Beautiful Big Sur Scenic Coast Highway 1 is WIDE OPEN!!! Here's a brief rundown on what's happening...
At the top of your list of things to do now should be to visit Limekiln Creek California State Park which is now open and assigning campsites on a first come first serve basis and you should also visit Garrapata, and Morro Strand California State beaches RIGHT NOW!!!! because these three are all scheduled for closure):(California State Parks Closure List). By Memorial Day Weekend, May 26th-28th, 2012 and running all summer many tourist businesses increase hours of operation and enhance there offerings -- Like Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park has an active and extensive schedule of guided hikes, Junior Rangers, and Ranger Cubs programs that start Memorial Day Weekend and run through the summer months. You'll find a variety of activities suitable for the whole family or just the kids; the Junior Ranger, and Ranger Cubs program activities are 5 days a week, Monday-Thursday and Saturdays, to Labor Day Weekend. At the Campfire Center of the San Simeon Creek Campground of Hearst San Simeon State Park; at the very end of May the Ventana Wildlife Society opens their natural history museum, the "Discovery Center" at Andrew Molera State Park. Also every second Sunday the Ventana Wilderness Society offers a California condor viewing tour which uses radio telemetry to locate the giant birds for viewing, you must plan ahead the tours are currently booked up to July (Call Mike Stake at 831-455-9514).
Live entertainment happens mostly on weekends and is going on at all the usual old venues like Fernwood Resort (831-667-2422) and Treebones( has music Mondays 877-424-4787) and every summer the Ragged Point Resort often features ready barbecue and a musician playing Sunday afternoons on their Picnic Table Plaza (805-927-4502); RPI is a MUST STOP!!! not to ever EVER be passed by...and also don't miss any Big Sur Spring events…like the special moonlight tours of the Point Sur Lightstation ... and it’s always worth going north to the Monterey Bay Aquarium, The Jellies Experience is their latest featured exhibit. Also Big Sur is great place to relax and do nothing; sit by the warm flickering fireplace and have good read like the recently released Fire Monks, sure to warm you in the winter a book born from the ashes of the 2008 wildfires…and do remember too, be careful and help prevent forest fires.
Big Sur has has awakened from its winter slumber to take advantage of spring travelers; if you haven't been lately you need to visit Hearst Castle® California State Parks need your money.
The spring rains have the creeks all pumped up and the beautiful natural Big Sur Waterfalls are spectacular and provide nice short hikes through the green lush forests and many wildflowers are in bloom all through the summer.
Visiting the southern end of scenic Big Sur is attractive now also; besides Hearst Castle® the Piedras Blancas elephant Piedras Blancas elephant seals are always up to something see the SEALS ACTIVITIES MONTH by MONTH CALENDAR for the seals routines; and the Piedras Blancas Lighthouse(805) 927-7361 is offering tours of their grounds and facilities Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. Ragged Point has the closest restrooms you must stop there to at least check the coastal views anyway. If it gets cool or foggy why not take a side trip head inland for a wine tasting tour of Paso Wine Country. In the tiny village of San Simeon Sebastian’s General Store and Café who feature Hearst Ranch natural free range grass fed beef is getting a reputation for their great food with both tourists and locals alike and their latest addition a tasting room for Hearst Ranch Wines so now have a wine tasting room there! Do some exploring and have some adventures along with getting pampered at one of the fine resorts on the scenic Big Sur Coast Highway 1!
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Just a reminder of some of my coastal favorites: Ragged Point
is always a must stop on any Big Sur road-trip to at the very least check the California coastal views...In the tiny village of San Simeon at the south end of the Big Sur Coast visit Sebastian’s General Store and Café who feature Hearst Ranch natural free range grass fed beef is getting a reputation for their great food with both tourists and locals alike and their latest addition a tasting room for Hearst Ranch Wines so now have a wine tasting room there! Do some exploring and have some adventures along with getting pampered at one of the fine resorts on the scenic Big Sur Coast Highway 1!
HOW TO DRESS WHEN YOU GO TO BIG SUR CALIFORNIA: The Big Sur area has a large variety of microclimates; weather is generally mild on the coast but it changes quickly and often so it is best to come prepared and layering is the best way to dress for Big Sur any season; peal clothes off when it warms, pile them on when it starts to get cool or damp.
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A few trails east of Highway 1 are still closed including the Ewoldsen and Tanbark trails at Julia Pfeiffer Burns. |
INFORMATION ON TRAIL, CAMPGROUND AND LOCAL STATE PARK CLOSUERS:  GREAT NEWS !!!: It’s been over two years since the Big Sur fires and most trails and campgrounds are back open. The exceptions which are campgrounds closed are Ventana Campground; Limekiln Creek California State Park's is open and assigning campsites on a first come first serve basis but you may want to visit NOW it is scheduled for closure in July as are Garrapata, and Morro Strand (California State Parks Closure List).
The long awaited trail to Sykes Hot Springs is back open as is the Pfeiffer Falls Trail. In fact most trails that had closed because of the fires have now reopen including Tanbark but Ewoldsen Trail remains closed at Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park .
Before you start any adventure you may want to check online and double check by telephone that your desired trails and camping destinations are open and passable. Ventana Wilderness Alliance website is a great resource for all Big Sur area trails (V.W.A. Website) and can check for current conditions and closures via telephone or in person at the Big Sur Ranger Station (831) 667-2315. Personnel are available during normal business hours 8:00 AM - 4:30 PM (PST) and have information about hiking, camping, road conditions and more. While in Big Sur you can pick up trail maps, books, posters, and lots of other information. They also have public restrooms. At the more southern end of the Scenic Big Sur Highway you can get help and information via telephone or in person from the Pacific Valley Ranger Station (805)927-4211.
With the rainy season underway the highway can close at anytime always check before you go: for current California Highway conditions call 1-800.427.7623, or on the internet you can check California Highway Conditions:
PCH 1 and all California Highway Conditions at the California Department of Transportation website Mobile.
If the highway closure keeps you home use this photo gallery to help plan your next Big Sur PCH 1 vacation, take a virtual photo road trip up the Pacific Coast Highway 1 from San Simeon to Monterey.
 It's always a good idea to check Highway conditions; Pacific Coast Highway One, PCH 1, has recently been describe by Cal-Trans as geologically unstable and there is highway construction, delays and closures:
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| Slide Danger |
PCH 1, Pacific Coast Highway 1 -It is never really safe to travel the scenic Big Sur Pacific Coast Highway 1 during or soon after a rain storm and it is especially dangerous when there has been a lot of rain and the ground is saturated. Although rock slides can happen at any time the more saturated the ground and if there is currently or in the near future a rain storm, especially if it is heavy then the more likely flash flooding and severe rock slides are imminent. It only takes one small falling rock to ruin your day and a one large boulder can end your life! The Pacific Coast Highway 1 remains open unless it is closed by the California Department of Transportation; for current California Highway conditions call 1-800.427.7623, or on the internet you can check California Highway Conditions:
PCH 1 and all California Highway Conditions at the California Department of Transportation website Mobile.
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the breathtaking scenery is always a distraction and as if being surrounded by scads of absentminded drivers wasn't’t enough the Big Sur Pacific Coast Highway is not being maintained and you may come across rocks and loss debris on the roadway. DO BE CAREFUL! 
