Pacific Valley to San Simeon State Park - Hiking and Backpacking Big Sur - page 194

DIRECTIONS: The park is off Highway 1, 35 miles north of San Luis Obispo and
65 miles south of Big Sur. Turn east on San Simeon Creek Road, drive a quarter mile,
then turn right at the park entrance.
VISITOR CENTER: Hearst San Simeon State Historical Monument (Hearst
Castle): [phone]. The visitor center is a mile west of Highway 1, 5 miles north
of San Simeon State Park, directly across the street from W.R. Hearst Memorial State
Beach. Open daily 8 a.m.-sunset.
NEAREST CAMPGROUNDS: Both the Washburn and San Simeon Creek Camp-
grounds lie within the park. San Simeon Creek Campground (134 sites, $35/night)
provides a picnic table and fire ring at each site, restrooms with flush toilets and
showers, pay phones, and a dump station and water fill-up for RVs. The adjoining
Washburn Campground (68 sites, $22/night) provides a picnic table and fire ring
at each site and vault toilets. Reservations are required between March 14 and
September 30. For more information call Reserve America at [phone] or visit
ReserveAmerica.com . The rest of the year, sites are available on a first-come, first-
serve basis.
INFORMATION: San Simeon State Beach is open from sunrise to sunset. No dogs
or bikes allowed on park trails. The San Simeon Nature Trail is wheelchair-access-
ible from the footbridge crossing San Simeon Creek to the beach and along the sea-
sonal wetlands.
WEBSITE: parks.ca.gov | PHONE: [phone]