• Reserve camp sites early, this is a very popular spot and fills up quickly
• Bring your own fire wood, you cant pick up wood from your camp site in Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park, and the wood prices at the camp store a rather inflated
• Gas prices in the Big Sur area are also quite high because of its remoteness, so fill up before going down the coast
• If you want to pick up some fast food, don't wait until your'e in Big Sur, there are few if none fast food joints in the area, Which is just fine by me
• Don't expect your cell phone to work in Big Sur, there are places where they work, but hotspots are few in far between. For phone contact while camping you are far better off buying a calling card and using the pay phones at the campground
• If you have any particular taste in food or want to plan any special diners at your camp site, don't count on them having your specialty at the camp store, it is also advisable to buy food in advance to avoid camp store pricing
• Pack clothes for a range of weather conditions, usually the weather is pretty mild because of the ocean, but we have encountered spikes of both hot and cold
• We have only occasionally ebcountered rain but keep in mind we only camp in summer so be prepared for rain
• The water in the Big Sur River is extremely cold, so if you intend to swim, pack appropriate swimming atire, i would even go as far as to recomend a wet suit
• Bring a camera, even if you arent an avid photographer you never know when you might see something unique or strikingly beautiful
• Be prepared for flies, you may want to pack a screen tent to cover your picnic table or some citronela candles
• If you only have one or even two campsites don't bring a whole caravan of cars, there is only parking for, at the max, two cars in each campsite
• Remember to keep your trash and your food supplies out of reach of the wildlife, we haven't had any problems with large, dangerous, animals butthe squirels have a way of ruining your day by eating whatever you left out when you go away, dont underestimate those little critters
• If you decide to go crawdad fishing and store the catch in an icebox the crawdads will still be alive, if you stick your hand in there you could still get a nasty pinch from one of them
• Never get caught outside in the dark without a flashlight it is dangerous and frightening when this happens
• The roads in the park are very rough, so don't bring your ground-scraping sportscar in there
• Remember the number one prioreties in camping are fun and safety

         There are a few different hotels for those who preffer not to grit it out with the wild life. The Big Sur Lodge is located within the Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park, It features a swimming pool and a restaurant. Although I have never stayed there I have heard that they have some nice rooms. There is also the Ventana Inn which, from what I have heard, is a little more up-scale than the Big Sur Lodge, this hotel features a spa. There are other hotels in the area, but if your'e looking for a well known chain hotel your'e out of luck, to my knowledge there aren't any of these on the Big Sur Coast. There are some though in Carmel and San Simeon, which book-end Big Sur.