The Basecamping Field Guide · Big Sur

Find your basecamp in Big Sur

The redwood valley, a bluff over the Pacific, or a short-rig camp at Limekiln. Highway 1 is the whole trip, so check the road before you choose a site.

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Big Sur coastal bluffsPhoto: Basecamping / Higgsfield · Generated editorial imageryUpdated Nov 6, 2026

Where should you camp?

Big Sur camping is a string of small campgrounds on one highway. Pick the valley, the bluff, or Limekiln, then check that Highway 1 is open to that mile marker.

Schematic only, north at the top, not to scale. Distances in the area list are from California State Parks and the Forest Service. Check Caltrans before you drive Highway 1.

1Pfeiffer Big SurThe valley’s largest campground, in the redwoods

Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park reopened on October 16, 2026 after the Timber Fire, including the campground, the river path, and Big Sur Lodge. Several trails are still closed, including Pfeiffer Falls and the Big Sur River Gorge. There is no beach in this park.

26 miles south of Carmel on Highway 1 · Campground open again as of the October 16, 2026 reopening

Explore campgrounds here

2Private campgrounds on the riverHookups the state park doesn’t have

Riverside Campground & Cabins sits on the Big Sur River just north of the state park. Our listing shows electric and water, not sewer. It is the hookup option when a national-forest or state-park site has none.

In the Big Sur valley, Highway 1

Explore campgrounds here

3The south coastBluff camping, with one campground still closed

Kirk Creek is the Forest Service campground on an open bluff above the Pacific, about 35 miles south of Big Sur. Reservations run on a six-month rolling window, and RVs are limited to 30 feet. Plaskett Creek, just inland of Highway 1 near Sand Dollar Beach, was still listed closed in August 2026 because of the Timber and Plaskett fires, with no potable water.

Kirk Creek: 35 miles south of Big Sur on Highway 1 · Book Kirk Creek ahead. Do not plan a night at Plaskett until the Forest Service reopens it.

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4LimekilnRedwoods and a beach, in a short rig

Limekiln State Park’s campground reopened April 1, 2026 after Highway 1 landslides. RVs and trailers max out at 24 feet, and other vehicles at 15 feet. There are no hookups. Hot showers and drinking water are in the campground. As of October 29, 2026, Caltrans work on the Limekiln Bridge was expected through about November 13, with weekday noise, and the falls trail was still closed.

56 miles south of Carmel, 2 miles south of Lucia · Reserve ahead. The entrance kiosk is cash only right now.

Explore campgrounds here

Pfeiffer reopening and trail closures: California State Parks, Pfeiffer Big Sur. Kirk Creek and the Plaskett closure: Los Padres National Forest and Plaskett Creek. Limekiln: the park page and camping page. Read November 6, 2026. Road status is Caltrans, not this map.

Choose your Big Sur campground

Four campgrounds that are actually bookable. Plaskett Creek is left off the list while the Forest Service has it closed.

California State Parks

Big Sur valley

Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park

For redwoods and the river

Big Sur’s largest campground, under coast redwoods along the Big Sur River. The park reopened October 16, 2026 after the Timber Fire. Choose this if… You want the classic redwood camp and can live with a 32-foot motorhome limit and no ocean in this park.

Reopened Oct 16, 2026Campground, river path, lodge
Motorhomes to 32 ftTrailers to 27 ft
About 155 sites on our listingNo campsite hookups
26 miles south of CarmelHighway 1, mile marker 47.2

Worth knowing: Several trails stay closed, including Pfeiffer Falls, Valley View, Oak Grove, Mt. Manuel, the Big Sur River Gorge, and Pine Ridge. Pfeiffer Beach is a separate turnoff and a separate fee. Dogs are allowed in the campground and on the Warden’s Path and River Path, not on the other trails.

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Riverside Campground & Cabins / Campspot

Big Sur valley · private

Riverside Campground & Cabins

For hookups on the river

A private campground on the Big Sur River in the valley, with redwoods and a Campspot listing. Our record shows electric and water, not sewer.

Electric and waterSewer is not on our listing
RVs to 34 ft16 sites on our listing
Big Sur valleyJust north of Pfeiffer

Worth knowing: This is a private rate, not a state-park fee. Confirm what the site includes before you compare it with Pfeiffer.

View campground

U.S. Forest Service / Recreation.gov

South coast · Los Padres National Forest

Kirk Creek Campground

For a bluff above the Pacific

Forty sites on an open bluff about 100 feet above the ocean, 35 miles south of Big Sur. Two sites are first-come. The rest are reservable.

40 sites · $452 sites are first-come
RVs no longer than 30 ftForest Service limit
6-month rolling windowRecreation.gov or 877-444-6777

Worth knowing: The campground is exposed and popular. Our own campground page has little on-site detail because the listing has no mapped point; the Forest Service page is the authority for length, fee, and directions.

