Trailmap in a
smartphone GPS app

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

Routable, so along-trail distance-
to-go can be viewed as you hike
[last update: Feb 19]
Download a PDF-format
Trailmap for a smartphone

For Avenza, can add
searchable "Features" layer
[last update: Feb 13]
Download a "Google
Earth" Trailmap for your PC

Saving this link to GE "My Places"
loads latest trailmap at GE start
Compute route metrics
between two locations 

Cool Grin   For mileage &
cumulative gain+loss
[last update: Feb 19]



(what icons & line colors show) 


(those who have given time or data) 


(culled from other websites) 




(trails, camps, USGS names, etc - gives description and location map) 


(search for words in webpages) 


(Personal-use-only copyright - not to be promulgated to public source ala OpenStreetMap/GaiaCloud)


(USGS quads, wilderness areas, Soberanes wildfire area) 


(Lat/Lon OR UTM OR Section/Township/Range) 






































If you have something to contribute or find an error, please post to the .  Trailmap contributions help others and will be credited, besides building good trail karma and becoming a . 


Jack Glendening (credit:p.danielson)
 Jack Glendening 

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   Latest blog post: 
"Albino redwood dies in fire"



Copyright:  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 or Gaia Cloud. 
License

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