Illegal camping continues in Big Sur; rangers recommend planning ahead

Maria Deleon and her family came from Los Angeles to camp in Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park Sunday.

“We feel like we are close to God because we are Mother Nature,” Deleon said.

Around this time last year, the family was forced out of the park as the historic Soberanes Fire burned thousands of acres in Monterey County.

“They said ‘you need to get out because of the fire’. We get sad because it was the first time we camp(ed),” Deleon said.

Doug Kimbrough and his family were also happy to be in the park. They came from Texas and said they snagged the last camping site in the park.

“It’s a long way to come out and not know where you going to camp,” Kimbrough said.

According to Big Sur State Park rangers, most people have plans for where they will stay but illegal camping is still a problem.

“If we’re talking about people camping out in their vehicles along the highway, that’s maybe a half-dozen cars per day,” said supervising ranger Matthew Khalar.

Khalar said people who come to Big Sur ill prepared are more likely to camp illegally.

“We do have the occasional tourists that are illegally camping typically from out of country and you can tell right away they have no clue what the regulations are,” Khalar said.

Khalar said his team is cracking down on illegal camping and citations can result in a fine or court appearance.

“We take it seriously around here; this is what started the fire last year. We had somebody go into the back country (and start) a fire where they shouldn’t and for the next three and a half months the Big Sur area burned,” Khalar said.

Rangers recommend campers have a plan and reservations beforehand.