Beyond Fox camp, the use path becomes more faint as it seems less people venture further upsteam. However, the general idea is the same: follow the river upstream and the use path virtually always coincides with the path of least resistance. The scenery is spectacular the entire way with smooth white river rocks littering the stream bed and alders, bay trees, and redwoods alongside the river. Soon after Fox camp, the canyon narrows considerably with precipitous cliffs closing in on the waterway. Usually the cliffs are only on one side of the river allowing fairly easy access on the opposite side, but in one section the Little Sur enters a small gorge with steep rock walls on both sides. After this narrow portion, the canyon opens a bit before narrowing once again just before reaching the first Circular Pool. At first only the sound of a waterfall can be heard, but as you round a bend around some rocks a paradisaical scene presents itself with a large pool virtually completely surrounded by cliffs. A section of these cliffs collapsed during a winter storm and deposited into the pool making it not-so-circular anymore. Time will tell if the power of water will rearrange the rockfall debris and become circular again. This rock amphitheater around the first pool contains an assortment of lush hanging vegetation including five finger ferns and mossThe first circular pool has the tallest waterfall and largest rock amphitheater, but more adventure lies upstream. A few feet downstream of the main pool a weakness in the cliffs on the north side allows passage upsteam. The next section of the Little Sur River features a series of small pools and cascades culminating in the second circular pool, which is significantly smaller, both in size of the pool and the waterfall plunging into it. This pool does not have an easy walk-around and a small rock step must be surmounted to proceed. A nylon rope aids in this climbing which is particularly helpful as the rock is slick, especially when downclimbing. After the second pool there is a sweet area of slick rock formations including a series of small pools and waterfalls. Beyond the second pool the river rounds a bend and enter perhaps the most dramatic section, a narrow gorge with vertical cliffs on both sides. This gorge culminates in the third circular pool and an impressive waterfall flowing over chiseled rock into the gorge. This third circular pool can by bypassed by climbing up above the gorge granting access to Bathtub Usecamp and beyond lies one of the most remote camps in the Ventana Wilderness (the North Fork Camp) located at the confluence of Puerto Suello Creek and the Little Sur River. On this day, I did not have time for additional exploration beyond the third circular pool so I look forward to returning soon to reach the remote upper reaches of the Little Sur River near North Fork Camp.  GPS route here. 

A special post on Big Sur Waterfalls here.

The Big Sur region is an adventure running playground. The Ventana Wilderness, Silver Peak Wilderness and a handful of state parks form a network of protected public land over the northern half of the Santa Lucia Mountain Range that is one of the greatest coastal wilderness regions anywhere. The steep degree of relief from the ocean to the mountaintops is unmatched in the contiguous United States providing dramatic vistas throughout the coast. Perhaps one of the most magical Big Sur experiences is a clear day when the ridgetop views include a backdrop of the deep blue Pacific Ocean transitioning to turquoise near the coastline. However, a foggy day along the coast can be equally fascinating as the marine layer interacts with the terrain. In the interior of the wilderness, deep, shady canyons slice through the Santa Lucia Mountains and are filled with ancient redwoods, waterfalls, gorges and mystique. The higher reaches of the wilderness are characterized by rugged, rocky summits with rare groves of the stately Santa Lucia Fir, endemic to these mountains and one of my favorite tree species. Iconic spots like Bixby Bridge and McWay Falls draw millions of visitors to the Big Sur Coast, but with the exception of Sykes Hot Springs, a minuscule fraction travel far from the highway leaving a vast wilderness where solitude, intrigue, and a substantial amount of brush can be found.

Adventuring in Big Sur and the Ventana Wilderness is certainly possible in the summer months if travel is restricted to the immediate coast and the cool canyons, but the higher terrain can be extremely hot resulting in copious sweat, biting black flies, and active rattlesnakes. Therefore, the ideal time for exploration is from late fall through late spring when the air temperature is cooler, bugs are minimal, and the snakes are dormant. Furthermore, the winter months can provide a special treat when the occasional storm drops several inches of snow on the summits providing a unique experience of coastal views combined with snow. These same storms bring downpours to the lower elevations, enlivening the vegetation and numerous waterfalls. I have done several adventures in Big Sur over the years, but it took until last winter for me to become captivated by the phenomenal beauty of this region and gain a desire to explore the land in-depth. The result has been a bevy of awesome explorations and much inspiration for future adventures. This post compiles all of my Big Sur outings separated by sub-region categories that I came up with that made sense to me, generally organized from north to south. Most of the trips link to a dedicated blog post with many photos and a description of the adventure, but some only link to photo albums. This post also includes an array of some of my favorite photos from the region. The best resource to use when planning your adventure is Big Sur Trail Map, which includes wilderness trail conditions, donwloadable topographic trail maps and a route metrics generator. The Ventana Wliderness Aliance Forum also includes trip reports where the most recent conditions can be found. Feel free to ask me for any additional tips or information.  As there is still a lot for me to explore in Big Sur I will continue to update this post. 

