Trail Camp Campground Permit
Andrew Molera State Park · California
Walk-in camping near the Big Sur River and beach. Seasonal closures.
70% of the openings our scanner caught on Trail Camp were gone within 5 minutes.
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Trail Camp Quick Facts
Trail Camp Permit Facts
- As of September 2026, Trail Camp in Andrew Molera State Park, California requires a permit issued via reservation.
- Trail Camp is a high-demand permit, rating 7/10 on PermitSnag's demand index.
- The Trail Camp route covers 0.25 miles, rated easy.
- Cancelled Trail Camp permits are re-released on the booking system; PermitSnag monitors availability and alerts watchers when dates open.
Key Information
Permit Details
What to Expect
Route Details
Highlights
- •A quarter-mile walk from the lot carrying everything, with no vehicle access to the sites
- •22 standard tent sites plus two hike-and-bike sites in an open meadow
- •Fire pit, picnic table and a food storage container at every site
- •Potable water and flush toilets, but no showers
- •A seasonal camp — closed through the winter, reopening in spring
- •No dogs anywhere: trails, beach or campground
Best Time to Visit
June through October, when the seasonal footbridge is in and the beach is a two-mile walk rather than a river ford. The camp closes for the winter season entirely and reopens in spring. Reservations fill six months in advance, so a summer stay is booked in winter.
Hazards & Considerations
- !Mountain lions — the agency singles out Andrew Molera in particular, where the dense underbrush is preferred habitat, and advises extra care at dawn and dusk.
- !Poison oak throughout, in bush, vine and ground-cover form.
- !Ticks are found in Big Sur; check yourself frequently.
- !The Big Sur River crossing when the seasonal footbridge is out — use extreme caution when wading.
- !Most of the beach is only accessible during low tide; check your tide table to avoid being trapped or carried out to sea.
- !Raccoons are aggressive nocturnal scavengers — use the food locker.
- !Highway 1 slides and closures.
Weather Forecast
Trailhead (5,000 ft)
Today
66°
54°
Mon
64°
51°
Tue
73°
51°
Wed
74°
52°
Thu
73°
54°
Fri
76°
55°
Sat
76°
55°
How to Get This Permit
Create an account before permits drop
Find this permit on the managing agency's booking system and set up an account with your payment info ready.
Know the release schedule
Permits typically release on a rolling basis. Check the specific release time for your desired dates.
Be ready when permits drop
Log in a few minutes early. Have your dates, group size, and payment ready to go.
Monitor for cancellations
If your dates are sold out, people cancel all the time. Set up PermitSnag alerts to catch openings instantly.
Difficulty Assessment
Fitness and endurance required
Climbing, scrambling, or specialized skills
Steep dropoffs and fall potential
Route finding and trail clarity
Difficulty of bailing out mid-route
Best For
Campers who want the Big Sur rivermouth and beach without a real backpack, and who do not mind carrying gear a quarter mile. A good first walk-in camp for families with children over about six.
Recommended Experience
None. Know whether the footbridge is in before you plan on reaching the beach dry.
Not Recommended For
Anyone with a dog, an RV, a trailer, or a group over four per site. Also a poor choice from November to April, when the camp is closed and the footbridge is out.
About This Permit
Andrew Molera Trail Camp is a hike-in campground: campers park in the day use parking lot and hike about a quarter mile to the campground. Trail Camp contains 22 standard tent sites and two hike-and-bike campsites, situated in a meadow near the Big Sur River. Each site has a fire pit, picnic table and food storage container, and there is potable water and restrooms with flush toilets — but no showers.
It runs on a season: the camp closes for the winter and reopens in spring. The most recently published dates were a 1 November 2025 closure and a 1 May 2026 reopening. Reservations are strongly encouraged for all campsites and there are no first-come, first-served campsites; the park says reservations fill up six months in advance. Standard campsites are $30 a night, hike and bike sites $5 with a two-consecutive-night limit, and campsites cannot be reserved online or by phone less than 48 hours prior to arrival.
No vehicles are allowed in the campground at all. One vehicle per site may park in the designated camper area of the day use lot, and RVs, towed vehicles and trailers are not permitted at the park because of limited parking space.
The Experience
Why It Matters
Trail Camp is a hike-in campground — campers park in the day use lot and no vehicles reach the sites — and the ocean beach is a two-mile round-trip walk on the Creamery Meadow Trail. It also closes for the winter, so the camping season is short.
The Route
Campers park in the day use parking lot and hike about a quarter mile to the campground. Trail Camp contains 22 standard tent sites and two hike-and-bike campsites, situated in a meadow near the Big Sur River. Each site has a fire pit, picnic table and food storage container, and the camp offers potable water and restrooms with flush toilets. There are no showers.
The beach is a seasonal proposition. Creamery Meadow Trail runs two miles round trip to the ocean beach, and to reach the trail you must cross the Big Sur River — a seasonal footbridge is put in place around June 15 and removed around October 31 each year. Outside those dates you wade, with the park advising extreme caution.
Beyond that, the Bluffs Trail runs 1.7 miles one way along the coast with no beach access until the Spring Trail spur drops to Molera Beach, and the exposed, strenuous Ridge Trail climbs 3.2 miles one way. Beach hiking from the rivermouth to Cooper Point is two miles one way and mostly low-tide only.
