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   I've been asked about places which are particularly iconic to visit in Big Sur wilderness areas.  The list below illustrates the variety available, but is not all inclusive. 


The ordering below is roughly north-to-south. 

Ventana Wilderness

• Redwood Forest:   Many camps and trails lie within a redwood forest, iconic to the Big Sur coast. 
  Easiest access: 
  · Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park: Pfeiffer Falls Trail
  · Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park: Ewoldsen Loop Trail
  · Limekiln State Park: Limekiln Trail
  Notable backcountry examples: 
  · Western and eastern ends of Little Sur Trail
  · Western end of Pine Ridge Trail
  · Redwood Camp
  · Vicente Flat Camp  

• Ridge views of Big Sur coastline:   Any trail which climbs steeply upward from CA Route 1. 
  Notable examples: 
  · Boronda Trail
  · North Coast Ridge Road (dirt, gated)
  · Cone Peak Sea-to-Sky Route

• Waterfalls:   Click on waterfall icons on Big Sur Trailmap. 
  Notable examples:

• Pat Spring Camp:   Map   Nice view of iconic Ventana mountains (Ventana Double Cone, Kandlbinder, The Window) from ridgeline, where can camp if not windy. If hiked from Bottchers Gap, route includes many ridge views. 

• Ventana Double Cone:   Map   Iconic view into the heart of the Ventana Wilderness.  Last trail section brushy, connection to other routes via Puerto Suelo Trail is very brushy.  Backpackers doing a large loop should consider staying at Lone Pine Camp and day packing to the peak. 

• Carmel River Trail:   Map   Hiking along (and in, for its many crossings), an iconic Big Sur stream.  Hot in summer. 

• Pine Valley:   Map   Meadowed valley with pines and rocks.  A favorite with many due to its relatively easy access from Tassajara Road.

• Lost Valley:   Map   Isolated large meadowed valley.  For those seeking more solitude than Pine Valley.

• Sykes Hot Spring:   Map   The iconic redwood hot spring, but often overcrowded so not a "wilderness experience".  See Sykes Camp info. 

• "Wind Caves":   Map+Photos   Sculpted sandstone along southern end of Church Creek Trail. 

• Arroyo Seco Gorge:   Map   Deep canyon narrows in gorge, worth a short backtrack if on a long loop hike. 

• "The Rocks":   Map   Sandstone formation around Santa Lucia Memorial Campground.  Nicely viewed from Arroyo Seco or Rodeo Flat Trails.  (Not to be confused with similar "The Rocks" formation in inaccessible eastern end of Ventana Wilderness.)

• Stone Ridge Trail:   Map   Contouring above ocean amid redwoods with iconic Big Sur ocean views. 

• Cone Peak:   Map   Steepest rise from ocean to mountaintop on Pacific Coast. 
  Accessible via: 
  · Vicente Flat Camp (for redwood experience)
  · Stone Ridge direct, via "Sea-to-Sky" Route (off-trail, steep!)
  · Cone Peak Road (closed during rainy season)


Silver Peak Wilderness

• Redwood Forest:   Many camps and trails lie within a redwood forest, iconic to the Big Sur coast. 
  Notable examples: 
  · Mansfield Ravine Trail
  · Villa Creek Camp  

• Ridge views of Big Sur coastline:   Any trail which climbs steeply upward from CA Route 1. 
  Notable examples: 
  · Prewitt Ridge Usetrail
  · County Line Road and Ridge Usetrail
  · Baldwin Ranch Road (dirt, gated)

• Prewitt Ridge Campground:   Map   Fabulous views of coast plus iconic Stone Ridge with Cone Peak and Twin Peak (considered the steepest mountain slope to an ocean in the US) 

• Salmon Creek Falls:   Map   Split falls with a large flow (and many visitors since it is close to a highway). 

• Salmon Creek Trail:   Map   Hiking along a river with several falls/rapids in addition to Salmon Creek Falls 

• Dutra Flat:   Map   Large grassy meadow - pear and peach trees at Dutra homestead site (but unpleasant when cattle present) 

 

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.