Big Sur after the 2026 fires

What happened in the Timber and Plaskett fires?

The Timber Fire burned roughly 25,000 acres east of the Big Sur Valley from 8 August; the Plaskett Fire burned about 30,000 acres near Gorda from 26 August.

Caltrans closed about 10 miles of Highway 1 near Julia Pfeiffer Burns on 11 August. When the Plaskett Fire took off two weeks later, about 40 miles were shut at once and the coast was empty in peak season. The northern closure lifted at 6 am on 3 September; the last eight miles near Kirk Creek reopened around 14 September.

Cal Fire lists the Plaskett Fire as fully contained. Julia Pfeiffer Burns still says both fires remain active in the area, which in practice means smoldering stumps and crews in the backcountry, not flames at the road.

Which Big Sur state parks are open after the fires?

All the coastal state parks have reopened for day use. What changed is the trail map: almost everything east of Highway 1 is closed.

Each park posts its own list. This is the picture from the State Parks pages checked between 23 and 28 October 2026.

Is Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park open?

Yes, since Friday 16 October 2026. The redwood walks by the river are open; Pfeiffer Falls and the climbing trails are not.

The park was the fire's base camp, and the fire burned about 517 acres inside it. The State Parks release lists the day-use areas, campground, Nature Center, Big Sur Lodge and four trails as reopened: Buzzards Roost, the River Path, the Nature Trail and the Redwood Grove Boardwalk. Day use is $10 a car.

Six trails stay closed until further notice, including the Pfeiffer Falls Trail. The release says anyone entering closed trails or burned areas will be cited. Burned slopes drop trees and rock without warning, and the first big rain can send debris down them.

Can you still see McWay Falls and Limekiln Falls?

McWay Falls, yes: the overlook is in the Julia Pfeiffer Burns day-use area, which is open. Limekiln Falls, no: its trail is closed.

Julia Pfeiffer Burns lists its day-use areas and the Partington Cove trail as open. The McWay overlook walk is about half a mile from the east-side lot through a short tunnel. The beach below has always been off limits; going past the fences can mean a citation or arrest.

Limekiln State Park keeps the trail to the old lime kilns open, but the falls trail and Hare Creek are closed. Bring cash: the $10 day-use fee is cash only. To reach either park from the north you cross the Torre Canyon work zone, so read the road status post first.

Are Nepenthe and the Big Sur businesses open again?

Nepenthe, the Henry Miller Library and Big Sur Lodge have reopened. Hotels and smaller cafes vary week to week, so call ahead.

Nepenthe says it, Cafe Kevah and the Phoenix Shop are open, with lunch from 11:30 am and dinner until 10 pm; Cafe Kevah is weather dependent. The Henry Miller Library posts "The Library is open again" but no hours, so check before you plan around it.

Big Sur Lodge reopened with the state park on 16 October, per State Parks, but its own site had not caught up when we checked. Call 831-667-3100. For gas, fill up in Carmel or Monterey: fuel on the coast is scarce and was near $9.40 a gallon at Gorda this spring.

Should you visit Big Sur after the fires?

Yes. The coast itself looks the same from the road, and local businesses lost most of August and September.

The fires burned the ridges and canyons inland. Bixby Bridge, the Garrapata coves and the cliffs along the road look much as they did, and the green regrowth on the scars above them is something you only see for a year or two.

Two cautions. Stay out of closed areas: they are closed because they are dangerous, and the fines are real. And watch the forecast. Heavy rain on fresh burn scars brings debris flows, which is why Caltrans is netting slopes at Torre Canyon now. Planning for the coming months? See Big Sur in winter 2026-27.

One tour to double-check: the Old Coast Road e-bike tour uses a road whose Andrew Molera section was listed closed after the Timber Fire. Confirm with the operator that it is running before you book.

The half-day coast tour stays in the unburned northern stretch: Bixby Bridge, the Big Sur River and a redwood walk in Pfeiffer Big Sur.

★ 5.0 · 3 hours · from $227

Explore the half-day coast tour from Monterey → Tour details

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