The Feeling
Open meadow rather than redwood canyon, with the river on one side and the Pacific a walk away.
Trailhead Information
Andrew Molera day use parking lot
The only parking. Campers walk about a quarter mile to Trail Camp carrying their gear; one vehicle per site may park in the designated camper area.
Parking
The standard campsite fee includes parking for one vehicle in the designated area. Recreational vehicles, towed vehicles and trailers are not permitted due to limited space. Parking for a second passenger vehicle is not guaranteed; extra vehicle is $10 per night.
Getting There
The park is 20 miles south of Carmel on Highway 1. Check Caltrans road conditions before travelling.
Nearest Services
Big Sur village. Firewood may be purchased at the entrance station.
Rules & Regulations
- •Maximum four people per campsite, including children.
- •DOGS are prohibited — not on the trails, the beach, or in the campground.
- •Quiet hours are 10 p.m. to 6 a.m.; amplified music, speakers and radios are prohibited and campers should not be audible beyond their campsite.
- •Check-in time is 2 p.m. Check-out time is 12 noon.
- •Store food inside the provided storage container at each site; food is not secure in tents, plastic boxes or ice chests.
- •Recreational vehicles, towed vehicles and trailers are not permitted at the park.
- •Hike and bike sites are for the exclusive use of visitors travelling on foot or by bike, limited to two consecutive nights.
- •During peak season the maximum stay is seven consecutive nights; maximum per calendar year is 30 days.
- •Bicycles are permitted only on the Creamery Meadow and Ridge trails. Horses are no longer allowed on any trails.
- •Do not climb or cut the El Sur Ranch boundary fences; those grazing lands are not safe for hiking and must not be used for beach access.
Gear Checklist
Required
- A pack or duffel you can carry a quarter mile
- Camp stove or grill for the fire pit
- Firewood bought at the entrance station
- Warm layers for coastal fog off the rivermouth
- Water shoes outside 15 June to 31 October, when the footbridge is out
Recommended
- A folding wagon for the quarter-mile carry
- Tide table for beach hiking to Cooper Point
- Long sleeves and long pants against poison oak and ticks
- Headlamp for a walk back to the car after dark
- A Caltrans check before departure
Plan Your Trip
Gear Checklist
Required and recommended gear for Trail Camp
Shuttle Services
Trailhead transportation options
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Key Landmarks
Day use parking lot
Where you leave the car. No vehicles are allowed in the campground.
Trail Camp
Twenty-two standard tent sites and two hike-and-bike sites in a meadow near the Big Sur River.
Big Sur River seasonal footbridge
Put in place around June 15 and removed around October 31. Outside that window you wade to reach the beach.
Molera Beach
Reached via Creamery Meadow Trail, two miles round trip, or by the Spring Trail spur off the Bluffs Trail.
Cooper Point
Two miles of beach hiking one way from the rivermouth, accessible mostly at low tide only.
Trail Camp FAQ
How do I get a Trail Camp permit?
Trail Camp permits use a reservation system. PermitSnag sends lottery open, deadline, and results reminders; you can also enable cancellation alerts if spots open later.
When is the best time to visit Trail Camp?
Check with the managing agency for current season dates. Weekdays generally have better availability than weekends.
How competitive is the Trail Camp permit?
This permit has a demand score of 7/10, making it highly competitive. We recommend having backup dates and using PermitSnag's cancellation alerts.
What if I can't get a Trail Camp permit?
Cancellations happen daily. Set up alerts with PermitSnag to get notified the moment a spot opens up. Pro and $19 single-permit alerts are checked about every minute, 24/7; free accounts are checked hourly.
👥Community
Trail Conditions
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Questions
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Trip Reports
Write ReportPhotography Guide
Golden Hour
Sunset from the Bluffs Trail, where the coast opens west with the beach and tides below.
Best Light
Early morning in Creamery Meadow, when fog is still on the river and the light is flat enough for the grass.
Beat the Crowds
The quarter-mile carry filters out most casual visitors, and most of the beach walk to Cooper Point is low-tide only. The Ridge Trail is exposed and strenuous.
Classic Shots
- 📍The Big Sur rivermouth meeting the Pacific
- 📍The seasonal footbridge over the Big Sur River
- 📍Meadow campsites with the Santa Lucia ridge behind
- 📍The coastline from the Bluffs Trail, 1.7 miles of it
- 📍Ridge Trail views back over the whole river valley
Can't Get a Trail Camp Permit?
Consider these alternatives if your preferred dates aren't available.
Pfeiffer Big Sur Campground
Same Area189 sites along the Big Sur River six miles south, with hot showers, a dump station and reservations taken even in winter.
Tradeoffs
Far better serviced, but no beach or ocean access at all, and $50 instead of $30.
Limekiln Campground
Similar ExperienceTwenty-nine sites split between redwood canyon and beach, 36 miles further south, reopened April 2026.
Tradeoffs
You can drive to your site and there are hot showers, plus genuine beach sites. But it is cash only, and Highway 1 there was closed for over a year by landslides before reopening in February 2026.
Julia Pfeiffer Burns Environmental Campsite #1
Easier AlternativeOne of two hike-in sites west of Highway 1 south of McWay Cove, 17 miles south.
Tradeoffs
Also $30 and also carry-in. But the park has only two sites total and no water at the site.
Where to Stay
Nearby campgrounds to complete your Trail Camp trip
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