Arroyo Seco Campground
DIRECTIONS: Coming from the south on Highway 101 to Greenfield, take the Arroyo Seco exit into town. Turn left on Elm Street. Go west to Arroyo Seco Road and turn left; campground is at the end of Arroyo Seco Road.
Coming from the north on Highway 101 just pass Soledad. Go west to Arroyo Seco Road and turn left; campground is at the end of Arroyo Seco Road.
CAMPSITES: 50 | COST: $15–30 (primitive sites), $20–40 (with showers and flush toilets), $75 (group site)
COMMENTS: For more information contact Rocky Mountain Recreation at (831) 674-5726.
Bottchers Gap Campground
DIRECTIONS: Located 8 miles inland, off Highway 1 on Palo Colorado Road (18S05), 15 miles north of Big Sur and 11 miles south of Carmel.
CAMPSITES: 11 | COST: $12/night, $5/day use
COMMENTS: For more information contact Parks Management Co. at (805) 434-1996, (805) 434-9199, or campone.com.
China Camp
DIRECTIONS: From Highway 101 north, exit at Arroyo Seco Road near the city of Greenfield. Proceed 16.2 miles to the junction of Carmel Valley Road and Arroyo Seco Road and bear right. Take Carmel Valley Road 17.2 miles to the junction with Tassajara Road and turn left. Go 11 miles to China Camp.
From Highway 101 south, exit at Arroyo Seco Road and make an immediate left at Elm Avenue. (If you get to the ENTERING GREENFIELD sign, you have passed the left turn.) Follow Elm Avenue for 6 miles and turn left at the T onto Arroyo Seco Road. Proceed 6.5 miles along Arroyo Seco Road to the junction with Carmel Valley Road and bear right. Take Carmel Valley Road 17.2 miles to the junction with Tassajara Road and turn left. Go 11 miles to China Camp.
CAMPSITES: 6 | COST: Free
COMMENTS: No water; vault toilets. For more information contact the Los Padres National Forest Service at (831) 385-5434 or www.fs.fed.us.
Escondido Campground
DIRECTIONS: Take Highway 101 to Jolon Road, turn onto Mission Road, to Del Venture Road. Travel 12 miles to the campground. Last 3 miles is unsurfaced.
CAMPSITES: 9 | COST: Free
COMMENTS: Closed during the winter and periodically during the wet season (November–March). No water, but the Arroyo Seco River is nearby (bring a water purification system); vault toilets. For more information contact the Los Padres National Forest Service at (831) 385-5434 or www.fs.fed.us.
Nacimiento Campground
DIRECTIONS: From the north, take Highway 101 south and take the Ft. Hunter Liggett exit. Then go 17.5 miles to the junction with Mission Road. From the south, take Highway 101 south to Exit 252. Drive 21.7 miles on County Road G18 to the junction at Mission Road. From the junction travel 3.2 miles on Mission Road to Nacimiento-Ferguson Road and turn left. It is 13 miles to Nacimiento CG from this point.
CAMPSITES: 8 | COST: $10/night
COMMENTS: No water; vault toilets. For more information contact Parks Management Co. at (805) 434-1996, (805) 434-9199, or campone.com.
Ponderosa Campground
DIRECTIONS: From Salinas take Highway 101 south and take the Ft. Hunter Liggett exit. Then go 17.5 miles to the junction with Mission Road. From Highway 101 south, take Exit 252. Drive 21.7 miles on County Road G18 to the junction at Mission Road. From the junction travel 3.2 miles on Mission Road to Nacimiento-Ferguson Road and turn left. It is 12 miles to Ponderosa CG from this point.
CAMPSITES: 23 | COST: $15/night
COMMENTS: No water (April–October); vault toilets. For more information contact Parks Management Co. at (805) 434-1996, (805) 434-9199, or campone.com.
CHAPTER six
Safety & Conservation
HUNDREDS OF MILES OF TRAILS AND ROADS crisscross Big Sur’s state parks, the Ventana Wilderness, and the Silver Peak Wilderness. Plan carefully before you venture into the backcountry. This chapter describes potential hazards and offers gear suggestions to help you prepare for your hike.
The fact that a trail is described in this book does not mean it’s safe for everyone. Trails vary greatly in difficulty and condition. Some sections are choked with poison oak, encroaching brush, fallen trees, and debris. The sheer landscape is also subject to floods and landslides. Conditions can change rapidly. A riverside trail that’s safe on a dry day may be impassable during heavy rains, even for the fittest hiker.
It is essential that you tell someone where you’re hiking and when you expect to return so rescue groups know where to look if you’re overdue. Always respect your limits and avoid hiking alone. Stay on the trail, both to limit erosion and avoid injury.
Following the preparation tips is a partial list of regulations and advice on how to preserve this beautiful landscape for fellow hikers. If you’d like to volunteer your time, refer to the list of conservation organizations.
Wildlife Hazards
Ticks
Particularly in the Ventana and Silver Peak Wildernesses, trails are often overgrown with brush. This encroaching brush, in turn, harbors ticks. Tick numbers boom following winter’s first major rains and don’t drop again till early summer. They’re most prevalent amid dense thickets of chamise, Big Sur’s most widespread plant.
Once one of these blood-sucking arachnids latches on, it climbs till it reaches an exposed patch of skin. Deer ticks start out the size of a comma on a printed page, while wood ticks are only about twice that size. The tiny hitchhikers often go unnoticed until they swell with blood.
Along the coast, enjoy the coarse sand between your toes, but beware of cold water and dangerous currents.
Ticks usually take an hour or more to burrow into your skin, though in heavily infested areas you should check for them every few minutes. Wear long, light-colored clothing to make it easier to spot ticks. Consider wearing breathable rain gear, as the slow-moving insects have difficulty latching onto the synthetic material.
If you do find a tick burrowed into your skin, take a pair of tweezers, grip the tick as close to the skin as possible, and pull it straight out. Avoid squeezing the tick, as it may emit bacteria into the skin. While tick-borne Lyme disease remains rare in the northern Santa Lucia Range, that risk could change in the future. A tick must be attached for at least 24 hours to transmit the disease, which is very treatable if diagnosed early. If you develop a bull’s-eye rash, pain, fever, headache, or muscle ache after a tick bite, see your doctor immediately.
Flies
How can such a small insect be so vexing?
