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Big Sur Trail+Road Closures

Extended Extended National Forest Closure Order
now ends Aug. 31,2024
(began Jan. 2023)
Extended Nacimiento-Fergusson Road Closure
now ends Aug. 31, 2024
(began Aug. 2020)
Most USFS trails open.
Most USFS roads
closed to vehicles.
USFS statement on road closures
Flash flood and debris flow warning for 2020/21 burn areas effective Saturday   More info
Sunday Route 1 closure
Apr. 30 4am-1pm
south of Carmel for Big Sur Marathon


 CLOSURE  SUMMARY

From daily monitoring of 18 USFS, State Park, County webpages.
Subject to my errors, check "OFFICIAL INFO" to confirm.
Short-term closures, e.g. due to storms, may not be known.


State Park Closures
North→South


 Andrew Molera SP 
Open, but not campground, some trails closed to hikers
 Pfeiffer Big Sur SP 
Open, but Pfeiffer Falls Trail partly closed (falls can be viewed as in-out via Valley View Trail)
 Julia Pfeiffer Burns SP 
Open, but Canyon, Ewoldsen, & Waters Trails closed
 Limekiln SP 
Closed indefinitely



Long-term
Public (non-gated) Roads
Officially "Closed to Vehicles"
North→South

 Palo Colorado Road 
Gated to vehicles by Monterey County closure beyond "The Hoist" 
(since Jul.2016, following Soberanes fire)
 Tassajara Road
Closed to vehicles by USFS closure 
(since Oct.2023, due to road damage)
 Arroyo Seco Road
Closed to vehicles by Monterey County closure 
(since Mar.2023, due to road damage)
 Nacimiento-Fergusson Road
Closed to all by USFS closure between Route 1 and Nacimiento Campground 
(since Aug.2020, following Dolan fire and subsequent erosion)
 South Coast Ridge Road & adjacent roads
Cone Peak Rd, Alms Ridge Rd, Prewitt Ridge Rd, San Martin Rd, Prisoner Flat Rd, lower Los Burros Rd
Closed to all by USFS closure 
(since Aug.2020, following Dolan fire and subsequent erosion)
 Lower Plaskett Ridge Road
Closed to vehicles by USFS closure 
(since Aug.2020, following Dolan fire and subsequent erosion)



USFS National Forest Closures

Long-term Closure Order (ends Sep.2024)
Short-term Closure Order (ends Feb.2024)
USFS statement on road closures

USFS Trail Closures 

USFS Road Closures 

USFS Day Use Area Closures 
(managed by Parks Management)

USFS Campground Closures 
(managed by Parks Management)



Dolan Wildfire Post-Fire Closures

All post-fire closures shown are still in effect.
Any later, non-Dolan, closures are not shown here.

Many trails burnt by 2020 Dolan wildfire
[see burn area overlay on interactive map]
Feb.2023 update
Much burned hot and barren, now partial vegetation recovery but effects remain - and recent rains have badly eroded the unstable soil in places.  Many trails have had no trailwork since burn or rains.  Lack of post-fire trail reports in many burn area makes Trail Conditions Map unreliable in spots, check individual trail reports for details. 

Post-fire USFS Closures
 Nacimiento-Fergusson Road 
Gated to vehicles between Route 1 and Nacimiento Campground
 South Coast Ridge Road 
Gated between Nacimiento-Fergusson Road and Prewitt Ridge Road
 Chalk Peak Campground 
Closed
 Cone Peak Road 
Gated
 ArroyoSeco-Indians Road 
Gated to Esondido Camp
 Official USFS closure links 
USFS Closure Order
USFS Closure Map
Closure order valid through April 29, 2023

Post-fire State Park Closures
 Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park 
Canyon Falls and Ewoldsen Loop trails closed
 Limekiln State Park 
All trails closed
 Official State Park closure links 
Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park Closures
Limekiln State Park Closures


Willow Wildfire Post-fire Closure Info

Marble Peak Trail closed between Horse Pasture Trail and South Fork Trail
Camp closures along section:  Tassajara Creek Camp and Willow Springs Camp
Official closure links:
Extended USFS Closure Order
USFS Closure Map
Closure order expires April 30, 2022


