×
Nighttime Soberanes Wildfire
in NO BACKCOUNTRY FIRES season
Black Butte Pano photo
to find your own adventure
Printed map screenshot
the print/PDF/Garmin maps ...
Metrics calculation screenshot Route metrics control
the route planning tools ...
Trail Conditions screenshot Trail Conditions legend
the trail conditions map ...
Interactive map screnshot Interactive map control
USE the interactive map ...


with Camps, Water Sources, and Points of Interest
for Ventana/SilverPeak wilderness explorers

Get up-to-date local trail knowledge!  Trail and camp locations can be incorrect on online maps of the Big Sur Ventana & Silver Peak wilderness areas.    Big Sur Trailmap provides accurate trail and camp locations based on local knowledge (GPS'd), also locally-known "use trails", seasonal water sources, waterfalls, and other features in Big Sur state parks and wilderness areas.  Plus current wilderness and state park trail conditions and closures.  Created by a Big Sur explorer, updated weekly from local reports. 

Been here ?
(click for larger images)
      "Experience nature in the wild"         "The wild is still there, just off a trail"            "Find your own adventure"        
Wilderness photo challenge

Wilderness hikers
"A line on a map is just a line on a map"

Wilderness trails are not park‑like trails !
Wilderness trails may not be signed or passable or followable
Know the current trail conditions 

Trail maintenance in National Forest is by VWA trail crew, not USFS !
0% 
 ImpassableClear 
 100%
State-of-the-Trails = 68%  "Clear" = 79 miles, 25% of network   History

The trails need YOU
Smokey Bear
Help maintain the trails
 


CURRENT
STATUS
Extended Extended National Forest Closure Order
now ends Aug. 31,2024
(began Jan. 2023)
Extended Nacimiento-Fergusson Road Closure
now ends Aug. 31, 2024
(began Aug. 2020)
Most USFS trails open.
Most USFS roads
closed to vehicles.
Flash flood and debris flow warning for 2020/21 burn areas effective Saturday   More info
Sunday Route 1 closure
Apr. 30 4am-1pm
south of Carmel for Big Sur Marathon
Rte.1 Big Sur closure in effect
 (map)  (IS shown on trailmap)
Campfirestove No fire restrictions:  Campfires & stoves allowed in National Forest  
River heights high, crossings can be difficult/hazardous
Regional Weather Forecast
Small‑area Weather Forecast
 Big Sur River Current Flow  

CLOSURE INFO
Trails & Roads
USFS & State Parks

TRAIL 60-day NEWS:
(click for details/older)
Mar.5    Pine Ridge Trail SAR video
Mar.3    Pine Ridge Trail SLIDE above Barlow Flat UNCROSSABLE
- SAR rescues have been needed, will update when more info available. Location
Feb.17  Pfeiffer Big Sur SP Buzzards Roost Trail opened
Feb.12  Andrew Molera SP trails west of Big Sur River open
but river crossing can be difficult/impassable
Feb.7    Andrew Molera SP trails west of Big Sur River closed
Feb.6    Pfeiffer Big Sur SP Buzzards Roost Trail closed
Jan.26  Tassajara Rd roadwork Jan.25-29

SITE 60-day NEWS:
(click for details/older)
Mar.12  VWA website down today
Mar.8    GPX file "with trail conditions/ratings" for smartphones
Mar.2    Providing river crossing reports vs. Big Sur river flow
on 'More Info' page of 'River heights high' alert box
Jan.23  Fixed PDF-format "no trail conditions" file download problem

Latest blog post: 
Albino redwood dies in fire
Latest forum post: 
geospatial pdf failure


Search this website [Finds words in webpages]

Find a Big Sur place name Trails, camps, USGS names
Gives map & description


Download GPX files for trails,
camps, & water sources
Personal-use-only (copyright)
Not for sharing on public site
such as AllTrails or OpenStreetMap or non-private CalTopo


GoogleEarth overlays & GoogleEarth usage tips Big Sur Trailmap, USGS
topo, wilderness areas, …


Display map at known locator Lat/Lon OR UTM OR
Section/Township/Range


Create an interactive map link
for your route or location


Trailmap legend [what icons & line colors show]

Trailmap contributors [have given time or information]

Trailmap user experiences
& testimonials
[culled from other websites]



CURRENT
STATUS
Extended Extended National Forest Closure Order
now ends Aug. 31,2024
(began Jan. 2023)
Extended Nacimiento-Fergusson Road Closure
now ends Aug. 31, 2024
(began Aug. 2020)
Most USFS trails open.
Most USFS roads
closed to vehicles.
Flash flood and debris flow warning for 2020/21 burn areas effective Saturday   More info
Sunday Route 1 closure
Apr. 30 4am-1pm
south of Carmel for Big Sur Marathon
Rte.1 Big Sur closure in effect
 (map)  (IS shown on trailmap)
Campfirestove No fire restrictions:  Campfires & stoves allowed in National Forest  
River heights high, crossings can be difficult/hazardous
Regional Weather Forecast
Small‑area Weather Forecast
 Big Sur River Current Flow  

