Big Sur area hotels, attractions and restaurants are still open while firefighters continue to work on containing the Basin Complex Fire. Some California State parks remain closed. As of July 1, 2008, the majority of the fire continues to burn in a remote area of the Ventana Wilderness, 45 minutes drive south of Monterey, according to the U.S. Forest Service. Residents and visitors can access the iconic Big Sur stretch of California

coastline via Highway 1 from Carmel.

Big Sur lies 160 miles/258 km south of San Francisco. Monterey County’s top tourism attractions including 25 golf courses, the Monterey Bay Aquarium, Cannery Row, National Steinbeck Center, Monterey Bay Marine Sanctuary, Pebble Beach, Carmel, Pacific Grove, Mazda Laguna Seca Raceway and the 17-Mile Drive are open. Monterey’s annual 4th of July celebrations will take place as scheduled.

To date, Big Sur area hotels representing 250+ guestrooms have sustained no damage and the majority are open for business including Post Ranch Inn, Ventana Inn & Spa, Big Sur River Inn, Glen Oaks, Ripplewood Resort, Riverside Campground & Cabins, Big Sur Campground and the yurts at Treebones Resort in south Big Sur. Deetjen’s Big Sur Inn and the Big Sur Lodge remain closed due to road and park closures. “The Big Sur valley received little or do damage. The view shed is 95 percent of normal,” notes Jonathan Farrington, General Manager of Ventana Inn & Spa.

Local restaurants, galleries and attractions also report being operational with no damage or current threat. Coastal icons, from the Bixby Bridge to Point Sur Lighthouse Station are fully operational. Garrapata State Park and Soberanes State Park remain open. Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park, Andrew Molera State Park and Pfeiffer-Big Sur State Park are closed.

To date, the Basin Complex Fire has consumed 47,459 of prime and secondary redwood forest and 17 structures.

For tourist updates, visit the Monterey Tourism Web site or call the Big Sur Hotline at 805.667.2317. Road reports are available via Caltrans at 800.GAS.ROAD

For air quality reports and daily updates, visit:
Los Padres National Forest Web site
California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection Web site
Monterey County Web site