Sykes Camp

Sykes Camp (closed as of September 2018) is located 10 miles (16 km) from the Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park trailhead along the Pine Ridge Trail. There were seven campsites along both sides of the Big Sur River, both upstream and downstream from where the trail intersects the river. There was a pit toilet downstream of this intersection.

Sykes Campground
Big Sur River at Sykes Hot Springs
LocationVentana Wilderness, Big Sur, Monterey County, California
Coordinates36.2485736°N 121.6855045°W / 36.2485736; -121.6855045[1]
Elevation1,080 feet (330 m)
TypeBackcountry
LandLos Padres National Forest/Ventana Wilderness
Campsites7
FacilitiesFire rings, single box latrine
WaterBig Sur River, purification required
FeeNone
FiresDuring fire season, permit required
SeasonYear round (currently closed)
ClosedAs of June 2017

Description

Sykes was accessible, prior to its closure, from the lower Pine Ridge Trail (Forest Trail No. E306), Terrace Creek (Forest Trail No. 3E22) and Ventana Camp (Forest Trail No. 2E14) trails. The strenuous hike 10 miles (16 km) (6-7 hour) hike from the coast requires climbing from the trailhead at 313 feet (95 m) to 1,575 feet (480 m) in about 4 miles (6.4 km).[2][3][4] Before the camp was impacted by the heavy rains and resultant flooding (following the Soberanes Fire) during the 2017-18 winter, there were seven campsites along both sides of the Big Sur River, both upstream and downstream from where the trail intersects the river. There was a pit toilet downstream of this intersection.

Sykes Hot Spring

When the camp site was open, there were three small man-made pools, trapping the flow of a hot spring, carved out of the southern hillside about .25 miles (0.40 km) downstream from where the trail intersects the river. The largest of the hot springs pools, adjacent to the river, was about 8 feet (2.4 m) across and about 2 feet (0.61 m) deep, suitable for about four adults. The temperature was 100 °F (38 °C) depending on rain.[5] According to the Forest Service, the man-made tubs were illegal impoundments that are inconsistent with the intention of a wilderness experience.[6] The U.S. Forest Service proposed asking rangers or volunteers to remove, and discouraging visitors from rebuilding, the containment structures when they wash out after winter rains.[7]

The hot tubs were characterized by the Ventana Wilderness Alliance as "an attractive nuisance" that required an undue amount of time and attention of the U.S.Forest Service and volunteers due to ongoing needs for visitor education, overuse, fire restriction enforcement, and the chronic need to clean-up after careless visitors and pack out hundreds of pounds of trash and abandoned gear.[6]

The pools were wiped out by heavy rains during the 2017-18 winter.[6][8] In January 2020, the Forest Service stated that when the Pine Ridge Trail is reopened, it would not allow the rudimentary hot spring enclosures destroyed by floods to be rebuilt. "The hot tubs are not going to be allowed back," Forest Service spokesperson Lynn Olson stated. The artificial structures violate wilderness ethics and laws that do not permit man-made structures.[9]

Overuse issues

Sykes Camp is within the Ventana Wilderness and alongside the protected Big Sur River. The challenging trail to the camp from the coast has been littered with abandoned backpacks and tents, bras, jackets, food wrappers, water bottles, and toilet paper.[10][8] The campsite and hot springs were at times very crowded, especially on holidays and weekends. Over 200 people have been counted camping near the river, although there are only seven officially designated campsites and a single pit toilet designed to support 20 visitors. Some visitors report that improperly buried human waste is readily visible.[8]

Many visitors to Sykes are unaware that unlike state parks, the wilderness camp site does not provide garbage service. Unprepared for the difficult hike, they abandon trash and gear at Sykes, which encourages others to do the same. Richard Popchak of the Ventana Wilderness Alliance reported that, "The U.S. Forest Service is woefully underfunded and understaffed. In the Monterey Ranger District, they have not employed a Wilderness Ranger since the 1980s."[8]

