Pacific Coast Section 4 Hwy 1 rockslides south of Big Sur 1/2023

[Roderick_Young]

I don't know if anyone is riding in this weather, but just in case, storms in the past week have caused Highway 1 to close in various places.  Might be open in a few days, or a few months.

When this happened 5 or so years ago, I took Hwy 25 and other backroads, then jumped on Hwy 101 at San Miguel.  101 is legal for cyclists in some sections, but I wouldn't recommend it going into San Luis Obispo.  The Cuesta Grade is too fast (80+ mph cars), and the shoulder is often clogged with debris.  A better option might be to take the train/bus from Salinas to San Luis Obispo.  Hopefully Adventure Cycling will come out with an official detour, soon.

https://www.sfgate.com/centralcoast/article/big-sur-highway-1-closed-17700446.php?fbclid=IwAR2TlZ7OsajJeEZ2_XKXueKoC8IJjzrlU7LGvi8TmIcg74e9znzJHig8gNE

[amywally]

Below is the detour we have used to get around landslides on Highway 1 in Big Sur in previous years:

https://ridewithgps.com/routes/35120765

The 147.9 mile detour begins in Marina, and rejoins the Pacific Coast route just south of Cambria. The detour does not use US 101 at any point.

California is currently undergoing historic flooding, so parts of this detour may also be currently flooded as well, particularly where it crosses the Salinas River. Please ride with caution and never attempt to cross floodwaters.

[ethanleba]

Does anyone know if the road closures at Big Sur are passable by bicycle now? I'm planning on doing this route in early March.

Thanks for sharing the detour Amy! Can you comment on the quality of the detour? I saw that there's an Amtrak route from Salinas to SLO, so I'm wondering if I should just bypass the section by train if the detour is unpleasant/unsafe.

Also, if anyone has biked through Carmel Valley I'd love to hear how that is! I think that could be an alternate route for the detour.

[hondo77]

Here's a good article from several days ago that gives a good status:

https://www.mercurynews.com/2023/02/10/big-sur-highway-1-road-closures-lifting-this-weekend-but-driving-the-entire-span-still-impossible/

[amywally]

Can you comment on the quality of the detour?

A couple things to note about the Salinas Valley Detour:

-If you ride the detour in summer, it will be MUCH hotter than the coastal route. The average high in Soledad in July/August is 99°F, vs. the average in Big Sur is 76°F. Proximity to ocean affects the temperature/weather significantly. Check the weather forecast before riding to ensure will not be riding in extreme heat.
-The detour will have significantly less tourist traffic than the coastal route in the summer, but you will have to deal with more farming trucks/equipment on the road. The Salinas Valley is one of the most productive agricultural regions in the country, nicknamed the "Salad Bowl of the World" producing primarily lettuce, spinach, strawberries, and tomatoes.
-The detour does NOT use US 101 at all, although it crosses it twice.
-There are limited services between King City and Paso Robles, a distance of about 62 miles. This section is also quite hilly.
-Most of the detour does not have shoulders, but it is also mostly rural with low traffic. Traffic will increase around the small towns, and recreational traffic will increase near Lake Nacimiento.
-The last 22 miles of the detour uses SR 46 from Paso Robles back to the coast. Traffic will be much higher on this 2-lane highway, but it has wide paved shoulders.


Here is a blog post of someone who rode the Salinas Valley Detour in 2017: http://www.spokenfly.com/blog/bigsurdetour

Also, if anyone has biked through Carmel Valley I'd love to hear how that is! I think that could be an alternate route for the detour.

We do not recommend biking through Carmel Valley. The road is very narrow, hilly, and curvy with no shoulder and short sight distances, making for dangerous biking conditions.

Here is the link to the forum thread from the last time this detour was posted in 2017: https://forums.adventurecycling.org/index.php?topic=14377.0

[Bearlover1954]

As of Mar 12th it looks like the Ca 1 is closed from south of Big Sur to Ragged Point until the end of this year to fix all the damage from the rockslide and stabilize the cliffs above the road.  ACA needs to come up with a safe bypass around this closure...is it safe to cut over to the 101 and take that south to Paso Robles and then cut over to Cambria or Morro Bay?

[hondo77]

ACA needs to come up with a safe bypass around this closure...