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California State Parks

South of Lucia

Limekiln State Park

For redwoods and the beach, in a short vehicle

A small campground where the redwoods meet the coast, 56 miles south of Carmel. Camping resumed April 1, 2026 after the highway reopened.

Camping resumed Apr 1, 2026No first-come sites to count on
RVs and trailers to 24 ftOther vehicles to 15 ft
No hookupsWater and hot showers in camp

Worth knowing: Through about November 13, 2026, Caltrans bridge work can be noisy on weekdays from 8 am to 5 pm. Hare Creek and the Limekiln Falls trail were still closed on the October 29, 2026 update. Beach sites allow two vehicles; redwood sites allow one. There is no extra parking.

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Explore the full directory 8 listed campgrounds within 35 miles of the Big Sur valley

Kirk Creek may be missing here because our catalog has no map point for it. Plaskett Creek can still appear even while the Forest Service lists it closed. Distance is straight-line from the valley, not driving miles on Highway 1.

Riverside Campground & CabinsBig Sur, CA · Campspot0.4 miElectric hookups Pfeiffer Big Sur SPBig Sur, CA · State parks1.9 miUp to 32 ft Mountain ParadiseCarmel Valley, CA · Hipcamp13.1 miElectric hookups Saddle Mountain CarmelMonterey, CA · Hipcamp17.7 miElectric hookups Arroyo SecoGreenfield, CA · Recreation.gov18.5 miUp to 50 ft Limekiln SPBig Sur, CA · State parks24.2 miUp to 24 ft Plaskett Creek CampgroundBig Sur, CA · Recreation.gov31 miUp to 50 ft Pinnacles View - 2 mi from ParkSoledad, CA · Hipcamp34.3 miUp to 30 ft

Search Big Sur-area campgrounds

Length limits and reopening dates are from the official pages linked above, read November 6, 2026. Riverside’s hookups and site count are from our campground listing, not a state-park table.

When to go

Pfeiffer’s own weather note is the useful one: summer fog in the morning, mild afternoons, and winter nights that can drop into the 30s. The highway, not the calendar, decides whether you arrive.

Spring · March–May

Green canyon, uncertain road work

The valley is green and the campgrounds are already on the summer reservation cycle. Slide repair on Highway 1 is a spring habit. Read Caltrans the week you leave, not the week you reserved.

Good fit: Pfeiffer or Riverside if the highway from the north is open.

Summer · June–August

Fog in the morning, full campgrounds

State Parks says summer nights at Pfeiffer are often in the 50s to 70s, with daytime temperatures in the 70s and 80s, and fog that usually burns off. Limekiln says peak season is usually reserved six months ahead.

Good fit: A reservation you already hold. Not a Friday search.

Fall · September–October

Clearer days, fire season in the record

2026’s Timber Fire closed Pfeiffer into October. The campground reopened October 16; some trails did not. Fall is a good time to be here and a bad time to ignore the alerts page.

Good fit: Pfeiffer if the trails you want have reopened, or Kirk Creek for the bluff.

Winter · November–February

Quieter, wetter, and still a highway trip

Pfeiffer’s winter nights can be in the 30s to 50s, with days from the low 50s to the mid-70s. Storms close Highway 1 more often than they close a reserved site. There are no hookups to run a heater at the state and forest campgrounds.

Good fit: A flexible reservation and a rig that can wait out a road closure.

When to book

These campgrounds do not share one release clock. Limekiln and Kirk Creek both describe a six-month reservation pattern. Pfeiffer is on ReserveCalifornia and was accepting dates again after October 16, 2026.

CampgroundReservation releasePlanning note

Pfeiffer Big SurReserveCaliforniaLargest campground in the valley. Motorhomes 32 ft, trailers 27 ft. No hookups. Reopened October 16, 2026.

Kirk Creek6-month rolling window on Recreation.govRVs no longer than 30 ft. $45 a night. Two sites are first-come; the Forest Service still says to reserve.

LimekilnReserveCalifornia, usually 6 months ahead in peak seasonRV or trailer 24 ft. Other vehicles 15 ft. Cash at the kiosk. No hookups.

Plaskett CreekDo not book for nowForest Service, August 2026: closed for the Timber and Plaskett fires, and no potable water.

Check Highway 1 to that campground. A reservation south of a closure is not a plan. Caltrans is the source, including the Limekiln Bridge work noted through about November 13, 2026.

Match the length limit before you pay for an RV. 32 feet at Pfeiffer is not 24 feet at Limekiln, and Kirk Creek stops at 30.

Skip Plaskett until it reopens. Use Kirk Creek for the south coast instead of arriving at a closed gate.

