Sykes Hot Springs via Pine Ridge Trail

Sykes Hot Springs is a rugged out-and-back on Pine Ridge Trail from Big Sur Station to Sykes Camp and the small pools beside the Big Sur River. Count on about 19 miles round trip, roughly 9.5 miles each way, and around 12–14 hours on foot. Many hikers make an overnight of it. The pools are the reward, but the route to reach them is the real commitment: steep climbs and descents, rough backcountry tread, and several river crossings. Do this if you’re ready for a long, remote hike; it isn’t a quick soak from a nearby trailhead.

The trail leaves from Big Sur Station and skirts the campground and Big Sur River Gorge before climbing through redwoods. Expect an early climb of about 1,000 feet over a couple of miles, followed by more ups and downs with few long, level stretches. Fallen trees can slow you down. The route is part of the much longer Pine Ridge Trail, which continues well beyond Sykes, so stay on the signed route for the springs rather than following the full traverse toward China Camp.

Ventana Camp is a side trail down to the Big Sur River; taking it means climbing back to Pine Ridge to continue. Terrace Creek Camp comes next in a shaded redwood corridor. Barlow Flat is a useful waypoint about seven miles in, but it isn’t the end of the tough river work. These camps make natural places to break up an overnight trip. They’re also reminders that this is wilderness travel, with posted campsite limits and no reservation system.

At Barlow Flat, the Stock Bypass route leaves the camp and crosses the Big Sur River before climbing toward Sykes. The crossing is required, and other crossings come along the way. Follow the signs at Post Creek and through Barlow Flat instead of relying on a GPS track: the trail has been rerouted in both places. Water can rise quickly after rain, and high flows can make a crossing dangerous or impossible. Turn around if the river doesn’t look safe.

After Barlow Flat, the trail climbs an exposed ridge to a high point around 1,700 feet, then drops for roughly a mile and a half to Sykes Camp. You get views across forested ridges and the Santa Lucia Mountains, but there isn’t one formal overlook that makes the climbing worthwhile on its own. Sykes is a riverside camp; the hot pools lie downstream beside the river, and the last walk varies with where you stop. The mapped hike ends at the camp access, where the route reaches the river corridor.

The Post family of Big Sur built Pine Ridge Trail in 1916. Its western stretch follows the Big Sur River through redwood-shaded camps; farther inland, the route climbs ridges through a mix of conifers and hardwoods. The river is federally designated Wild and Scenic, which is part of what makes the Sykes end feel so different from a developed hot-springs resort: this is a long walk into a remote river corridor.

Use the signed Pine Ridge Trailhead parking lot at Big Sur Station, just south of Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park’s Highway 1 entrance. Potable water is available at the station; treat water collected from creeks or the river before drinking. Dogs are allowed on Pine Ridge Trail. Keep them under control around pack stock, and pack out their waste. If a 12–14-hour day is beyond your group, plan to camp rather than trying to make the springs a short detour.