The route given four posts above yours looks pretty good: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/35120765

[hondo77]

FWIW, to go around the PCH closure next month, I'm planning to go from Santa Cruz to camp at Pinnacles National Park Campground, then camp at Lake Nacimiento, then follow the route above back onto PCH (maybe catching it near Cayucos, though) to camp in Pismo Beach.

[rselenis@hotmail.com]

We are looking at options for the closure for our SEA2SAND2023 ride, expecting to be in the area mid-next week.
The latest CalTrans statement "[Highway 1] Is closed from Ragged Point (San Luis Obispo Co) to 14.1 mi south of Big Sur (Monterey Co) - Due to rock slides - Motorists are advised to use an alternate route".  This addresses motorists, but not cyclists.
Google maps for cars routes around the area, but bicycling routes right through.  It may be wishful thinking, but it would be a shame to detour around the area and then find out later that a car free ride through Big Sur was possible.
Has anyone tried this route lately?  Any success?  Any recommendations on who to contact to find out definitively?
Otherwise we will likely go with the previously mentioned PC04 Detour #2 2021 route.

[CMajernik]

That closure is in Caltrans District 5. I looked for a phone number but couldn't find one. There is this but it might be a recorded message: "You can also call 1-800-427-7623 for current highway conditions."

I suggest you call the Monterey County sheriff, 831-755-3700. On the sheriff's website it says: For information regarding State highways in Monterey County, please contact CALTRANS at (805) 549-3138 or (831)753-0187.

You also could call local bike shops in Carmel-by-the-Sea and Morrow Bay. They might have information.

In the past, when there have been closures on Hwy. 1 due to storms and mudslides, we've been told that bicyclists aren't allowed along with motorists.

[Maurice]

Has anyone considered using any gravel/dirt roads to bypass the closure?  I've plotted this out on ridewithgps, but 1) I'm not 100% sure where the closure is, so I don't know if this is reconnecting with Hwy 1 (heading south) south of the closure and 2) I can't be totally sure that these roads are public, though in my experience ridewithgps usually won't let me plot a route on closed/private roads.

https://ridewithgps.com/routes/43378337

[jamawani]

Has anyone considered using any gravel/dirt roads to bypass the closure? ....  ridewithgps usually won't let me plot a route on closed/private roads.https://ridewithgps.com/routes/43378337

Well, the big, ole. mondo gate kinda suggests that it is private.
And, trust me, RWGPS routes you on private, closed, nonexistent roads quite often.

[ObsidianMirrors]

Has anyone considered using any gravel/dirt roads to bypass the closure?  I've plotted this out on ridewithgps, but 1) I'm not 100% sure where the closure is, so I don't know if this is reconnecting with Hwy 1 (heading south) south of the closure and 2) I can't be totally sure that these roads are public, though in my experience ridewithgps usually won't let me plot a route on closed/private roads.

https://ridewithgps.com/routes/43378337

I'm trying to figure a workaround out for this area too - it might be worth trying to contact the Granola Monastery at the tail end of that route to see what the deal is with the road / whether or not that would technically spit you out prematurely.

[delco55]

Went through the slide area (known as Peter's Slide) last week. you can walk through the slide area, but make sure the security and construction crews have cleared out before you go forward.

[HollyWeik]

We encountered a similar road closure in 2021 due to a rock slide south of Limekiln state park. We met a local cyclist who confirmed the Nascimiento Ferguson road was open for cycling, although closed to vehicle traffic.  He also had a copy of the USFS order confirming that it’s legal for cycling.  The road has not been maintained since it was closed after a wildfire and had a lot of rocks, mud and sand on top of the pavement.   We camped at Limekiln and rode to the top of the range the next day with him.   The east side of the road was also in poor shape due to lack of maintenance and disuse.  We did traverse Fort Hunter-Ligget and had no issues.   The road goes through several training areas but wasn’t in a security controlled perimeter. However cyclists need to be aware that the fort is a training area and certain ranges could be closed off or require ID to transit when in active use.   Training exercises may include live ammunition so you should be prepared to be turned around for your own safety.  We camped at the county park at Lake San Antonio, which was poorly maintained and essentially abandoned.   The next day we rode highway G14, which is the Lake Nascimento Road, to Paso Robles and then took highway 46 west.  We turned off Old Creek Road and rejoined the coast at Cayucos.   You could also remain on 46, which is Green Valley Road, to reach the coast at Cambria.