Check Caltrans road conditions

Official pages read November 6, 2026. Pfeiffer’s page includes a “Close Date: October 29, 2026” stamp on the reopening notice and still showed campground availability into mid-November 2026, so treat the live calendar, not that stamp, as the status.

See what’s open for your trip

Choose dates to compare these Big Sur campgrounds. Availability means the provider confirmed sites for the whole stay.

Start with your datesYou can also add RV length and party details.

Big Sur valley · State parks

Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park

Add dates to check which individual sites are open for the full stay.

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Big Sur valley · private · Campspot

Riverside Campground & Cabins

Add dates to check which individual sites are open for the full stay.

View campground

South coast · Los Padres National Forest · Recreation.gov

Kirk Creek Campground

Add dates to check which individual sites are open for the full stay.

View campground

View all matching campsites

Kirk Creek’s page in our catalog is thin, so open Recreation.gov if the live check is blank. Plaskett may show in a wider search even while it is closed. Nightly price excludes taxes and fees.

Arrive and pick up your RV

Fly in and rent an RV

Monterey is the airport that matches a Big Sur trip. San Jose is the larger alternative, with more of the drive on Highway 101 and then a slow Highway 1 finish. Cards are nearby listings from our rental feed. Distances are straight-line from the airport, not drive times.

Monterey Regional (MRY)MontereyThen 26 miles south of Carmel to Pfeiffer

The airport that belongs to this coast

Pick up around Monterey or Carmel and drive south on Highway 1. Pfeiffer is 26 miles south of Carmel. That is the whole transfer if the highway is open.

1MRYArrive

2RV pickupMonterey

3CampYour basecamp

Pick up your RV near Monterey: Straight-line miles from the airport reference point to the listing. Highway 1 will be longer. Airport transfer is not included unless the host offers it.
Suggested campground areas: Pfeiffer · Riverside
Sample itinerary: Pick up, buy food in Monterey or Carmel, and reach the valley before dark. Highway 1 after sunset is a worse introduction.

Route details

Pfeiffer’s “26 miles south of Carmel” is from California State Parks. We are not publishing an airport-to-campground drive time. Confirm Highway 1 on Caltrans the day you travel.

2022 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter Stardust Adventure Van

Compact campervan

Outdoorsy

2022 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter Stardust Adventure Van

22 ft · Sleeps 4 · 4 belted seats

A campervan is the realistic Big Sur rental. Pfeiffer stops motorhomes at 32 feet, Kirk Creek at 30, Limekiln at 24.

Straight-line from Monterey Regional 6 mi

$295 / night listed, before fees

View on Outdoorsy

Compare Monterey RV rentals

Priced right for your next trip with the family!

Drivable rental

Outdoorsy

Priced right for your next trip with the family!

27 ft · Sleeps 6 · 6 belted seats

A large motorhome will not fit the campgrounds in this guide. Compare the rental’s length with the campground before you pay for either.

Straight-line from Monterey Regional 12 mi

$179 / night listed, before fees

View on Outdoorsy

Compare Monterey RV rentals

Filter rentals by vehicle length and belted seats. A rig that sleeps six still has to be under the campground’s length limit.

San Jose International (SJC)San JoseLarger airport, longer drive to the coast

More flights, then a longer Highway 1 day

San Jose is the fallback when Monterey’s schedule doesn’t work. Leave time to get over to the coast and down Highway 1. Don’t stack the pickup and a Limekiln arrival into one evening.

1SJCArrive

2RV pickupSan Jose

3CampYour basecamp

Pick up your RV near San Jose: Straight-line miles from the airport reference point to the listing. Highway 1 will be longer. Airport transfer is not included unless the host offers it.
Suggested campground areas: Pfeiffer on night one · Limekiln only if the highway is open
Sample itinerary: Sleep at Pfeiffer or Riverside the first night. Continue south the next day if Kirk Creek or Limekiln is the second reservation.

Route details

Pfeiffer’s “26 miles south of Carmel” is from California State Parks. We are not publishing an airport-to-campground drive time. Confirm Highway 1 on Caltrans the day you travel.

"itty-bitty house on wheels " only 19' length, Perfect for FIRST TIMERS.

Compact campervan

Outdoorsy

"itty-bitty house on wheels " only 19' length, Perfect for FIRST TIMERS.

19 ft · Sleeps 3 · 7 belted seats

A campervan is the realistic Big Sur rental. Pfeiffer stops motorhomes at 32 feet, Kirk Creek at 30, Limekiln at 24.

Straight-line from San Jose International 2 mi

$220 / night listed, before fees

View on Outdoorsy

Compare San Jose RV rentals

Drivable rental

RVshare

2020 Leprechaun w/ Solar/Lithium System

25.67 ft · Sleeps 7 · 8 belted seats

A large motorhome will not fit the campgrounds in this guide. Compare the rental’s length with the campground before you pay for either.