North Big Sur Coast:

• Doud Peak & Rocky Ridge (April 13, 2013) – Garrapata State Park
• Doud Peak & Rocky Ridge (May 11, 2013) – Garrapata State Park
• Sierra Hill at Brazil Ranch (December 22, 2013)
• Soberanes Loop (January 2, 2015)

North Interior Ventana; the Carmel River:

• Carmel River Point-to-Point (October 2009)
• Carmel River-Ventana Double Cone Loop (January 10, 2015)
• Ventana (single) Cone Adventure (January 17, 2014)
• Carmel River Falls & Gorge (February 1, 2015)
• Other: Pine Falls, Church Creek, Miller Canyon

Cabezo-Molera, Coast to Ridge:

• Post Summit & East Molera Ridge (April 14, 2013)
• Andrew Molera (October 13, 2013)
• Cabezo-Molera Loop (January 4, 2014)
• Cabezo-Molera Loop (February 23, 2014)
• East Molera Ridge & Post Summit (April 20, 2014)

Little Sur featuring Pico Blanco, Prince of the Ventana:  

• Pico Blanco via Little Sur (May 12, 2013)
• Circular Pools (January 26, 2014)
• Pico Blanco-Little Sur Loop (February 16, 2014)
• Pico Blanco’s North Ridge (November 28, 2014)

Ventana Double Cone, Queen of the Ventana:  

• Ventana Double Cone (December 24, 2013)
• La Ventana Loop (January 15, 2014)
• Kandlbinder & Ventana Double Cone via the Drain (April 13, 2014)
• Big Sur Station to Bottcher’s Gap via Ventana Double Cone (May 4, 2014)

Big Sur River, Wild & Scenic:

• Sykes Hot Springs (November 2009)
• Into the Wild on the Big Sur Trail (January 11, 2014)
• Redwood Creek & Sykes Hot Springs (July 27, 2014)
• Mocho Loop featuring Mocho Falls (January 24, 2015)

Coast Ridge including Marble Peak and Mining Ridge:

• Limekiln to Big Sur via the Coast Ridge (December 28, 2013)
• Coast Ridge: Stone to Boronda (December 28, 2014)

Arroyo Seco, the Gorge: 

• Marble Peak 50k+ (December 6, 2014): A trans-Ventana route from the Arroyo Seco Gorge to Mable Peak on Coast Ridge
• Last Chance Falls, Jeff Falls and Santa Lucia Creek Gorge (February 10, 2015)

Memorial Park featuring Junipero Serra Peak – Grandfather of the Ventana: 

• Junipero Serra Peak (December 8, 2013): The highest point in the Santa Lucia Mountains at 5,857 ft
• Santa Lucia Three Peaks (January 25, 2014):  A classic route that includes the summits of three major peaks in the Ventana Wilderness – Cone Peak, Twin Peak and Junipero Serra Peak
• Cone Peak’s North Ridge & Lost Valley (March 8, 2014)

Central Big Sur Coast, Big Views:

• Boronda/De Angulo Loop (December 21, 2013)
• Partington Cove to McWay Falls (December 22, 2013) – Julia Pfieffer Burns State Park
• Partington to McWay, Julia Pfieffer Burns (March 15, 2014) – Julia Pfieffer Burns State Park
• Big Creek Reserve (May 10, 2014) – Open to the public one day each year!
• Prewitt & Boronda Wildflowers (May 11, 2014) – One of the greatest wildflower displays
• Boronda Turkey Trot (November 27, 2914)
• Big Sur condor Loop (December 13, 2015)
• Ewoldsen & Alta Vista (December 27, 2015)

Cone Peak, King of Big Sur:

