You heard that Highway 1 into Big Sur from the Bay Area is finally open again, and you’re excited about a summer trip.
You want to go camping on that stunning coastline or among the redwoods, but perhaps you still have questions. What Big Sur campsites are actually open right now? What state park camping is available, and how hard is it to find a camping reservation?
Keep reading for everything you need to know about camping in Big Sur in 2024.
Which Big Sur camping areas can I access from the Bay Area, and where is Highway 1 still closed?
First, a reminder: Highway 1 — the only road in and out of the region — has finally reopened to allow access from the Bay Area into Big Sur after a slide at Rocky Creek Bridge about 17 miles south of Monterey forced the road’s closure on March 30.
But you still can not drive down Highway 1 from San Francisco to Central Coast towns like Cambria, Santa Barbara or Los Angeles. That’s because while Highway 1 is open from Rocky Creek to just south of Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park, a longer section to the south near the town of Lucia remains closed after a rock slide in January 2023 and is not scheduled to reopen until at least late fall 2024. If you’re driving south from the Bay Area along Highway 1, you’ll be able to get as far as Lime Creek, south of the Esalen Institute, but will then be turned back.
The good news: That means you can once again access all the parks and camping on the northern end of Big Sur until the Lime Creek turnaround.
The bad news: All of Limekiln State Park and its campground remain closed to all visitors because of the Highway 1 repair. If you want to access the camping south of Lucia, you’ll have to drive the (really) long way around from the Bay: Down Highway 101 to Paso Robles, west on Highway 46 to the coast and then north on Highway 1.
If you’re planning a quick Big Sur camping getaway on the weekend, you probably want to stick to the northern options closer to the Bay Area. There are public and private campgrounds throughout Big Sur, as well as dispersed camping in the wilderness area.
Because Big Sur is so large, you should decide whether you’re looking for waterfront camping with an ocean view (which is much harder to find), camping along the Big Sur River under the redwoods or the more rugged backpacking up along the wilderness backcountry ridges.
Before you head out, you should also be prepared for even slower driving along Highway 1 than usual. Just one lane is open on the highway at Rocky Creek, with a timed light alternating traffic in each direction. Check the latest road conditions and be sure any new closures or delays don’t impact your route. You can find the latest info on Caltrans’ own QuickMap site or the QuickMap app (available on the App Store and Google Play).
Plan on downloading any Google Maps or info before you go, too, because reception can be very spotty.
Remember, Limekiln State Park is along the off-limited closed section of Highway 1, and all access and campgrounds remain closed. And Hearst San Simeon State Park is south of that closure, so it requires a longer detour — though it is open.
The rest of these Big Sur state parks, just south of Monterey on Highway 1, are currently open. All state park campsites can be booked at ReserveCalifornia, typically six months in advance.
The Big Sur state parks that offer camping are:
Campsites here opened earlier in May. Both the standard tent campground and the hike-in/bike-in campsites require reservations.
How do I make a camping reservation here? Andrew Molera State Park reservations open six months in advance at 8 a.m. However, with cancellations and road closures, several reservations are currently still available, especially on weekdays.
Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park
While this park is best known for its hikes and waterfall viewpoint, there are two walk-in campsites near the famous McWay Falls. (No, you can not access or walk down to the beach from the campsites, so don’t try it — you will be heavily fined.) These sites are among the most popular in the state park system and book up almost instantly.
How do I make a camping reservation here? Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park camping reservations open six months in advance at 8 a.m.
This is a different state park than Julia Pfeiffer Burns, to be clear. Pfeiffer Big Sur has a much larger campground, with a ranger station, that sits along the Big Sur River. There are 189 campsites and one cabin. The group campsite is currently closed.
How do I make a camping reservation here? Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park camping reservations open six months in advance at 8 a.m. and typically fill up. However, the ranger does hand out any open campsites because of last-minute cancellations at 3 p.m.; you must be physically present to get one of those walk-up camping spots. Be warned that the park does not recommend this because you could very easily strike out (and be left with a long drive out).
In addition to the state parks above, many Big Sur campgrounds are run privately. While some of these private campsites are high-end and book out far in advance, many of the private Big Sur campgrounds have more availability than the state parks and are almost indistinguishable from the public campgrounds. However, they are typically more expensive.
The main private Big Sur campgrounds that are north of the road closure:
A campground with tent sites, RV sites and a variety of cabins (both larger and metal lean-to’s) along the Big Sur River near the post office.
How do I make a camping reservation here? Big Sur Campgrounds and Cabins reservations are available on their website.
Riverside Campgrounds & Cabins
This campground is next door to the Big Sur Campgrounds & Cabins and offers tent sites, RV sites and small cabins.
How do I make a camping reservation here? Riverside Campgrounds & Cabins reservations are available on their website.
With a motel, bar and grill plus tavern in front, the campground behind the motel has tent sites and pre-pitched tent camping (kind of like glamping) near the river, as well as cabins and RV sites.
How do I make a camping reservation here? Fernwood Resort & Campground reservations are available on their website.
Next to Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park, Ventana does not allow RVs or pop-up travel trailers but offers tent campsites and glamping sites.
How do I make a camping reservation here? Ventana Campground reservations are available on their website, which is Hyatt runs.
Dispersed camping — meaning camping not at a developed campground, without the amenities those sites would offer — is allowed for free across the country on Bureau of Land Management (BLM) land and, in most cases, on Forest Service land.
Near Big Sur that means the Los Padres National Forest (Monterey Ranger District) and the BLM’s Ventana Wilderness.
You can also use the Forest Service map to find possible campsites.
The Pine Ridge Trail is the most popular thru-hiking and camping route in Ventana — however, part of it remains closed and hikers are being rerouted.
How do I make a camping reservation here? Bookings are not required for dispersed camping. However, if you want to run a campfire or stove, you will need a permit. Los Padres National Forest also runs a few campgrounds that do require reservations on Recreation.gov.
For the most up-to-date info about all the public lands and road closures, as well as maps, you can stop at the Big Sur Visitor Center, which is at the trailhead for the Pine Ridge Trail, inside the entrance of Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park.
To learn more about how we use your information, please read our privacy policy.