Straight-line from San Jose International 2 mi

$259 / night listed, before fees

View on RVshare

Compare San Jose RV rentals

Filter rentals by vehicle length and belted seats. A rig that sleeps six still has to be under the campground’s length limit.

Length limits are short.Pfeiffer: motorhome 32 ft, trailer 27 ft. Kirk Creek: 30 ft. Limekiln: RV or trailer 24 ft, other vehicles 15 ft.

Almost no hookups.Pfeiffer, Kirk Creek, and Limekiln have no campsite hookups. Riverside lists electric and water. None of these is a full-hookup resort.

Three ways to spend a few days in Big Sur

Each sketch assumes Highway 1 is open to that campground. If it isn’t, the trip changes. None of these includes Plaskett while it is closed.

A family walking a footbridge among coast redwoods at Pfeiffer Big Sur

2 nights · Pfeiffer Big Sur

Two nights in the redwoods

Stay in the valley and walk what is actually open: the river path and the redwood grove. Leave the closed trails closed.

River and grove
North again

View day-by-day plan

Friday · Into the valley
Drive Highway 1 in daylight and set up under the redwoods.
Planning note: Pfeiffer Falls and the River Gorge were still closed after the October 16 reopening.
Saturday · River and grove
Walk the river path. If you want the ocean, Pfeiffer Beach is a separate turn about a mile south, with its own fee.
Planning note: Dogs are allowed on the river path and Warden’s Path, not on the other trails.
Sunday · North again
Leave toward Carmel with time for the curves.
Planning note: There is no beach exit inside the state park.

Start with Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park

Photo from the Recreation.gov listing for Kirk Creek Campground

3 nights · Pfeiffer and Kirk Creek

Valley, then the bluff

One reservation in the redwoods and a second at Kirk Creek. They are different providers and different length limits. The RV has to satisfy the shorter one.

South on Highway 1
Coast morning

View day-by-day plan

Day 1 · Pfeiffer
Arrive from the north and stay in the valley.
Planning note: Motorhomes over 32 feet already don’t fit, and Kirk Creek’s 30-foot limit is tighter.
Day 2 · South on Highway 1
Drive to Kirk Creek in daylight. The bluff is the evening.
Planning note: Do not detour into Plaskett expecting a site.
Day 3 · Coast morning
Walk the bluff, then decide whether the highway home is north or south.
Planning note: Thirty feet is the Forest Service maximum, not a suggestion.

Start with Kirk Creek Campground

2 nights · 24 feet or under

A short-rig night at Limekiln

Only if the rental or your own rig is inside Limekiln’s 24-foot RV limit. The falls in the photo are not a promise that the falls trail is open.

What is open
Out

View day-by-day plan

Day 1 · South of Lucia
Check in at the kiosk with cash and the right-sized vehicle.
Planning note: Redwood sites allow one vehicle. Beach sites allow two. There is no overflow lot.
Day 2 · What is open
Use the beach and any trail the park currently lists as open. Skip Hare Creek and the falls trail while they are closed.
Planning note: Weekday bridge work was scheduled through about November 13, 2026.
Day 3 · Out
Twelve noon checkout. Confirm the highway direction before you pack.
Planning note: Don’t arrive in a 30-foot RV and hope the site stretches.

Start with Limekiln State Park

Before you reserve and before you drive

Big Sur logistics are the highway, the length limit, and which trails the fire or a slide has closed.

Highway 1

Campground status and road status are different. Pfeiffer can be open while a slide south of it is not. Check Caltrans, including the Limekiln Bridge survey noted through about November 13, 2026.

Pfeiffer after the Timber Fire

Reopened October 16, 2026: day use, campground, Buzzard’s Roost, river path, redwood boardwalk, campfire center, and the lodge. Still closed when we read the page: Pfeiffer Falls, Valley View, Oak Grove, Mt. Manuel, Big Sur River Gorge, and Pine Ridge.

No beach at Pfeiffer

Pfeiffer Beach is about a mile south of the park entrance, the second right when heading south, and it charges its own fee.

Plaskett Creek

The Forest Service’s August 2026 notice still said closed for the Timber and Plaskett fires, with no potable water. Leave it out of the plan until that notice changes.

Dogs

At Pfeiffer, dogs are allowed in the campground and on the Warden’s Path and River Path, and not on the other trails.

Money at Limekiln

The park says all transactions at Limekiln are currently cash only.

Pfeiffer Big Sur · Limekiln · Limekiln camping · Kirk Creek · Plaskett Creek. Read November 6, 2026.

Sources and latest park information

Reopening dates, length limits, and the Plaskett closure are from the official pages below, read November 6, 2026. Confirm Highway 1 again on the day you drive.

Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park · Limekiln State Park · Limekiln camping · Kirk Creek · Plaskett Creek · Caltrans road conditions · Camping with dogs · RV rental costs