• Cone Peak via Vicente Flat (January 10, 2010)
• Cone Peak via Vicente Flat (January 15, 2011)
• Cone Peak via Stone Ridge Direct (April 20, 2013)
• Cone Peak Marathon (November 3, 2013)
• Cone Peak via Stone Ridge and North Coast Trail (December 15, 2013)
• Stone Ridge Direct (February 1, 2014)
• Stone Ridge Direct Loop & Cone Peak (April 19, 2014)
• Cone Peak via Vicente Flat FKT & Stone Ridge Descent (April 26, 2014)
• New Year’s Day Stone Ridge Loop (January 1, 2015)
• Stone & Cone (January 19, 2015)
• Cone Peak Climbs (January 31, 2015)

South Coast – Pacific Valley:

• Prewitt Ridge (December 29, 2013)
• Shouey-Plaskett Loop (February 1, 2014)
• Shouey-Plaskett Loop (February 15, 2014)
• Kirk Creek Ridge (February 15, 2014)
• Prewitt Ridge & South Coast Ridge (April 6, 2014)

South Coast – Silver Peak Wilderness featuring Silver Peak, Princess of Big Sur, and Mount Mars, the Duke of the South Coast:

• Buckeye Loop (January 5, 2014)
• Mount Mars (January 5, 2014)
• South Coast Adventure (February 24, 2014)
• Silver Peak Wilderness Loop, Lion Peak and Mt. Mars (March 16, 2014)
• Dutra Loop and Soda Peak (November 23, 2014)
• Dutra Loop (January 3, 2015)

Après-Adventure: 

• Point Lobos: Located at the northern end of the Big Sur Coast, Point Lobos State Reserve is very popular, especially on sunny weekends. The park features numerous rocky promontories, picturesque coves and a pretty Monterey pine forest. There are many trails in the reserve that are good for a shorter run or a post-adventure stroll.
• Bixby Bridge: An essential photograph spot for tourists, this famous historic bridge is indeed very photogenic
• Soberanes Point: Rugged scenery at Garrapata State Park
• Point Sur: Historic site
• Pfieffer Beach – purple sand from manganese garnet deposits
• McWay Falls: Iconic Big Sur location and another must-photo location for tourists, located just off Hwy 1 at Julia Pfieffer Burns State Park
• Pacific Valley Bluff: Spectacular sea stacks with Cone Peak & Stone Ridge as a backdrop.
• Sand Dollar Beach: Largest beach in Big Sur with beautiful sand and scenery

Beyond Post Summit the section of the traverse to Mount Manuel was all new terrain for me and it far exceeded expectations. The route sticks to the ridge crest and therefore provides amazing views down to the South Fork Little Sur River on the east side and down the rugged Juan Higuera Creek canyon on the west side. Ascending up to the high point of Cabezo Prieto, the view of Pico Blanco’s limestone face is as striking as anywhere. There were even some Santa Lucia Firs growing on this cliffy slope that proved particularly photogenic with a backdrop of a low marine layer off the coast. Beyond Cabezo Prieto, we found the use path to Mount Manuel reasonably easy to follow through the brush, ultimately emerging at a series of lovely viewpoints on Mount Manuel with stellar views to Ventana Double Cone, the interior Ventana Wilderness, and the Big Sur Coast. 

My favorite viewpoint was from a prominent knoll on the way down from Mount Manuel off slightly off the trail, a viewpoint that I call “Manuel Vista.” This point features a remarkable, unobstructed 360 degree view from Ventana Double Cone to the entire Big Sur River drainage to Point Sur. Contuing the descent off Mount Manuel the trail is in pretty rough shape in spots in the upper elevations but becomes better in the last couple miles into Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park. Descending to the valley bottom by the Big Sur River suddenly transitioned to a completely different ecosystem with redwoods instead of the parched chaparral slopes on Mount Manuel.  After a break at the State Park near the Big Sur River we continued along a couple miles of road on Hwy 1 to a back entrance into Andrew Molera State Park Trails. This back entrance is a little tricky to find.  Just past the River Inn is a gated bridge across the Big Sur River that contains a window for pedestrian passage. Just after the bridge, turn right onto single track for around 0.3 miles before coming to a junction. To the left is the start of the South Boundary Trail (as of January 2014 the trail sign was on the ground). The path ascends through redwoods and oak woodlands to great views of Pico Blanco, Post Summit, Cabezo Prieto and Mount Manuel. Ascending higher up on the Ridge Trail we reached the a point on Pfieffer Ridge with views into the recent devastation caused by the Pfieffer Fire (Andrew Molera State Park and its trails were not impacted by the fire). From the viewpoint, we headed down Panoramic Trail and then Bluffs Trail to Molera Beach with with some awesome afternoon light on the coast. Finishing along the coast with a cool ocean breeze served as a perfect way to finish a great run and complete the loop. Strava route here.