Little Sur
- 10.8 mi
- round trip
- 1,850 ft
- climb
- 2,166 ft
- high point
- Out and back
- route
- Oct–May
- best months
Is Little Sur open right now?
Closure in the area
There's a closure order in Monterey Ranger District. It doesn't name Little Sur, so check the source for the area it covers.
Monterey Ranger District Emergency Closure Order with Exceptions
Agency closure covering Monterey Ranger District · Order 05-07-51-26-11 · USFS · Monterey Ranger District
Los Padres Fire Use and Firearm Restrictions
Agency alert covering Los Padres National Forest · Order 05-07-00-26-05 · USFS · Los Padres National Forest
San Carpoforo Beach Prohibition of Overnight Camping and Campfires
Agency alert covering Monterey Ranger District · Order 05-07-51-26-03 · USFS · Monterey Ranger District
Santa Barbara Front Country Fire Use Restrictions
Agency alert covering Los Padres National Forest · Order 05-07-5406-01 · USFS · Los Padres National Forest
As of · Source: USFS · Monterey Ranger District. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.
Little Sur is a hard hike in California's Los Padres National Forest, within the Monterey Ranger District. The route is an out-and-back of about 10.8 miles, with a total elevation gain of 1,850 feet, taking you from a low point of 708 feet to a high of 2,166 feet. The trail is natural-surface and open to both horses and bikes, and it is not an accessible trail. It is a year-round route, and the nearest town is Big Sur, about 10 miles away. Spring and fall are the most comfortable times to go. Typical averages from a nearby weather station show May highs around 80°F and October highs around 82°F, while July and August average about 96°F. That station sits roughly 860 feet lower than the trail's high point, so temperatures on the route run cooler. Nearby, the Little Sur River offers canoeing about 1.7 miles away, and the Beach Trail and Headlands Trail are both within 2 miles. Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park Campground is about 5 miles off.
- Little Sur RiverCanoeing1.7 mi
Beach TrailHikingPhoto: sergei.gussev, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)1.7 mi- Headlands TrailHikingPhoto: sergei.gussev, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)1.9 mi
River TrailHikingPhoto: S. Rae, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)2.1 mi
Bobcat TrailHikingPhoto: Roebot, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)2.2 mi- Twin Cottonwoods TrailHiking2.3 mi
- Coyote Flat TrailHikingPhoto: Roebot, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)2.3 mi
Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park CampgroundCampingPhoto: Slipshod Photog — CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)5.1 mi
Source: Roamze catalog (indexable pages within 10 miles, PostGIS distance)
- Beach TrailHiking · ~3 min drivePhoto: sergei.gussev, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)
Jackson Camp Access TrailHiking · ~4 min drivePhoto: DeeAshley, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)
Ventana Double ConeHiking · ~11 min drivePhoto: ilya_ktsn, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)- Manuel Peak TrailHiking · ~4 min drive
- Headlands TrailHiking · ~3 min drivePhoto: sergei.gussev, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)
Buzzards Roost TrailHiking · ~9 min drivePhoto: Roger Sylvia, CC BY-SA 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)
Skinner RidgeHiking · ~8 min drivePhoto: ilya_ktsn, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)- River TrailHiking · ~4 min drivePhoto: S. Rae, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)
San ClementeHiking · ~9 min drivePhoto: ilya_ktsn, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)- East Molera TrailHiking · ~4 min drive
Best time to visit Little Sur
Best months: October–May. Best months have typical highs of 55–85 °F, lows of 30 °F or warmer (32 °F where the station doesn't record snow), at most one snowy day and no more than 12 wet days.
Jan
63° / 34°
12 wet
Feb
64° / 36°
11 wet
Mar
68° / 38°
10 wet
Apr
72° / 39°
6 wet
May
80° / 43°
3 wet
Jun
89° / 47°
1 wet
Jul
96° / 50°
0 wet
Aug
96° / 50°
0 wet
Sep
92° / 48°
1 wet
Oct
82° / 43°
3 wet
Nov
70° / 37°
7 wet
Dec
62° / 33°
11 wet
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Pinnacles Nm, CA, 38.1 mi away at 1,307 ft. The station sits about 900 ft lower than this place, so expect it a little cooler here. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.
