Iconic coastal California state park to finally reopen after devastating wildfire

Two months after the massive Timber Fire scorched tens of thousands of acres near Big Sur along the scenic Highway 1 in Monterey County, the area’s iconic state park is finally primed to reopen.

Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park has been closed to the public since late August along with other Big Sur state parks as thousands of firefighters battled blaze burning in the Los Padres National Forest.

Officials announced that parts of the park will reopen on October 16 again to visitors after more than 500 acres inside the park were burned in the blaze that has consumed more than 25,000 acres.

Officials said the reopening is an “important step in the recovery of the Big Sur area” after the fire. 

“Shortly after the Timber Fire began on Aug. 8, Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park became a critical location for the large-scale emergency response,” the announcement read. 

“The park served as a base camp and incident command location for CAL FIRE, the U.S. Forest Service and cooperating agencies throughout the incident.”

“Over the past two months, the park hosted thousands of firefighters and support personnel from across California and throughout the country as they worked to contain the Timber Fire and protect communities, infrastructure and natural resources in the Big Sur area,” it added.

Officials said staff personnel at every level “worked around the clock to assist with evacuations, critical infrastructure protection and resource protection.”

The areas that will reopen include several park trails along with the Big Sur lodge, the Redwood Grove Boardwalk, the Nature Center and the Campfire Center.

Several areas will remain closed for public safety due to damage from the devastating blaze, including Pfeiffer Falls Trail, Valley View Trail, Oak Grove Trail and Mount Manuel Trail.

“Burned areas continue to present hazards, including unstable trees, falling rocks and debris, damaged trails, erosion, and the potential for debris flows and flash flooding during rain storms,” officials said.

Staff will continue assessing fire impacts, addressing hazards and restoring public access where it is safe to do so.

The Timber Fire, which started on August 8, led to the closure of several state parks and evacuations of hundreds of residents, including world-renowned luxury resorts such as the Alila Ventana Big Sur and the Post Ranch Inn.

Hundreds of structures were threatened as fire crews battled the blaze on the ground and from above, with it burning more than 20,000 acres in a matter of weeks, according to CAL Fire. It also led to the closure of parts of Highway 1 for several weeks.

The last update on Cal Fire on October 9 said the blaze was  97% contained with 25,352 acres destroyed.

“Fire activity remains minimal across much of the incident, with isolated smoldering and creeping in heavier fuels, particularly along the northern and northwestern portions of the fire,” officials said.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation.