From my friend Colleen Wilson:
Protect Big Sur’s Magic — Support Designated Dispersed Camping in the Plaskett Ridge Pilot Project, Big Sur, CA
Big Sur is one of the last truly wild places on Earth — a coastline where mountains fall into the sea, where ancient redwoods guard the canyons, and where solitude still has a home. But this magic is fragile. For those of us who live here, and for the millions who come seeking its peace, we see the same truth: Big Sur is being loved to death, and without real solutions, we risk losing the very wilderness that defines this place.
Big Sur is not just a place — it’s a feeling.
The redwoods. The ridgelines. The quiet nights under endless stars.
For generations, both residents and visitors have found peace, healing, and freedom here.
But unmanaged camping has pushed this land to the brink.
Wildfire dangers. Trash. Habitat damage.
Not because people don’t care — but because there has been no real system to manage increasing use.
If we do nothing, we risk losing the very freedom we cherish. And yet today, the land is strained to its limit — and pressure is about to grow even more.
With Highway 1 set to fully reopen soon, we know what comes next: a dramatic surge in visitors, traffic, and people searching for a place to camp.
Without a real system in place, the damage we see now will multiply.
We can protect Big Sur without closing it — and without losing the soul of dispersed camping.
Designated dispersed camping gives us the balanced, visitor/community-driven solution we’ve been waiting for. The Plaskett Pilot Project is more than a proposal.
It’s hope.
Why This Matters Now
For too long, Big Sur’s residents, visitors, and the land itself have paid the price of unmanaged, chaotic use. The Plaskett Pilot Project is the first real step toward protecting life and property, reducing illegal camps and dangerous fire starts.
Giving visitors the experience they deserve — one of safety, serenity, and true connection to this place, not frustration, conflict, or confusion.
This is what sustainable recreation looks like: a system that protects the land we love so it can continue to be loved by the next generation too.
🏡 What does the pilot project do?
It gives visitors the clarity, safety, and structure they’ve needed for years.
For too long, people arriving in Big Sur have been left to figure things out on their own. A real system will:
Prevent chaotic roadside camping that puts travelers at risk
Stop the spread of illegal fire that endanger everyone
Provide clear, safe places for people to camp legally & with privacy
Give the USFS the ability to guide visitors instead of just reacting
Protect the rural landscape visitors come here to experience
Designated dispersed camping finally replaces confusion with guidance — helping visitors enjoy Big Sur responsibly while keeping the land safe and protected for the next wave of travelers.
🌟 It keeps the magic of Big Sur alive.
This plan doesn’t turn the forest into a campground.
There are no hookups. No facilities. No pavement & no fees
Just simple, primitive sites where people can sleep under the stars — responsibly, safely, with privacy and with respect for the land and the community.
It protects what’s wild,
while preserving what’s free.
Our Request to the Forest Service
We ask — urgently, sincerely — that the U.S. Forest Service:
Implement designated dispersed camping in the Plaskett Pilot Project
Mark safe, sustainable, environmentally sound campsites
Enforce rules that protect both the land and the people
Prepare for the imminent increase in visitors that Highway 1’s reopening will bring
Keep Big Sur’s forests open, safe, and thriving
Because doing nothing is no longer an option.
If Big Sur has ever inspired you, grounded you, healed you, or amazed you —
please sign this petition.
Let’s protect what matters.
Let’s keep Big Sur wild — and open.
Together.
Colleen is collecting signatures that support this position to submit to the responsible entity, the USFS, to show support. If you would like to join in this effort, you can find this petition here:
https://www.change.org/p/protect-big-sur-s-magic-with-designated-dispersed-camping-for-plaskett-ridge-pilot-project
Living here on Plaskett, I support this effort to protect this land while also providing designated camping spots on Plaskett Ridge Road. Whenever people love a place, , people tend to want to protect it. I have always wanted people to enjoy this area, but enjoy it responsibly.
There are others who support designated parking only spots. There are a few issues that I see with this approach. How many people are going to want to park their vehicles and leave them unattended for several nights in one spot and then hike to a camping spot with all their gear? How many people would rather sleep in or near their vehicles? Also, if our goal is to protect the land while also encouraging wilderness camping, aren’t we doubling the impact on the land? We impact the land first in the designated parking spots/lots (if parking spaces are clustered, it is now a parking lot —unpaved, I hope) and then impact it again wherever the people choose to camp. If we want to minimize our impact, separating the parking from the camping does not accomplish that goal. Please note this is a PILOT project. Nothing is permanent, it is just a trial to see what works and what doesn’t. Camping will still be free under this project.
Note: I have turned off comments for this post as I know at least two or three people that will want to argue with what Colleen or I have written, and that is not the purpose of this post. I only want to make my audience aware of the issue and sign or not sign the letter being sent. Please feel free to email me if you have any questions.
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Benjamin PitterleDirector of Advocacy and Field Operations