Sykes Hot Springs Big Sur: Closed Status, Pine Ridge Trail & Reopen Timeline
Sykes Hot Springs — the famous wilderness soaking spot 10 miles up the Pine Ridge Trail from Big Sur Station — is closed, and this time the entire ranger district around it is closed too.
No — Sykes Hot Springs is closed. Forest Order 05-07-51-26-10, signed August 29, 2026, shut nearly the entire Monterey Ranger District of Los Padres National Forest — including the Pine Ridge Trail and Sykes Camp — for the Timber Fire (~25,000 acres burning in the Ventana Wilderness) and the Plaskett Fire (~30,000 acres, ~97% contained). The earliest realistic reopening is spring 2027.
Current Status at a Glance
This is not a normal Sykes closure. Past closures sealed the trail corridor; Forest Order 05-07-51-26-10 closes nearly all of the Monterey Ranger District outright. The community-maintained Ventana Wilderness Alliance Sykes status page is the canonical tracker for trail and camp conditions.
| Managing agency | USDA Forest Service — Los Padres National Forest, Monterey Ranger District |
| Closure order | Forest Order 05-07-51-26-10 — issued August 29, 2026 |
| What is closed | Nearly all of the Monterey Ranger District, including the Pine Ridge Trail and Sykes Camp in the Ventana Wilderness |
| Cause | Timber Fire — ~25,000 acres burning in the Ventana Wilderness, including the Sykes backcountry; Plaskett Fire — ~30,000 acres, ~97% contained |
| Penalty | Entering the closed area is a violation punishable by a fine of up to $5,000 |
| Reopen mechanism | Fires declared out → Burned Area Emergency Response (BAER) → hazard assessment → new forest order |
| Realistic ETA | Spring 2027 at the earliest — no official date announced |
| Springs temp | ~97–104°F measured at the rebuilt tubs, when they exist |
For coordinates and spring details, see our directory record for Sykes Hot Spring. For the broader picture of where to soak instead, see our Big Sur hot springs guide.
Why Sykes Keeps Closing: A Timeline
Sykes has been cycling between overrun, burned, flooded, and closed for a decade. The pattern matters: every reopening brings the crowds back faster than the district can handle.
- Overtourism era: Social media turned Sykes into a party destination — 200–300 campers on peak weekends at a camp built for 7 sites, with the trash and human waste to match.
- July 2016: The Soberanes Fire burns through the Ventana Wilderness and closes the backcountry, including Sykes.
- Post-fire winters: Storms and flooding destroy the soaking tubs downstream of Sykes Camp.
- 2020: The Forest Service announces the tubs will not be allowed back — they were never an authorized facility.
- April 13, 2021: The Pine Ridge Trail reopens (covered by the San Francisco Chronicle). Visitors almost immediately rebuild the tubs — illegally. The Forest Service cannot police it: the district has had no wilderness ranger since the 1980s.
- Winter 2022–23: Storm damage closes the trail again.
- May 2, 2023: Sykes reopens once more.
- April 9, 2026: A hiker dies on the trail (natural causes) — a reminder of how remote this backcountry is.
- August 29, 2026: Forest Order 05-07-51-26-10 closes nearly the entire Monterey Ranger District for the Timber and Plaskett fires.
Can You Visit Sykes Right Now?
No — and there is no legal workaround. The closure covers the trail corridor, the camp, and the springs. With a wildfire actively burning in the Ventana Wilderness, entering the closure is both illegal (up to a $5,000 fine under the forest order) and genuinely dangerous.
What the springs actually are
The springs sit roughly 0.25–0.6 miles downstream of where the Pine Ridge Trail crosses the Big Sur River at Sykes Camp — small, user-built rock tubs along the riverbank that get torn out and rebuilt in a cycle the Forest Service can't staff. Measured water temperatures run about 97–104°F. The spot carries double federal protection: it lies inside the Ventana Wilderness and along the designated Big Sur Wild & Scenic River.
The Pine Ridge Trail hike — for when it reopens
Where to Soak Instead: Big Sur & Beyond
With Sykes off the table until at least spring 2027, these are the real options — two right in Big Sur, three more a couple of hours south:
Not sure which "Big Sur hot springs" you were looking for? Start with our Big Sur hot springs disambiguation guide, browse the California hot springs directory, or see every off-limits spring on the closed hot springs tracker.
Where to Stay Near Sykes Hot Springs
Big Sur village is the basecamp — the Pine Ridge Trail starts at Big Sur Station on Highway 1, and staying nearby puts you at the trailhead at dawn when the route reopens. Lodging in Big Sur is limited and books out far ahead, so reserve early.
Search Big Sur, CA LodgingGet Status Alerts for Sykes Hot Springs
Fire containment, BAER assessments, or a new forest order lifting the closure — we'll email you when the status of Sykes changes.
Sykes Hot Springs FAQ
Is Sykes Hot Springs open?
No. Sykes Hot Springs is closed. Forest Order 05-07-51-26-10, signed August 29, 2026, closed nearly the entire Monterey Ranger District of Los Padres National Forest — including the Pine Ridge Trail and Sykes Camp in the Ventana Wilderness — because of the Timber and Plaskett fires.
When will Sykes Hot Springs reopen?
There is no announced reopening date. The mechanism is fixed: the fires must be declared out, then the Forest Service runs a Burned Area Emergency Response (BAER) assessment, then a hazard assessment, then a new forest order lifts or amends the closure. A realistic earliest reopening is spring 2027.
Can you still hike the Pine Ridge Trail to Sykes?
No. The Pine Ridge Trail from Big Sur Station into the Ventana Wilderness falls inside the Forest Order 05-07-51-26-10 closure area. Entering a closed area is a federal violation punishable by a fine of up to $5,000.
What happened to the Sykes tubs?
The original soaking tubs were destroyed by winter storms after the 2016 Soberanes Fire. In 2020 the Forest Service said the tubs would not be allowed back, but visitors illegally rebuilt small rock tubs anyway — the Forest Service has had no wilderness ranger in the district since the 1980s and cannot police it, so rebuilt tubs periodically get torn out.
How hard is the Sykes Hot Springs hike?
Hard. When the trail is open it is roughly 19–20.6 miles round trip with about 5,400–6,100 feet of elevation gain, multiple Big Sur River crossings, and heavy poison oak. It is a backpacking trip, not a day soak — plan an overnight at Sykes Camp with a free self-issued wilderness permit.
Is there a fine for entering the closure area?
Yes. Violating Forest Order 05-07-51-26-10 carries a penalty of up to $5,000. The closure covers nearly the whole Monterey Ranger District, so there is no legal alternate route to the springs either.
Last verified: September 20, 2026
Sources
- Ventana Wilderness Alliance — Sykes Camp & Sykes Hot Springs (canonical community status page)
- USDA Forest Service — Los Padres NF Alerts & Notices (Forest Order 05-07-51-26-10)
- Big Sur Trailmap — Pine Ridge Trail & Ventana conditions
- Monterey County Now (Sykes access & enforcement coverage)
- San Francisco Chronicle (April 2021 reopening coverage)
- AllTrails — Sykes Hot Springs via Pine Ridge Trail
Closure status can change with fire activity and new forest orders. Confirm on the Los Padres NF alerts page and the Ventana Wilderness Alliance before planning a trip.