Destination: Kirk Creek Campground, Los Padres NF

Location: Rugged mountains falling into the sea.

Weather: Coastal, but often sunny and warm even in winter.

Neighbors: Well spaced sites, popular campground but often possible to get a site on Friday afternoon.

Activities: Hiking, beach, cycling, backroad exploring, surfing.

Dog: Leash required but rarely enforced.

Facilities: Flush toilets, non-potable water.

Kirk Creek has become a go-to spot for myself and several of my friends. When the rare weekend comes along with a blank space on the calendar, we will throw some firewood in the truck and cruise down the winding Carmel and Big Sur coastline. This is one of those destinations where the drive to get there is part of the fun.

Just a few miles south of Lucia, the campground sits on a cliff between Highway 1 and the ocean, and nearly every well-spaced site has a view. The remoteness and distracting beauty of Big Sur make it exceedingly easy to let go of the real world. Bring binoculars for seasonal whale and dolphin spotting.

A short trail leads down the cliff to the narrow beach, which depending on tide may be under water. One of the best features of Kirk Creek is the often favorable weather; in fact winter is probably the best time to go if a sunny weekend is in the weather report. The beach here is nice for sunning and playing with the dog, and the sheer cliffs provide privacy and wind shelter.

Should the beach here be submerged, there are plenty of other activities within reach. Nacimiento-Ferguson road, which begins across the highway from the campground, leads all the way across the Ventana Wilderness and is the access to many hikes and forest fire roads. Cone Peak is one excellent short hike, providing a mile high, 360-degree view of the surrounding wilderness and ocean.

Cut in a half-circle from the cliffs, Sand Dollar beach is a short drive south on the highway, directly across from Plaskett Campground. It is popular with surfers, and gentle waves are good for kids while you enjoy the sun and the view.

Limekiln State Park is just north of Kirk Creek. It is currently closed due to the recent fires, but offers extensive hiking and exploration of the historic lime kilns used by the mining operations there.

Be aware that the fires of last year caused much of the Big Sur area to be closed. Kirk Creek and most everything on the ocean side of Highway 1 was unaffected. See this map for the area of the National Forest closure. There is no official word on when the wilderness will reopen, but it is likely that when the threat of mudslides has passed we will be able to explore the Santa Lucia range again.

For more information


View Kirk Creek Campground in a larger map