For most of August and September, the softball field at Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park was the incident command post for the Timber Fire. Thousands of firefighters and support staff from across California and around the country used the park as a base camp. On Friday, October 16, the park reopens to the public. The day-use areas, campground, River Path, Redwood Grove Boardwalk and Big Sur Lodge come back. Pfeiffer Falls Trail, where redwoods burned during the fire, does not.
With few exceptions, what is open sits along Highway 1 or between the road and the ocean. What stays closed climbs east into the Santa Lucia Range. California State Parks put it plainly in its September notice: "all backcountry trails East of Highway 1 will remain closed indefinitely due to the ongoing fires and repair work." If you plan this season with the highway as your dividing line, you'll guess right far more often than wrong.
The Road Came Back Before the Ridges Did
The Timber Fire started August 8 in Los Padres National Forest, southeast of the Loma Vista neighborhood. Then the Plaskett Fire started to the south near Gorda. At one point, as the San Luis Obispo Tribune reported, the closures shut 45 miles of Highway 1. Through traffic stayed blocked off and on for more than a month, until Caltrans fully reopened the highway at 6 a.m. on Monday, September 14.
That was this year's second big reopening. Caltrans reopened the Regent's Slide segment south of Lucia on January 14, 2026, restoring through travel between Carmel and Cambria after almost three years of interruption.
The fires are now mostly a recovery story. As of October 9, CAL FIRE lists the Timber Fire at 25,352 acres and 97% contained, with crews still working on residual heat and suppression repair. The Plaskett Fire is listed at 30,124 acres and 100% contained. About 517 of the Timber Fire's acres burned inside Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park, including many of its trails. That's why the park's reopening comes with a list of exclusions.
Pfeiffer Big Sur on October 16, Trail by Trail
Here is what State Parks' October 9 announcement reopens:
- Day-use areas and the campground
- Buzzards Roost Trail, the River Path and the Nature Trail
- Redwood Grove Boardwalk
- Nature Center and Campfire Center
- Big Sur Lodge
And here is what stays closed until further notice: Pfeiffer Falls Trail, Valley View Trail, Oak Grove Trail, Mt. Manuel Trail, Big Sur River Gorge Trail and Pine Ridge Trail. The park says burned areas still carry hazards such as unstable trees, falling rocks and damaged trails, and that anyone entering a closed trail will be cited.
Two of those closed trails don't end at the park boundary. Mt. Manuel and Pine Ridge both run into national forest land, and both appear again on the federal closure list below. So when you reopen the River Path on the 16th, Pine Ridge stays closed past the park line too.
The Rest of the Coast, Park by Park
The same division shows up at almost every stop between Garrapata and Limekiln. Each entry below comes from that park's current State Parks or Forest Service page.
| Place | Open now | Still closed |
|---|---|---|
| Garrapata State Park | Soberanes Canyon Trail, from its gated east-side trailhead | Rocky Ridge Trail |
| Andrew Molera State Park | Campgrounds, opened after September 15 | Old Coast Road, East Molera Trail, backcountry east of Highway 1 |
| Pfeiffer Beach | Site open daily, 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. | Foot and bike travel on Sycamore Canyon Road; vehicles only |
| Point Sur State Historic Park | Not open for tours | Tours canceled until further notice |
| Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park | Day-use areas, restrooms, Partington Cove trail | Beach and ocean access at McWay Falls, backcountry trails east of Highway 1 |
| Limekiln State Park | Day-use areas | Beachside campsites and some sections during a geotechnical study of Limekiln Bridge |
Soberanes Canyon is the clearest exception to the rule. It's an inland trail, and it's open, while Rocky Ridge in the same park is closed. Limekiln's remaining closures come from the bridge study, not the fire. Point Sur is the opposite case. It sits on the ocean side, yet the Point Sur tour site says tours are canceled "until further notice due to the Fires in Big Sur," and its October calendar shows no tour days.
Two details on the coast side are easy to miss. The Forest Service's Pfeiffer Beach page notes that winter rain may close the access road from time to time. A separate order allows travel on Sycamore Canyon Road only in a motor vehicle, and it runs through January 29, 2027. State Parks' Andrew Molera notice is dated September 15, so confirm the day-use areas there before you go.
