Big Sur, CA
Ventana Campground
Adjacent to the Ventana Big Sur resort, this redwood-grove campground sets safari canvas tents among towering trees and a tranquil stream. Plush mattresses, luxury…
Central Coast · California
Private campsites & glamping in Big Sur, CA
Big Sur isn't a town so much as ninety miles of Highway 1 clinging to cliffs between Carmel and San Simeon — redwood canyons, the Santa Lucia mountains dropping straight into the Pacific, and a concentration of glamping that exists nowhere else in California.
The private stays here run the full register: safari tents in a redwood grove beside a resort spa, solar-powered yurts on ocean cliffs that have hosted glampers since 2004, redwood cabins along the Big Sur River with a tavern and weekend live music, and a family-run river campground renting tubes for floats. Plan around two realities. First, Highway 1 closes periodically for landslides and repairs — check Caltrans District 5 conditions before you go, because closures most years reroute the whole trip. Second, summer fog can hold the coast twenty degrees cooler than the inland valleys. Book well ahead for summer weekends; midweek in spring and fall is the sweet spot, with wildflowers, migrating whales, and fewer brake lights at the Bixby Bridge turnout.
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4 stays in Big Sur
Big Sur, CA
Treebones Resort
Glamping before the word existed, this family-run Big Sur resort has hosted guests in solar-powered yurts since 2004. Sixteen yurts on stilts share the cliffs with two…
Big Sur, CA
Fernwood Resort
A Big Sur institution on Highway 1, Fernwood mixes redwood cabins, tent cabins, tent and RV sites and a twelve-unit motel along the Big Sur River. The Tavern Bar & Grill…
Big Sur, CA
Riverside Campground and Cabins
Ten acres of redwoods along the Big Sur River hold tent sites, RV hookups and cozy cabins at this family-run campground. The camp store rents tubes for river floats, and…
Questions, answered
Camping in Big Sur: FAQs
Is Highway 1 open through Big Sur?
Sometimes partially. Landslides and repair work close sections most years, occasionally for months. Check Caltrans District 5 current highway conditions before finalizing plans — and have a backup route via US-101.
When is the best time to visit Big Sur?
Spring (wildflowers, fewer crowds) and fall (clearest skies, warm days) are the sweet spots. Summer brings fog and peak crowds; winter brings storms and the highest closure risk.
How far ahead should I book?
Summer weekends: months ahead — Big Sur lodging is limited and sells out. Midweek and shoulder season: a few weeks is often enough.
Are there gas stations in Big Sur?
Very few, and expensive. Fill up in Carmel Valley or Cambria before you enter the stretch, and don't let the tank drop below half.
What's the deal with the fog?
The summer marine layer is routine — mornings socked in, afternoons often clearing. It's why the coast stays cool while inland valleys bake. Bring a warm layer even in August.