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How bad are the wildfires around Highway 1?

by Iva Skoch (RSS feed) on Jul 1st 2008 at 5:00PM

Anyone out there living in the Big Sur area? If so, I am very, very sorry to hear about the devastating wildfires.

I am supposed to drive down from San Francisco to LA tomorrow and I was hoping to take Highway 1. Is that just completely insane? Is highway 1 still closed around Big Sur?

I have been reading a lot about the wildfires, but I can't find updated local information.

Anyone?

Filed under: North America, United States

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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Brenda Jul 1st 2008 6:19PM

Iva,

I'm sorry that you're visiting us at such a bad time. I'm not down in Big Sur but I have good friends who live there. I'm on the other side of the GG Bridge. You might want to drive Hwy 101 to LA or that boring ugly Hwy 5. Here is some info for you.

http://cbs5.com/

Iva Skoch Jul 1st 2008 6:24PM

Thank you so much for the link. That helps. Maybe I'll take 101 past Big Sur and then try to get on Highway 1. Or is that not even worth it?

Beth Jul 1st 2008 6:32PM

As of this morning, Highway 1 is closed along most of Big Sur. The actual closure is about 30 miles, but the detours go way around. You can still drive from Santa Cruz (where I am) to San Francisco along Highway 1 if you want to see some of the coast - you can cut over from 101 on 152 or 156 west.

Iva Skoch Jul 1st 2008 6:35PM

You people rock! I'll use your suggestions. Thanks!!

Brenda Jul 1st 2008 6:34PM

Iva,

Sorry, I forgot to include this link. You can get up-to-the-second information by calling the 800 number

http://www.dot.ca.gov/hq/roadinfo/

Brenda Jul 1st 2008 6:51PM

Iva,

One more thing, as of today, July 1st, it is illegal in the state of California to drive with a hand-held cell phone, and many visitors are not aware of that new law. You can only chat and drive if you have a hands-free device, bluetooth, etc.

Come back and visit us again when we're not on fire and our skies are blue! Drive safe and have a nice visit in spite of our fires. :)

Lachelle Jul 1st 2008 7:46PM

Hi! My boyfriend and I just took a trip down the 1 from SF and stayed in Carmel from Thursday to Sunday. On Sunday, we decided to drive as far down on the 1 as possible, taking in the beautiful scenery, stopping for MANY pictures and even found a beautiful beach about an hour north of Big Sur. (Maybe it was 30 minutes, what with all the stopping we did it felt like an hour.) Anyway, we drove down as far as we could, until the road was closed, turned around and headed back up to Carmel. Don't know if you'd want to drive just for the scenery, and then detour back up, but it is a beautiful drive and VERY worth it. We even got to see our fire-fighters in action flying over us. Good luck with your drive, which-ever way you decide to go!

joel Jul 2nd 2008 11:57AM

Here's a website with updates in the area of Big Sur...

http://surfire2008.org/resources.php

Iva Skoch Jul 2nd 2008 11:59AM

Thank you, everyone! You have been so helpful. I will let you know ow the trip went.

Mou Jul 2nd 2008 2:36PM

Hello from Denmark.
I'm sorry to hear, that you are experiencing these awful wildfires.
We are leaving for the States (Los Angeles) in about 36 hours, and we are hoping to get a little help from you. Our plan was to live my dream and drive up the coast, but sadly... I've been using the links mentioned in this thread and mapquest.com trying to find out how far up Highway one we can get. As far as I can see, we can drive to Gorda (and then back the way we came from). Am I right?

Iva Skoch Jul 2nd 2008 2:42PM

Hi. From what I can see, you can drive up to Gorda (or up a little further up. Limekiln State Park is where the closure begins). Sorry...

Kevin Jul 3rd 2008 12:47AM

Hi. I am coming up Hwy 1 from San Simeon tomorrow. Is the Naciemiento-Fergussen Road open to the public? I want to go up hwy 1 as far as I can go and try and cut over to the 101 to eventually get to SF.

carol Jul 4th 2008 1:50PM

Go East if you want green and beautiful! California is beautiful. Green is normally out of that description.

Alan Shinn Jul 9th 2008 2:14PM

Hi Everyone.
My wife and I plan to travel from England via Los Vegas drive to San Diego then travel up to Napa along the Costal Road Highway 1.Although we will be in the US from 12 July this part of the journey will not be undertaken until the 21 July Does any one know of a texting service that can inform us of the road closure updates Please.
Thanking you in advance.
Alan & Kath