Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park reopens; Andrew Molera still damaged

The winter rains may be gone, but closed signs remain at Big Sur’s Andrew Molera State Park.

“We saw all these signs that said, ‘This area’s closed, this area’s closed,’ so we were like, ”What’s open?'” said hiker Phil Bui.

According to Ranger Bernadette Davis, during the winter, the Big Sur River rerouted through the campgrounds, leaving behind a lot of debris, but it’s not just the parking lot and campgrounds that are a mess. Ranger Davis says every single trail at Andrew Molera was affected by flooding. Work to clean up the park hasn’t started yet and there’s still no word on when it will reopen, according to Ranger Davis.

In some good news Monday, Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park partially reopened after being closed since January, when winter storm badly damaged the area.

“We were able to walk across the bridge and check out the natural area, and then we got to see the Redwoods. It’s pretty awesome,” said Bui.

There is only limited access to the park. That means only three trails are available, but many hikers are just glad something is open.

“It’s pretty good, and the weather is good. So it’s nice hiking,” said Hillsen Luo, a tourist visiting from China.

It wasn’t terribly busy Tuesday, but Ranger Davis says they are expecting a bigger rush in the next few months, especially for summer camping.

The closure of the Pfeiffer Canyon Bridge only made things worse for Big Sur businesses. Many saw losses during the summer, when the Soberanes Fire moved through the area.

According to Drew Carlson, manager of Fernwood Resort, business is down at least 75 percent in comparison to this time last year. Sean Shadwell at Ripplewood Resort says they are down 70 percent. Shadwell adds that normally they are sold out by this time each year. On Tuesday, they had just 50 percent of their rooms filled.

Both resorts say they are staying optimistic, though, and so are tourists, even if they missed out on some activities in Big Sur.

“A little bit disappointed because we just want to travel by Route 1 (Highway 1), but it’s closed, but anyway, I travel with my parents, so it’s good,” said Luo.

“There are lots of beautiful things in the neighborhood, so we visit them,” said Romien Vendevenne, a tourist from Belgium. “We are here for just a short time, but we have to see what is possible to see. And we do it.”