The Ventana Closure Runs Through January 31, 2027
East of the state parks, the closure has a hard date. Los Padres National Forest Order No. 05-07-51-26-11 closes the Timber and Plaskett fire areas, including the roads and trails listed in its exhibits. It took effect September 26, 2026 and ends January 31, 2027. It replaces an earlier order.
The trail list is long, and it covers much of the Monterey Ranger District. On the north end it includes Turner Creek, Little Sur, Skinner Ridge, Ventana Double Cone, Carmel River, Church Creek and Pine Ridge. Along the coast ridge it includes Mt. Manuel, De Angulo, North Coast Ridge, Terrace Creek, Rocky Creek and Big Sur. Farther south it includes Arroyo Seco, Cone Peak, Stone Ridge, Kirk Creek, Vicente Flat Camp, Prewitt Loop, Willow Creek, Mill Creek and Santa Lucia Peak, along with many named camps.
Put next to the state park closures, the order makes the line plain. A walk on the coast-side bluffs at Partington Cove or along the river at Pfeiffer is open this season. A hike up to Cone Peak or out to Vicente Flat stays closed until the order expires or a new one replaces it.
Where the Road Goes, the Lights Are Back On
Almost every business on this coast sits right on Highway 1, and many reopened alongside the road in August. The Los Angeles Times reported on August 22 that Nepenthe had reopened its terrace, along with the Phoenix Shop. Deetjen's Big Sur Inn and the Henry Miller Memorial Library reopened that same weekend, and Cafe Kevah was due to follow. Nepenthe has operated since 1949. The Henry Miller Memorial Library's own site now says it is "open again."
Farther along the road:
- Alila Ventana Big Sur said guest arrivals would resume Friday, September 11, after its evacuation closure.
- Big Sur Bakery lists bakery hours from 8 a.m. Wednesday through Monday, lunch from noon to 2:30 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday, and dinner by reservation Friday and Saturday from 5 to 7 p.m.
- Fernwood has October trivia and live-music nights on its calendar, with dates including October 13, 17, 20 and 24.
- Esalen lists October and November workshops. "The Future We Choose," October 23 to 25, is full, with a waitlist open.
Hours along this stretch change with the season and with the road, so check before you make the drive for a specific table or program.
The October and November Dates to Plan Around
The highway is open end to end, but it isn't open without interruption. Here's the calendar as it stands, in order:
- October 12 to 15, 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. Full overnight closures near Point Sur, between post miles 54.2 and 55.6, with one-way signal control in the daytime.
- October 16, 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. One-way control at Point Sur, with delays of about 10 minutes. The same day, Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park reopens.
- October 24. The Big Sur River Run is listed at Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park, with proceeds supporting Big Sur Fire and the Big Sur Health Center. On September 30, organizers told Big Sur Kate the park's reopening wasn't yet confirmed and set October 8 as their decision date. The park's October 16 reopening falls eight days before the race, so check the organizers' latest word before race morning.
- November 5 to 7. The Big Sur Food & Wine Festival holds its 10th annual gathering. The festival frames this year's event as a fundraiser for the community and a celebration of resilience.
- Through November 13. One-way control at Mud Creek. Caltrans' road bulletin lists weekday hours from 6:30 a.m. to noon. The District 5 notice for the realignment work, which began October 5, gives 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday, with possible Sunday work and delays of up to 10 minutes.
- Through November 30, 6 a.m. Around-the-clock one-way control at Rocky Creek Bridge.
Because the two Mud Creek schedules differ, check Caltrans QuickMap on the morning of any drive south of Lucia.
Taken together, the closures on the road itself are short work windows that end in November. The Ventana trail closures run until January 31, 2027. For the rest of the fall, a Big Sur day out means the river at Pfeiffer, the cove at Partington, the sand at Pfeiffer Beach and a table along the highway. For more on how this stretch of coast works, see our Big Sur neighborhood guide and our look at why Rocky Point has stayed closed since 2020.
If you'd like a hand keeping track of how the Big Sur coast reopens through the winter, or what this season means for a home along Highway 1, Katy Harrison would be glad to talk it through. Let's Connect.
