Pfeiffer Falls Trail in Big Sur Reopens

- The trail's initial 13-year closure was a result of the Basin Complex Fire in 2008, which destroyed bridges, railings, and other infrastructure. More recently, the trail closed for over a year after a redwood tree fell and destroyed a portion of the new pedestrian bridge in a January 2023 storm. - The restoration project that concluded in 2021 cost nearly $2 million. Funding was sourced from a mix of public and private entities, including $909,000 from California State Parks, a $500,000 grant from the California Natural Resources Agency, a $406,000 donation from The Parker Foundation, and over $55,000 in private donations to the Save the Redwoods League. - The reconstruction was a collaborative effort between California State Parks and the nonprofit Save the Redwoods League. The California Conservation Corps also provided assistance on the project. - A key feature of the renovation is a new 70-foot pedestrian bridge spanning the Pfeiffer Redwood Creek ravine. This bridge is part of a trail realignment designed to prevent hikers from walking through the creek, which protects the sensitive streambed habitat from erosion. - The trail is a significant attraction for the estimated 750,000 people who visit Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park annually. Before the 2008 fire, it was considered one of the most popular trails in the Big Sur region, a key destination for California tourism. - The most recent bridge repair, which took six months to complete, salvaged most of the original structure. A 15-foot section was replaced with new materials, including a fiber-reinforced polymer splice, to make the span more resilient.