Will Creek Road And Los Burros Road Dispersed Camping Overview Ever since I checked out Prewitt Ridge a little over a year ago, I have wanted to go back to the Big Sur area in California and check out more of the off-road trails and campsites overlooking the Pacific ocean. For memorial day weekend this year, my girlfriend and I decided to make the drive and check out Will Creek Road and Los Burros Road up in Los Padres National Forest. Los Padres National Forest is just south of Big Sur, so there are a lot of great hikes in the area too! ℹ️ Pack smarter, not harder, with Don't Forget the Spoon . Our app simplifies trip planning with personalized gear lists, a community gear locker, pack weight statistics, and calorie tracking. Say goodbye to forgotten gear and hello to seamless planning for your next outdoor adventure Will Creek Road And Los Burros Road Trail Map There are a ton of great trails and campsites in this area, and you can check them out for planning purposes on this post here . In this particular post, I will focus on Will Creek Road and Los Burros Road because that is where we did most of our driving and where we found out amazing campsite. Here is a quick map overview of our trip (Los Burros Road Caltopo Map link ): ☔ Predict. Prepare. Adapt. Download our hyperlocal hourly weather app for planning your next outdoor adventure. Don't Forget The Weather is out now on Android and iOS . ℹ️ Quick Public Service Announcement : Please pay attention to signs for private property in the area, do not ignore them! Down below ( Link here ), I have some more details on private property in the area and how you can identify it on the map above. Will Creek Road / Los Burros Road Trail Guide Driving up from San Diego on Thursday after work we ended up stopping and spending the night in Santa Barbara on the way up, before getting to the trailhead in the early afternoon. Will Creek Road is the "trailhead" and can be found here on Google Maps . Once you turn off the 1, onto Will Creek Road it turns into a dirt road, and at the beginning is not very technical at all. We saw a lot of cars that probably shouldn't have been on it though, but more on that later. At the start of Will Creek Road you will also see a sign warning that the road is impassable when wet, I would also take note of this warning. ℹ️ Pro Tip: Off Road Recovery Gear Recommendations While off-roading make sure you fully prepared for self recovery. Here are two items I recommend: Hi-Lift Jack (Amazon Affiliate): Helps if you get a flat while off-roading and can also be used as a mechanical winch. I have also used this to get out of snow and off rocks where I was center pinned. Traction Mats (Amazon Affiliate): Helps in muddy or slippery terrain where your tires cant get enough traction. Portable Battery Jump Starter (Amazon Affiliate): If your car battery dies while off-roading there may not be anyone around to jump start your battery. Use a portable jumper to be able to jump start your battery without anyone else around. The start of our drive up Will Creek Road was pretty uneventful and we were enjoying the sweeping views of the Pacific Ocean while my jeep easily traversed the hard packed dirt road. As we wound our way up the mountain, the trail enters in and out of a forest and the scenery begins to really change. As we were driving up through the forest and getting closer to where Los Burros Road breaks off of Will Creek, we met a couple who was walking down the mountain and they flagged us down. When I rolled down my window we learned they brought their two-wheel drive vehicle up the mountain and ended up getting stuck. I had some mud recovery gear in my jeep, so we had them jump in and we drove them back up to their car to try and get them un-stuck. Unfortunately, we were not able to help get them out, and we had to drive them down the mountain to the nearest gas station where they ended up having to call a tow truck from a pay phone (Not much Cell service in the area). We ended up actually running into the couple again on highway 1 the next day, and the tow truck was able to get them un-stock so at least it was a happy ending for them! Probably not cheap though.... After our little detour of helping the couple get back to civilization, we got back on Will Creek Road and headed back up the mountain. We were a little nervous at this point since it was a holiday weekend but we had a lot of planned campsites in the area on our map . Eventually, we came to this intersection : Los Burros Road If you go left, you stay on Will Creek Road, straight will bring you toward Alder Creek Camp Ground, and right will bring you on Los Burros Road along a ridgeline that looks out over the Pacific Ocean. We turned Right and went out along Los Burros Road, to go find our campsite for the next couple of days. Los Burros Road is where the trail gets a little more technical at times, but it not super rocky or anything too crazy. Going out along the ridgeline has some flats part which did have some big mud puddles though, so we got the Jeep pretty dirty but it was fun! The trail out on Los Burros Road, although a little more technical than Will Creek Road had pretty good conditions for us. I expected the trails to be in a lot worse shape due to all the rain there was this year in California, but it was mostly just a couple big puddles. There were a couple of steeper sections that were a little washed out due to water running down them recently but nothing that a 4x4 vehicle with some good clearance couldn't get over. At one point along Los Burros Road, there is a split, you can either go right or left. The re-join but the left route is a lot less steep than the right route. The right route for us when we were there was a bit washed out due to the recent rains, and it made for a little white knuckle driving as we looked straight down toward the Pacific Ocean. Los Burros Road Campsite Eventually, toward the very end of Los Burros Road, we made it to our final destination and found an absolutely beautiful campsite which we called home for the next two days! I am shocked we were able to get a campsite like this on a holiday weekend up in Big Sur, it was stunning and the picture does not do it justice! Karma must have paid off for us stopping to help the stranded couple! ℹ️ Gear Recommendations If you would like expert gear recommendations for your next adventure check out the Ten Digit Grid Gear Locker . I detail why each item has a spot in my backpack! Now is a good time to pause and make a plug for the free and required California Campfire permit. In the state of California if you are going to have a campfire or even use a camping stove you must have a valid campfire permit. You just have to watch a quick video and take a short quiz and then print off your certificate. You can grab one here: http://www.preventwildfireca.org/Campfire-Permit/ . With the amazing views of the California Coast and the beautiful Pacific Ocean in the background, our campsite was also a perfect location for the real reason I was on this trip; to ask my amazingly beautiful girlfriend to continue to go on adventures with me forever! After the engagement (She said yes!) nature treated us to clear skies and we had some amazing views of the stars while the marine layer slowly rolled in below us. In the morning, I woke up in time to catch the sunrise and I felt like I was in heaven. The marine layer had completely come in during the night and we were surrounded by a beautiful sea of clouds. After taking it all in, I set up my camera on my tripod and attempted to take enough pictures for a short time lapse. Its the first time I tried doing a real-time lapse with my Sony A9: I also took a quick panning shot with my GoPro in 4K: I just couldn't get enough of the clouds below, they were absolutely beautiful! If you are looking for great free camping with amazing views, Los Padres National Forest never disappoints! Just remember to be prepared for your adventure and I highly recommend a 4x4 car even if the roads seem passable in something else, you never want to get stuck out in the wood away from civilization. 🗺️ Other Nearby Adventures Partington Cove - Awesome day hike along the ocean with beautiful views and vegetation. Short hike and there is even a tunnel! Prewitt Ridge - Another great off roading spot to some amazing ocean view camping spots. Very similar to Los Burros Road

