Five Central California state parks are now closed after a portion of a road collapsed. Right now, there is no estimated time of reopening.
The parks include Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park, Andrew Molera State Park, Limekiln State Park, Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park and Point Sur State Historic Park, all of which are in the Monterey District. All five parks are closed to both day use and camping. Anyone with camping reservations in the near future will receive refunds.
Road Washed Out
The issue started last week when part of Highway 1 in Monterey County washed away. An entire side of the road slipped off a cliff, leaving the road unsafe to drive. The slide happened in the southbound lane at the Rocky Creek portion of the highway. This means getting to the nearby parks is now impossible as the road is now closed in both directions for emergency repairs.
The closure stretches from around Palo Colorado to just south of Limekiln State Park. “State Parks will continue to work closely with Caltrans and CHP to assess impacts to the highway and will update closures as road conditions allow,” California Department of Parks and Recreation said in a press release.
Currently engineers are working to stabilize the affected portion of the road, but there’s no estimate of when that will be complete. The parks are not able to reopen until the road is fixed.
Tourists Trapped
The Highway 1 slide essentially trapped tourists in those parks. According to the San Francisco Gate, around 2,000 people were in one of the parks when the slide happened. Many were stuck overnight as crews worked to assess the integrity of the northbound lanes.
Once they determined those lanes were stable, state crews began moving people out of the parks. “During the time the convoys are passing, we physically have observers on site to put eyes on the condition of the roadway to make sure it’s still safe to travel,” Caltrans spokesperson Kevin Drabinski told the San Francisco Gate.
Alternative Parks
With 280 state parks in California, finding an alternative to visit is easy. About an hour and a half south of Big Sur is San Simeon State Historical Monument.
The nearly 200-acre park is home to the largest collection of European antiques in California. Go inland from Big Sur and you’ll find San Luis reservoir, which is open for camping, fishing, and boating. It’s also the largest off-stream reservoir in the world, according to the California Department of Parks and Recreation.
If you want to stay near the Big Sur area, Carmel River State Beach and Point Lobos State Natural reserve both allow day use, but are warning of higher than normal visitors due to the surrounding parks’ closure. Point Lobos dubs itself as “The crown jewel of the California State Park System,” as it is home to unique rock formations, interesting flora, and scuba diving. The park was once considered sacred and famous photographers, like Ansel Adams, would often visit for inspiration.
Carmel River State Beach is a mile-long California beach home to a bird sanctuary. While visiting, you can get a great view of the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary, a federally-protected area home to a variety of marine life. And a bonus: this beach is dog friendly.
Other State Parks Worth Visiting
If you are open to other parts of California, there are unique state parks in all regions of the state. About an hour and a half south of San Francisco is Big Basin Redwoods State Park, the oldest state park in California. Founded in 1902, the park is home to the massive redwood trees.
Some of the trees are more than 1500 years old and stretch to more than 50 feet tall. A large fire tore through the park in 2020, but some of the trees survived and visitors today can experience the new growth and new chapter of this beloved state park.
In Southern California inland from San Diego is the lowest point in the california park system, Salton Sea State recreation Area. Sitting at 227 feet below sea level, this state park is also home to the largest continental rift in North America, the Salton Trough. The 14-mile state park stretches along the shore of the Salton Sea and is popular for fishing, camping, hiking, birdwatching, and boating.
