Activities | Camp | Camping
| Destinations | Coastal
state.park.pfeiffer.big.sur
( This is Big Sur State Park, not to be confused with nearby Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park )
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Big Sur Campgrounds
 
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The most popular Big Sur park along the scenic coastline, this one place serves as main hub of activity, due to its central location & proximity
to the small village of Big
Sur.
Large campground in forested area with river, offers family camping sites, RV spots & plenty of backpacker trailhead accessiblity. General store, gift shop, restaurant, main lodge, cabin rentals. 800 acre State Park of redwoods, conifers, oaks, sycamores, cottonwoods, maples, alders, willows & meadows.
Pfeiffer Big Sur State
Park
47225 Highway 1
Big Sur, CA 93920
831-667-2315 |
Big Sur Lodge
800-424-4787 831-667-3100 61 rooms  |
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Big Sur Backpacking
A super popular place to start a back packing trip along the Big Sur Coastline. The Ventana Wilderness Map has all the trails in this coastal region, with Silver Peak & Ventana hikes.
Backcountry Info & Rangers
831-667-2315
831-667-2316
- fire permits are required
- permits are required for overnight backcountry camping
- check with the correct ranger district for all back country camping restrictions
Big Sur Biking
Highway 1 is favorite route among avid cyclists. The coast from Carmel to San Simeon is nearly 100 miles long! There are numerous Big Sur Cycling Events & Races & Big Sur Marathons held here every year.
elevation chart for Hwy 1 (Carmel to Big Sur)

Big Sur Campgrounds
Pfieffer Big Sur State Park has a large campground ONLY and reservations are highly recommended. No small campgrounds are located within this busy park. If you wanna stay away from the crowds, this would NOT be the spot. This is the tourist hub of allcentral coast spectacular scenery. Backcountry camps are limited to backpacker style camping & fire restrictions may be enforced.
Andrew Molera State Park a walk-in campground a few miles north of Big Sur offers more primitive style camping, but you will need to carry your camping gear half mile or more to reach a camp site.
Big Sur is a very popular place to camp especially in the summer months. If you can't find camping along the coast, don't get discouraged. You can drive an extra few miles & head inland for prime spots. Many dirt roads in Los Padres National Forest to explore and camp for free, but this is not recommended to travel at night. High clearance vehicle may be needed on certain roads, so you'll need a decent map to navigate. South Big Sur area offers many small campgrounds & back roads camping options:
Big Sur Hiking
Easy waterfall hike in park. Many scenic loops, self-guided nature loop. Plenty trails overlooking spectacular views of the Pacific Ocean. See details - Pfeiffer Falls - Waterfall
Drive south for Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park for a famous ocean waterfall (McWay Falls) & nearby Partington Cove - which is an excellent way to spend a whole day hiking.
Big Sur wilderness hiking areas include Ventana Wilderness & Silver Peak Wilderness. Backpackers can spend days exploring the oak hills - with incredible ocean views.
Get a waterproof hiking map of Big Sur!
Big Sur Waterfalls
Big Sur Wilderness
Big Sur Wilderness = Ventana Wilderness & Silver Peak Wilderness.
Ventana Wilderness hiking map Big Sur