Coronavirus closures
Big Sur Station is closed.
State Parks
All State Parks are closed to vehicles.
The following Big Sur State Parks are open to hikers:
- Andrew Molera State Park
- Limekiln State Park
The following Big Sur State Parks are closed to vehicles and hikers:
- Garrapata State Park
- Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park
- Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park
I've not seen any projected end dates
For full text and list of fully closed state parks, see
State Park Closures - May 22
National Forest
Coastal roads and front-country trails in Montery District of Los Padres National Forest are largely closed.
These roads were opened on May 15:
- Baldwin Ranch Road
- Cone Peak Road
- Milpitas Road
- Nacimiento_Fergusson Road
- Piney Creek Road
- Sycamore Canyon Road
- Tassajara Road
These coastal trails were opened on May 15:
- Jade Cove Trail
- Sand Dollar Beach Trail
All day-use areas were opened on May 15:
- Mill Creek Day Use Area
- Pfeiffer Beach Day Use Area
- Sand Dollar Day Use Area
- Willow Creek Day Use Area
These roads remain closed:
- North Coast Ridge Road
- Piney Creek Road
- Plaskett Ridge Road
- South Coast Ridge Road
- Sycamore Canyon Road
- Willow Creek Road
These coastal trails remain closed:
- Boronda Trail
- Buckeye Trail
- Cruickshank Trail
- De Angulo Trail
- Kirk Creek Trail
- Prewitt Loop Trail
- Salmon Creek Trail
- Soda Springs Trail
Remaining closed are these USFS rec sites:
- White Oaks Campground
- China Camp Campground
- Arroyo Seco Campground
- Nacimiento Campground
- Ponderosa Campground
- Santa Lucia Memorial Park Campground
- Plaskett Creek Campground
- Kirk Creek Campground
The current closure has been extended until June 1
For full text with list of closed roads, trails, and trailheads, see
updated USFS Forest Order - May 15
USFS Closure Map
National Forest Trail Closures
USFS Los Padres NF Alerts & Notices webpage
gives USFS trail, campground, and road closures, fire restrictions, etc.
Post-fire repercussions of the 2016 Soberanes wildfire
USFS closure order
USFS closure map
Pine Ridge Trail is closed from its western end to its intersection with Big Sur Trail (
as are all camps along that section).
The adjoining
Terrace Creek and Ventana Camp Trails are also closed.
Access to camps along those trails remains blocked:
Barlow Camp, Redwood Camp, Sykes Camp, Terrace Creek Camp, Ventana Camp
(The Pine Ridge Trail has been destroyed by several landslides, with sections gouged out by hillside erosion, resulting from the 2016-2017 heavy winter rains - re-routes and possible blasting are needed to re-open the trail.
For more info: Why can't I go to Sykes? The state of Pine Ridge Trail)
State Park Trail Closures
State Parks Alerts in Effect webpage
Official list of closed Big Sur State Park trails, campgrounds, and roads
Andrew Molera State Park
Beach, Hidden, River, Twin Cottonwoods, and Headlands Trails are closed. The campground is closed.
Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park
Pine Ridge, Pfeiffer Falls, Post Creek, and Oak Grove Trails are closed.
Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park
Canyon Falls and Ewoldsen Trails are closed.
Although many state park trails are indeed closed due to hazardous or impassable trail conditions (for example the near-river trails at Andrew Molera State Park, where overflow from
the Big Sur River has caused extensive trail damage), I've been getting reports
that many "closed" state park trails are very hikeable and so seem closed only for bureaucratic reasons.
Unofficial state park "closed trail" reports
Monterey Peninsula Regional Park District Closures
Mill Creek Preserve (and so Mill Creek Preserve Trail) is closed
Vehicular Road Closures
During the rainy season roads are subject to sudden closure due to possible or actual slides or other weather related conditions
- notably at Pauls Slide
(just north of Limekiln State Park - map)
and Mud Creek Slide
(south of Gorda - map).
I will post longer-term closures here but will not attempt to keep up with transient closings/openings - see the Monterey or State
closure information contacts below for up-to-date information
Mountery County Road Closure Info
Alternative: Phone: 831-755-4925
CA Route 1 Road Closure Info
Alternatives: Phone: 1-800-427-7623
Mobile
USFS Road Closure Info
Phone: 1-831-385-5434 - phone tree #3
Tassajara Road - dirt section
Officially closed by Montery County at National Forest boundary. But is "soft" closure, i.e. sign but no barrier, and many high-clearance vehicles are successfully driving it when it is dry - but it is rough, more so beyond China Camp.
Palo Colorado Road
Closure at "Hoist"
(west end of Long Ridge Road) prevents vehicle access beyond. Indefinite closure due to construction.
Cone Peak Road
Open to
(high-clearance) vehicles for summer
Escondido Road (South end of ArroyoSeco-Indians Road)
Open to
(high-clearance) vehicles for summer
Trailhead Inaccessability
Los Padres Dam Road Closure
Closure at parking area and fencing across road prevents access to landslide area with lost roadbed.
For more info
Palo Colorado Road Closure
Closure at "Hoist"
(west end of Long Ridge Road) prevents vehicle and pedestrian access to Bottchers Gap, western end of Skinner Ridge Trail, and Pico Blanco Scout Reservation.