I finally edited my GoPro video that I took on this drive and here is a short view of the drive up:

Public Service Announcement: This location and the surrounding area is absolutely beautiful, but we all need to make sure we respect private residences and private property. It has come to my attention that individuals who have used this guide have taken turns into private property looking for a campsite. Some locals reached out to me and asked me to add some clarifications for the map I used above from Caltopo. The Purple outlines are private property, highlighted in yellow here so you can not miss it: The main road is public and you can drive on it, but you should not be pulling off into an individual's private property. I saw plenty of signs for private property while I was up there and I thought it was obvious that you should not drive onto private property, but just to be clear Stay Off Private Property One last final note, these dirt roads that you can drive on, are the only way for these residents to get to their homes, please respect them and don't drive like a jerk destroying them.

Hey Mike (and fellow travelers - helpful hints!), We just did this trip and I'm almost certain we were the ones who got the neighbors to call you! We came in at night and took the wrong turn onto private property. We immediately turned around upon realizing that, but we met some rather upset people. We have some updates on directions that we think could help others immensely: Hwy 1 turnoff: Google maps calls this Will Creek. Actual sign on the road: Los Burros. Just look for the turnoff for Treebones Resort and you're in the right place. The next significant marker along Los Burros is the one Mike shows (with the sign pointing to Alder Creek). KEY piece of missing info though: the sign pointing down the right road takes you toward SAN MARTIN TOP. Mike calls this Los Burros Road. Google calls it Los Burros Spur Rd. Our offroad tracking map calls it San Martin Road. Confusing, we know. In fact, it's this little offshoot road that looks a LOT like the private property road on the map. Hence our mistake. So just stay on Los Burros until you get to that sign, then follow the arrow toward San Martin Top. This is the road in Mike's videos and there were several epic camping spots along here. Hope that helps other adventurers - you don't want those neighbors mad at you!!

jl_soleil We just did this trip and I'm almost certain we were the ones who got the neighbors to call you! We came in at night and took the wrong turn onto private property. We immediately turned around upon realizing that, but we met some rather upset people. We have some updates on directions that we think could help others immensely: No worries, and I am very glad you reached out on here to share what intel you gathered, that's exactly what I want this website to be a place to help other responsibly go on adventures! Thanks again for the updates I think they will be super helpful to others! Feel free to start a new post if you want to share a detailed trip report of your adventure!

Will Creek Road to Los Burros Road Dispersed Camping near Big Sur

jamielab224

Hey Mike,
I am planning to check out this trail/campsite this weekend and was wondering about how you leave. Did you take the same trail that you took to get there?
Thanks for any advice :) and for the video getting there, it is very helpful!
-Jamie

MikeJones

jamielab224 you take the same trail that you took to get there?

