Illegal Camping

County Code 3162 specifically states that “no person shall camp in the right-of-way of State Highway One between the Carmel River and Monterey-San Luis Obispo County Line at any time”.  However, this prohibited behavior has dramatically increased over the years for many reasons including the lack of enforcement over the past decade or more, increased popularity of Big Sur, full capacity of campgrounds and their increased costs, social media posts of this activity, “free camping” websites, rental RVs and camper vans and the now-popular “van life” trend.

Illegal camping along Highway 1 in Big Sur causes a health and public safety risk to all its residents and visitors.  The risks include the basic safety concern of people sleeping along a highway to other risks such as the uptick in illegal campfires, litter, toilet paper and human waste (stool) that gets left behind. It should be noted that the latter has the potential to carry and spread the Hepatitis A virus. The other negative impacts are the detrimental environmental damage to the scenic turnouts and the degradation of the Critical Viewshed for the traveling public to enjoy the “visual access” that is highlighted in the Big Sur Land Use Plan.

Monterey County, CalTrans and Law Enforcement agencies always refer to “public safety” as a top priority behind the road, guardrail and bridge work and apply the same public safety reason for the increase in neon signs on Highway 1. However, the same public safety concern does not seem to apply to roadside camping. Residents are more concerned about people camping in a turnout a couple hundred yards above or below their house and property due to the fire risk this poses when the side of a highway becomes a campsite. They are much more fearful of this possibility than they are about someone driving through the bridge rail at Garapata Creek - something that has not happened in its 100 year history. Local fire agencies have responded to dozens of fires over the past decade along the highway, usually caused when campers are departing and unknowingly dump their slightly burning firewood and/or barbeque coals in the dry grass. This has led to millions of dollars in fire suppression efforts, property and environmental damage, and most tragically, the loss of life.

Visitors need to be responsible by planning ahead, avoid high use and holiday weekends, reserve campsites at designated campgrounds or make other lodging arrangements.  Do not camp along Highway 1! Please help us protect Big Sur’s wild and fragile beauty.