Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
CHAPTER
eighteen
Big Sur
N
ESTLED ALONG THE BASE
of the rugged Santa Lucia Range, Big Sur shelters a wealth
of natural treasures. From steep, redwood-lined canyons to headlands that tumble pre-
cipitously into the sea, this land is more than a string of towns or stretch of coastline.
Though its attributes are many, Big Sur's beauty will elude halfhearted travelers not
wanting to venture far from Highway 1.
This chapter varies from
Chapter 10: Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park
.
While trails in
that park are limited to day-use access, trails described in this chapter offer overnight
treks into Los Padres National Forest and the vast Ventana Wilderness, and backcoun-
try camps are mentioned in each route. Except for the Manuel Peak Trail, these routes
do not begin at Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park, but near the town of Big Sur.
You'll hike past wildflower-strewn golden hillsides, oak woodlands, fragrant
coastal scrub, and pine-studded ridges. The higher you climb, the more rewarding the
views become, with glimpses east into the sheer Santa Lucias and west to the rugged
coast. Hikers can access the Pine Ridge Trail at Big Sur Station, a half mile south of
Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park. This is unquestionably the most popular route into the
Ventana Wilderness. It leads from high above the Big Sur River to the canyon floor,
linking spacious riverside camps, refreshing swimming holes, and thermal pools, in-
cluding the often-crowded Sykes Camp. Other routes access portions of Big Sur from
Coast Ridge Road (closed to vehicles).
