Little Sur River, Big Sur Coast, California

The Little Sur River is located within the Big Sur rugged coast on the Central California Coast. Approximately 25 miles in length, the river originates at Ventura Double Cone, the highest peak in the Ventura Wilderness at 4856 ft, and flows westerly to the Pacific Ocean. Most of the river’s watershed is in the Ventana Wilderness of the Los Padres National Forest located in the Santa Lucia Mountain range. The rivers steep and narrow canyons shelter rare species like the California Condor, Santa Lucia Fir, and some of the most impressive coastal Redwood trees in the Big Sur area reaching almost 200 ft in height. Mountain lion, bear, deer, fox, and wild boards call this area home. It is one of the key habitats on the Central Coast for spawning streams for steelhead on the Central Coast.

Little Sur River Beach is located along the rugged coast of Big Sur, filled with sand dunes, flowering ice plant, a lagoon pool at the river mouth, and steep mountains above it. The land is privately-owned, fenced off with barbed wire along the highway with “No Trespassing” signs posted. All you can do is enjoy from the highway pullouts along the shoulder.

Just recently, 1,200 acres of land along the Little Sur River, known for many years as Adler Ranch, was was purchased by The Esselen Tribe with the broker aid of Western Rivers Conservancy, with a grant from California Natural Resources Agency. Views are amazing-have a look here.

The Esselen Tribe, inhabited the Santa Lucia Mountains for thousands of years nearly 250 years ago. It was taken by Spanish explorers but now has been returned to them and will be undeveloped in years to come.