Big Sur - Stunning? Hideous? Yes!
Written: Jul 07 '00 (Updated May 31 '01)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Surrounding coastline and redwood forests are stunning, unspoiled wilderness can be found however.
Cons: Andrew Molera State Park is not very scenic and should be avoided.
The Bottom Line: Big Sur is a beautiful place. But beware - it can also be extremely crowded and far from pleasant.
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| kifwebe's Full Review: Big Sur |
Big Sur was something I had been hearing about from friends for ages. I was told that its aesthetic beauty was unmatched and that its rugged shoreline was a treasure trove of undiscovered natural scenery. On the recent 4th of July, 2000 holiday, I would finally get my chance to see for myself the wonders that the Big Sur region held. As it turned out, the positive endorsements that had built up my expectations were on the money.
For the most part.
Andrew Molera State Park
Our trip was actually split into two sections, each of which provided a completely different perspective on camping at Big Sur. The San Francisco contingent consisted of 5 members. We took the scenic route along California Route 1 and made several stops along the way, which made the 150-mile drive seem more like 50. We met up with the 5 members of the L.A. crew at Andrew Molera State Park, about 20 miles south of Carmel. They had spent the previous night there and had grabbed the best campsite AMSP had to offer after their 300-mile journey to the coast.
And when I say it was the best site the park had to offer, that isn't saying much. While hideous may be a bit too strong, the park itself was far from stunning. All of the campsites are located in a huge, mostly barren field about ¼ mile from the parking lot. Translation: tons of people in a relatively small space. Most of them toted their annoyingly loud boom boxes, enormous 20-person tents, frisbees, and footballs, and cooler after cooler of cold beverages.
Don't get me wrong. Car camping can be a lot of fun, and our group was not without a frisbee, a football, and a cooler. But this wasn't exactly the picture I had drawn in my mind of Big Sur. I wanted natural beauty, rugged coastline, and redwoods, and instead I had a dirt parking lot with overflowing trash cans and tons of other campers. It almost felt as if I hadn't left the city. Except of course that I would get to sleep on the hard ground and be pounded by cold wind.
I will say that Andrew Molera was reasonably priced. The cost was a mere $6 per car regardless of the number of people inside, which made up a bit for the lack of scenery. The sites did have access to running water, portable toilets (some without T.P. - be sure to bring your own!), and fire pits. Being the 4th of July holiday, the park was filled to capacity, meaning that some campers actually had to park on the highway and walk in. Tents were packed fairly close together, so a sense of community was all but unavoidable.
My number one tip for camping at AMSP is to pick a protected site, or at least one that is not entirely exposed to the high coastal winds. During my stay, the winds were so intense that many people returned to camp to discover that their tents and other items had been blown hundreds of yards from their original locations. Many of the large capacity tents had completely collapsed, and campers scurried for the solace of their tents in very early evening. Some actually packed up and left. Wind gusts were ultimately responsible for a ground fire, as embers from fire pits were impossible to contain.
There was beach access via a trail that passed through the campsite, and an overlook point that provided views of the surrounding coastline. Neither of these lived up to my expectations however, and coupled with the reasons above, I wouldn't recommend AMSP for excursions to Big Sur.
Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park
So, where should you go? I guess that depends on what type of camping you're into. For car campers, I would recommend Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park, which is about 6 miles south of Andrew Molera. Instead of parking your car and hiking a ¼ mile, you reserve a site and park your car right on it. As far as I'm concerned, if you're going to camp out of your car, there's no real benefit to hiking a short distance back and forth to your campsite. In fact, that can only serve as an annoyance, especially when the distant campsite isn't any prettier than it would be with your car parked in the middle of it. (Hiking to a secluded, natural site would of course be a different story.)
At Pfeiffer, there's actually enough wilderness that you can ignore that hunk of metal you drove to get there. The sites are very small, but they are placed along a pretty section of the Big Sur River, and are scattered amongst humbling redwoods and other hardwood trees. The facilities there are much more extensive than AMSP, and include RV hookups, cabins, cabin tents, and laundry facilities, but along with the facilities come higher prices. Expect fees to run closer to $30 for 2 adults, with additional costs depending on the number of people and the facilities you choose to use. Check out pelicannetwork.net for a complete list of fees.
My favorite activity at Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park was a hike up the Big Sur River gorge. It's a bit of a challenge due to huge rocks and obligatory river crossings, but it's interesting all the same. Unfortunately there were a few too many people swimming, cliff diving, rock climbing, and in lounging around in general, but again I too was one of them. I would recommend going at a more off-peak time of year. Still in all, the trip up the gorge was something of an adventure, and one member of our party (Jamie, you're awesome) joined the brazen few who jumped from the high rock formations into the river below. I wouldn't be surprised if dozens of people get hurt in the gorge every year, because the activities are very conducive to broken bones and concussions. Use caution on the gorge trail and keep your kids within sight.
The Ventana Wilderness / The Pine Ridge Trail
I'm actually not a car camper. Back when my parents planned family outings, car camping was always the modus operandi. Since then I've backpacked through the Appalachians and the Sierras, and have formed a preference to getting out into nature and away from hordes of people. This past weekend, the San Francisco group had that very same goal for the holiday weekend - to get AWAY from the hustle and bustle of the city. The L.A. group returned to Andrew Molera State Park (being ill-prepared for a hike into the wilderness) while we went in search of an area where we could do some rugged camping.
We found exactly what we were looking for very near Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park, in the Ventana Wilderness. There are actually over 250 miles of trails throughout the Ventana Wilderness, but we took one of the most traveled called the Pine Ridge Trail. The 6 miles of the trail that we hiked passed through lush valleys carpeted with a variety of plants and redwood needles, and smelled of pine, eucalyptus, and a assortment of pungent foliage. Along the way we encountered incredible views of the surrounding mountains and the ocean, visible only through the Big Sur River Valley.
On the way back that is. We actually embarked on the 6-mile hike at 8:00 PM, meaning that the majority of the hike was completed at night. I know what you're thinking - poor planning - and you're exactly right. We thought the same thing. But it turned out to be a blessing in disguise. We enjoyed an intense array of stars (some shooting), the crescent moon, and the vastly dark, brooding mountains that enveloped us. We had flashlights, so navigation was a bit slow but not impossible. We found hiking by night to be an intensely refreshing and rewarding experience. Especially when the return trip along the same path the next day was a completely new and different experience. If you're a hearty and adventurous hiker, I would actually recommend this itinerary.
We arrived at a flat spot which had been used as a campsite at about 11:30. Like I said, the hiking was a bit slow. There was only one other group in the area, and they greeted us happily once they discovered that we weren't serial killers. We camped several hundred yards from their campsite, which was a comfortable distance.
We left the final mile or so of the hike to the river for the following morning. There were many flat campsites placed along the river, most of which were very secluded and private. The river was perfect for swimming, although a little uncomfortable first thing in the morning when the water was at its coldest. We were among only 5 or 6 other groups of campers, and this was during a holiday weekend. I'm sure there would be even fewer groups on a typical weekend.
There are apparently natural hot springs about 4 additional miles along the trail from this campsite. We were content to laze around by the river before packing up and heading back to the car. I would wholeheartedly recommend this trail for anyone interested in seclusion and adventure. The river and surrounding redwoods are just reward for the required 6-mile hike. The Ventana Wilderness easily fit my mind's images of Big Sur, and I hope to return for further exploration in the future. Hopefully this information will help you in planning your ideal Big Sur excursion.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
kifwebe
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Location: :noitacoL
Reviews written: 29
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