Yes I drove down the exact way we came up. We actually left really early in the morning in the dark. It was beginning to rain pretty hard and I needed new tires on my jeep and didn't want to risk getting stuck lol

I would call the local rangers to make sure everything is open if you are going this weekend. There have been a lot of closures due to COVID-19 recently.

jamielab224

MikeJones okay awesome thank you! & I have been using this interactive map, it looks like I could take Cruikshank rd instead of willow creek rd. But yes, good tip, I will call and double-check.

here is the map https://bigsurtrailmap.net/trailconditions.html

MikeJones

jamielab224 So I just went looking on the Los Padres National Forest website and found this.

Unfortunately, Los Burros Road looks closed due to COVID-19 based on this map. Here is the Ranger Office Number if you want to triple check: (831) 385-5434 ext. 0

jamielab224

Yes, definitely not open. I called the ranger, she informed me there is a lot of illegal activity going on which will cause closures to be prolonged, unfortunately. Thank you! This saved my weekend haha

MikeJones

jamielab224

Glad we were able to save you the trouble of driving there and finding out its closed!

It stinks that people keep breaking the rules and going illegally...

Everyone needs to respect a place that beautiful!

TBarr

jamielab224

Does anyone have an update on this closure?

The ranger website lists it as still being closed but it does not state why.
Is it closed due to physical damage from the storm or closed just due to concerns about the illegal activities up there?

Hoping it will reopen soon...

loneranger650

I don't know if this helps, guys, but I'm reading now on the usda.gov website that Los Burros road (Forest Road No. 23S01 (Los Burros / Willow Creek Road) is open? Maybe this was super recent?

https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/lpnf/alerts-notices/?cid=stelprdb5347980

MikeJones

loneranger650 nice! Website says updated June 15th!

I would still call the Rangers and double check before going, but that looks decent!

Billy

First off Congratulations on your engagement. Epic spot for it! Any idea how many campsites there were with views of the ocean like that or was that the only one? Either way looks like a great drive!

MikeJones

Billy First off Congratulations on your engagement. Epic spot for it!

Thanks so much and welcome to Seek Adventure!

Billy Any idea how many campsites there were with views of the ocean like that or was that the only one?

While driving up I added some markers on my Caltopo map here as red dots as possible campsites. From that map, it looks like there are at least 3 that I marked down while driving up:

There were probably a couple more that I didn't mark so maybe a total of 3-5 on that ridge with ocean views like the one in my picture.

momotr0n

Hi Mike, thanks so much for all this info. I have an AWD vehicle and I'm new to finding dispersed sites to set up camp, can you provide an estimate of how many miles you had to drive from the turn-off off the 1 onto Willow Creek Rd all the way to where you started to see promising spots in your last photo (red dot sites)? Thank you!

MikeJones

momotr0n can you provide an estimate of how many miles you had to drive from the turn-off off the 1 onto Willow Creek Rd all the way to where you started to see promising spots in your last photo (red dot sites)?

The entire drive once you turn off highway 1 onto Willow Creek Road was about 7.6 miles to the end where I camped. The entire ridgeline is about 2-3 miles long.

You can see a map on Caltopo that I made just for this route here.

whayward

Hi Mike, two friends and I are planning a road trip-- we were planning on camping at Pewitt Ridge until I saw this post (thank you so much, by the way). It definitely seems a little less overcrowded! Would you say 4wd is necessary? I have a rear wheel drive Ford Ranger with decent clearance.

MikeJones

whayward Would you say 4wd is necessary? I have a rear wheel drive Ford Ranger with decent clearance.

I would say yes 4-wheel drive is required, but I am pretty cautious about this.

High clearance definitely helps out but won't solve all the issues. The couple we helped "rescue" on our trip didn't have high clearance, but that is not why they got stuck. They got stuck because they didn't have a lot of traction and their car was only 2-wheel drive.

It is pretty remote and you will probably not have cell service if you get stuck. The trail conditions change pretty rapidly and the last bit gets pretty steep a little before the place I camped at.

I would not say its less crowded than Prewitt Ridge though. They are both pretty popular.

MikeJones

TBarr I don't have any real updates on the closure. I know there was another road collapse on highway 1 in late January.

For the most up to date information I would recommend calling the Monterey Ranger District phone number:

Monterey Ranger District

(831) 385-5434 X 0

(phones answered Mon-Fri 8-430)

Lina2008

TBarr I have been researching for a trip this May and just found out this closure is part of the Dolan Fire closure that is in place until at least May 21, 2021.

MikeA

Hi everyone! I noticed on the Monterey Ranger District website that Forest Road No. 23S01 (Los Burros/Willow Creek Road) is open now. I would assume that means the restrictions from the Dolan Fire Closure have been lifted?

Thanks!

MikeJones

MikeA I noticed on the Monterey Ranger District website that Forest Road No. 23S01 (Los Burros/Willow Creek Road) is open now. I would assume that means the restrictions from the Dolan Fire Closure have been lifted?

I would think so, but to be safe I always recommend to call the ranger office there: (831) 385-5434 X 0