CLOSURE INFO
Trails & Roads
USFS & State Parks

TRAIL 60-day NEWS:
(click for details/older)
Mar.5    Pine Ridge Trail SAR video
Mar.3    Pine Ridge Trail SLIDE above Barlow Flat UNCROSSABLE
- SAR rescues have been needed, will update when more info available. Location
Feb.17  Pfeiffer Big Sur SP Buzzards Roost Trail opened
Feb.12  Andrew Molera SP trails west of Big Sur River open
but river crossing can be difficult/impassable
Feb.7    Andrew Molera SP trails west of Big Sur River closed
Feb.6    Pfeiffer Big Sur SP Buzzards Roost Trail closed
Jan.26  Tassajara Rd roadwork Jan.25-29

SITE 60-day NEWS:
(click for details/older)
Mar.12  VWA website down today
Mar.8    GPX file "with trail conditions/ratings" for smartphones
Mar.2    Providing river crossing reports vs. Big Sur river flow
on 'More Info' page of 'River heights high' alert box
Jan.23  Fixed PDF-format "no trail conditions" file download problem

Latest blog post: 
Latest forum post: 

Trail conditions/closures
are shown on:
Interactive Big Sur Trailmap
Interactive Trail Conditions map
Interactive Route Metrics map
Google Earth overlay map
are not shown on:
Garmin-format maps
Smartphone maps
are optionally shown on:
Printed maps
PDF-format maps


View the interactive
Big Sur Trailmap
Interactive map
Interactive Trailmap

Cool Grin   Trails and POIs,
shaded topo gives context

[map updated: Mar 19]
View the interactive
trail conditions map
Trail Conditions
Trail Conditions Map

Cool Grin   Colors show trail
conditions and closures

[conditions updated: Mar 19 ]
Compute route metrics
between two locations 
Route Metrics
Trailmap Metrics

Cool Grin   For mileage &
cumulative gain+loss

[routing updated: Mar 15]
Download one-page
printable Trailmap sections
Printed page
Printed Trailmap

PDF with options for
background & trail condition

[map updated: Feb 28]
Download a PDF-format
Trailmap for a smartphone
Avenza
Avenza screenshot

For Avenza, can add
searchable "Features" layer

[pdf updated: Mar 14]
Use the Trailmap in a
smartphone GPS app
Smartphone
BackcounryNavigator GPS app screenshot

Multiple options available,
depending upon the app
Download a Garmin-format
Trailmap for a GPS
Garmin GPS
Garmin Trailmap

Routable, so along-trail
distance-to-go accessible

[map updated: Mar 15]
Download a "Google
Earth
"
Trailmap
Google Earth
GoogleEarth Trailmap

Display trailmap line/icon
overlay on 3-D terrain

[kmz updated: Mar 19]

Trail conditions/closures
are shown on:
Interactive Big Sur Trailmap
Interactive Trail Conditions map
Interactive Route Metrics map
Google Earth overlay map
are not shown on:
Garmin-format maps
Smartphone maps
are optionally shown on:
Printed maps
PDF-format maps



Jack Glendening (credit:p.danielson)
 Jack Glendening 

AddressImage
Home page BLOG Bona fides
   
Latest blog post:
 
"Albino redwood dies in fire"
In memoriam:  Paul Danielson

If you have something to contribute or find an error,
( problems don't get fixed if not reported ! )
please post to my forum.
Big Sur Trailmap FORUM
or in the "Comments" section on the webpage (if it has one),
or email directly: AddressImage
Trailmap contributions help other hikers and will be credited
(and builds good trail karma)
Trailmap Contributors Contributors

Feedback
I welcome feedback about the info on this website at the Big Sur Trailmap Forum, which will benefit all Big Sur hikers.  But I am not a personal trip advisor so do not provide individual trip guidance!  If the info here is not sufficient for your planning or if you want personal trip guidance, please use the VWA Discussion Forum, which is read by many Big Sur hikers.

Copyright
The information and data on this website are copyrighted by John W. (Jack) Glendening.  You may freely search, view, download and print the documents and information contained on this site for personal and non-commercial purposes.  Public use of this data must be attributed to Jack Glendening, not be presented as being the work of someone who has copied it from this site instead of doing the actual field work themselves.  In particular, copyright information is not to be removed from data and data is not to be placed on public websites such as Open Street Map or All Trails. 

Disclaimer
This information is provided 'as is', without warranty of any kind - It is believed the best available but can contain errors. 

Photo credits
Photos from Jack Glendening, Paul Danielson, Maria Ferdin, Betsy MacGowan, Jim Ringland, Leor Pantilat, Hillary Trout, Paul David Tuff, Nathan Kistler, Amanda Sevall, Perry Way, Brett Pall, and anonymously from the web.  Jim Ringland's photos are under the CC‑BY‑NC‑4 license.

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