Full Closure of Los Padres National Forest

Entire USFS National Forest is closed to public
All property, trails, roads, camps, campgrounds, day use area, etc.,etc.
(Closure applies to essentially all National Forests in California)
USFS Closure Order
Closure order expiry extended - now through September 22, 2021
(Original closure order expiry final day was September 17, 2021)



LISTING
Public (non-gated) Roads
Officially "Closed to Vehicles"

Below last updated:  Mar 29, 2024

County Roads
"Closed to Vehicles"

Arroyo Seco Road
Coast Road
Palo Colorado Road - paved  (partial)
Tassajara Road - dirt  (partial)

USFS Roads
"Closed to Vehicles"

Alms Ridge Road
Arroyo Seco: Campground Road
Arroyo Seco: Entrance Road
Arroyo Seco: Primitive Campground Road
ArroyoSeco-Indians Road
Cone Peak Road
Los Burros Road  (partial)
Lottie Potrero Camp Road
Lower Plaskett Ridge Road
Miguel Camp Road
Nacimiento-Fergusson Road  (partial)
Plaskett Ridge Road
Ponderosa Campground Road
Prewitt Ridge Camp Road
Prewitt Ridge Road
Prisoner Flat Road
San Martin Road
South Coast Ridge Road

Limekiln SP Roads
"Closed to Vehicles"

Entrance Road

Ft. Hunter-Liggett closures at Del Venturi Road fords
seldom reported here since info not obtainable on‑line




LISTING
Trails, Roads, Camps, ...
Officially "Closed to Hikers"

Below last updated:  Mar 29, 2024

Andrew Molera State Park
"Closed to Hikers"

Beach Trail
Bluffs Trail  (partial)
Campground Trail
Hidden Trail
River Trail
Twin Cottonwoods Trail

Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park
"Closed to Hikers"

Oak Grove Trail
Pfeiffer Falls Trail  (partial)

Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park
"Closed to Hikers"

Campground Access Road
Canyon Falls Trail
Ewoldsen Loop Trail
McWay Waterfall Overlook Trail  (partial)
Ridge Overlook Trail
Waters Trail

Limekiln State Park
"Closed to Hikers"

Alvin Trail
Campground Road
Entrance Road
Falls Trail
Hare Creek Trail
Limekiln Trail

USFS Day Use Areas
"Closed to Hikers"

Arroyo Seco DayUseArea

USFS Campgrounds
"Closed to Hikers"

Arroyo Seco Campground
Arroyo Seco Group Campground
Arroyo Seco Primitive Campground
Bottchers Gap Campground
Nacimiento Campground
Ponderosa Campground

USFS Roads
"Closed to Hikers"

California Route 1  (partial)
Cone Peak Road  (partial)
Los Burros Road  (partial)
Lottie Potrero Camp Road
Miguel Camp Road
Nacimiento-Fergusson Road  (partial)
Plaskett Ridge Road
Ponderosa Campground Road
Prisoner Flat Road
San Martin Road
South Coast Ridge Road  (partial)

USFS Trails
"Closed to Hikers"

Pine Ridge Trail  (partial)
Rocky Creek Trail
Sand Dollar Beach Trail

USFS Camps
"Closed to Hikers"

Chalk Peak Camp

Other Trails
"Closed to Hikers"

Mill Creek Preserve Trail

OFFICIAL  INFO



Road Closures

 CalTrans 
For closures on Route 1
Rte.1 Big Sur closure in effect
 (map)  (IS shown on trailmap)
Phone: 1-800-427-7623
(updated on each display click)
(click closure iconsstriped barrierfor details)
 Monterey County 
Frequent (Old) Coast Rd
closures during rainy season

BUREAUCRATIC
HALL OF SHAME
Monterey County
Palo Colorado Road Closure
2,807 days and counting
(gated at "The Hoist")

 Sycamore Canyon Road 
(Pfeiffer Beach)
For ford & Day Use Area closures
but not always up-to-date,
can differ from USFS info
Frequent Sycamore Cyn Rd ford
closures during rainy season


 Fort Hunter-Liggett 
For ford closures on Del Venturi Rd
Frequent Del Venturi Rd ford
closures during rainy season

Phone: 831-386-2513



USFS & State Park Closures



USFS Campgrounds
USFS Day Use Areas
Closure webpage no longer provided
by Parks Management