Closure

The Los Padres Forest and Ventana Wilderness around Sykes Camp were closed as a result of the Soberanes Fire in June 2017. During a heavy winter storm in 2016–2017, the Pine Ridge Trail to Sykes Camp was severely damaged and completely destroyed in several places. The man-made improvements that captured the hot springs in pools were removed by the high-flowing river.[11] As of August 2018, the trail was blocked by multiple washouts along creeks and dozens of fallen trees across the path. Reopening the trail requires an environmental assessment and perhaps re-routing the trail. The trail is closed indefinitely.[12] Entering the closed areas can result in a penalty of $5,000 and/or six months in jail.[13]

In January, 2020, the Forest Service announced that trail crews were restoring and partially rerouting the Pine Ridge Trail. As of December 2020, the trail and adjoining campsites remain closed. Illegal entry is subject to a $5,000 fine.[9]

History

The area was populated before the arrival of European settlers by the Esselen people, and their use of the springs is unknown.[14][15] Carbon dating tests of artifacts found near Slates Hot Springs in the southern Big Sur region indicate human presence as early as 3500 BC.[16][17][18]

References
  1. "Sykes Camp". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey.
  2. "Big Sur Trailmap: Pine Ridge Trail - closed". bigsurtrailmap.net. Retrieved 2 January 2020.
  3. "Sykes Hot Springs via Pine Ridge Trail [CLOSED]". AllTrails.com. Retrieved 2 January 2020.
  4. "Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park : TRAILS". CA State Parks. Archived from the original on 28 December 2019. Retrieved 2 January 2020.
  5. "Sykes Hot Springs via Pine Ridge Trail [CLOSED]". AllTrails.com. Archived from the original on 29 August 2018. Retrieved 28 August 2018.
  6. "Sykes Camp | Sykes Hot Springs In The Ventana Wilderness". www.ventanawild.org. Archived from the original on 29 August 2018. Retrieved 28 August 2018.
  7. "Comprehensive River Management Plan Big Sur River Los Padres National Forest" (PDF). www.rivers.gov. U.S. Department of Agriculture. December 2003. p. 17. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2 October 2018. Retrieved 28 August 2018.
  8. Ahern, Malone. "Sykes Camp: Loved to Death? | Santa Cruz". hilltromper.com. Archived from the original on 29 August 2018. Retrieved 28 August 2018.
  9. "Trail access to Sykes Camp could be restored this summer, but the hot tubs are gone". Archived from the original on 2020-01-02. Retrieved 2020-01-02.
  10. "Is Overcrowding at Sykes Camp Getting Worse?". Xasáuan Today. 19 November 2013. Archived from the original on 29 August 2018. Retrieved 28 August 2018.
  11. "Sykes Camp | Sykes Hot Springs In The Ventana Wilderness". www.ventanawild.org. Archived from the original on 3 May 2020. Retrieved 19 April 2020.
  12. Schmalz, David. "Many Big Sur trails have been closed for a year. Work to repair them has barely begun". Monterey County Weekly. Archived from the original on 2018-11-20. Retrieved 2018-01-09.
  13. "Los Padres Issues Closure Order for Key Trails, Camps on Monterey Ranger District" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 2018-11-23. Retrieved 2018-09-27.
  14. "The Esselen Indians". Esalen Institute. Archived from the original on November 15, 2011. Retrieved November 3, 2011.
  15. Breschini, Gary S.; Haversat, Trudy. "Linguistics and Prehistory: A Case Study from the Monterey Bay Area". Archived from the original on October 13, 2012.
  16. Breschini, Gary S.; Trudy Haversat. "A Brief Overview of the Esselen Indians of Monterey County". Montery County Historical Society. Retrieved November 3, 2011.
  17. "Santa Lucia Range ecological subregion information". Archived from the original on March 15, 2005. Retrieved February 22, 2014.
  18. Kripal, Jeffrey; Shuck, Glenn W., eds. (2005). On The Edge Of The Future: Esalen And The Evolution Of American Culture. Indiana University Press. ISBN 0-253-21759-8.:30
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