Spectacular Big Sur reopens – to hikers only

The coastal drive along Highway 1 between San Francisco and Los Angeles is one of the world’s great, classic trips. Anyone planning on doing it anytime soon, however, is missing a vital piece of information: you can’t.

Around 35 miles of the highway’s best-loved stretch, Big Sur, have been closed since February, after winter rains caused the Pfeiffer Canyon bridge to the north to collapse and swept large parts of the road into the ocean to the south.

With the only road in or out cut off, residents have been stranded in the middle, and the only tourists getting in were the mega-rich who could afford a helicopter. But Big Sur has finally found a way to reopen to everyone – if you don’t mind a bit of adventure.

To help those marooned, an emergency hiking trail was dug into surrounding woodland so residents could at least buy groceries; unauthorised hikers were subject to fines. But since July 1, it’s also been a way for tourists to get in. The trail’s purpose has expanded to include helping the economy, which is losing thousands of dollars every day.

Helping visitors get to the emergency trail is a dedicated shuttle bus, run by a local operator ($5 each way). Trying to book gives you a measure of Big Sur’s remoteness: phone reception is limited. You fill in an online form and can expect a reply within 72 hours. This may be California, but it’s not Silicon Valley.

Make the effort, though – the trail entails a steep half-mile climb up a hillside; half an hour up switchbacks through towering redwoods and the green Santa Lucia Mountains. You’ll be rewarded by Nepenthe, a cliffside restaurant known for its bohemian scene and two-hour waits, which went from serving 1,000 people a day to 30 when it was totally isolated. It sees 250 a day now the trail is open.

‘It really is a unique and special time to see Big Sur in all its beautiful glory,’ said third-generation owner Kirk Gafill. ‘If you want a once-in-a-lifetime experience, take advantage now.’ Kirk is also president of the Big Sur Chamber of Commerce, and estimates that about 450 tourists a day are using the trail. But not all businesses are benefiting: the historic Deetjen’s Big Sur Inn remains closed, unconvinced people will hike their luggage over.

But there are more reasons to return to Big Sur, with two star attractions reopening. The popular campground at Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park reopened on July 1, following the opening of some of its smaller trails in May. The park, loved for its redwood groves and rushing rivers, was closed for a year after this winter’s rainfall and last summer’s massive Soberanes fire wreaked havoc.

The campground is already near capacity every night. Wildly photogenic Pfeiffer Beach, also cut off by landslides, became accessible in August. Early signs suggest the crowds will return: particularly once the Pfeiffer Canyon bridge restores northern access in September. The time frame for reopening the south, however, is anyone’s guess, entirely at the mercy of the landslides.

For information on inland diversions between San Francisco and LA, see visitcalifornia.com/big-sur