Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Trip 42
MANUEL PEAK & PFEIFFER BIG SUR STATE PARK
LENGTH AND TYPE: 25.4-mile out-and-back (Manuel Peak)
RATING: Challenging
TRAIL CONDITION: Passable to Vado Camp, difficult to impassable to Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park; pois-
on oak, trail washouts, faint tread, trail closure as of 2008 Basin Complex Fire eastbound on Mt. Manuel
Trail from Pfieffer Big Sur State Park.
HIGHLIGHTS: This route follows the redwood-lined Little Sur River gorge past marble-capped Pico
Blanco to the Manuel Peak summit for glorious coastal and inland views.
TO REACH THE TRAILHEAD:
At Bottchers Gap the trail begins 30 feet west of the park-
ing lot at the gated dirt Pico Blanco Road.
TRIP SUMMARY:
Approach this as an out-and-back hike rather than a point-to-point
trek since the Mt. Manuel Trail is closed westbound from Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park.
Seriously consider curtailing your hike, however, as sections between Vado Camp and
Manuel Peak are considered impassable due to trail washouts, deadfalls, and brush en-
croachment. From Vado Camp (ruined in 2003 by downed trees), the route switch-
backs to a major ridge, where the trail practically vanishes, then summits Manuel Peak.
Washouts, overgrowth, and the lack of water and trail markings make this strenuous
stretch very hard to follow. In addition, during the dry season (June through Novem-
ber), you may not find water between Vado Camp and Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park, a
grueling 11 miles on hot summer days.
Instead, plan an out-and-back overnight deep into the heart of the Little Sur drain-
age. Camp at Launtz Creek or Pico Blanco, then day hike the steep climb from Vado
Camp to Manuel Peak. The point-to-point passage from Bottchers Gap to Pfeiffer Big
Sur State Park is a two- to four-day, 18.1-mile haul along strenuous and dangerous
trails due to 2008 fire damage and lack of trail restoration efforts.
As in most of the Ventana Wilderness, flies are often a nuisance, particularly in
warmer months (May through October), while ticks are prevalent during the wet sea-
son (November through April). Poison oak is a year-round concern.
