Big Sur Region
A geographic summary created by the ENVS 560/L Watershed Systems class at CSUMB.
Contents
Location
Big Sur is a rugged, mountainous region without official borders, but is identified to being along the Central Coast of California bounded to the north by Carmel and to the south by Ragged Point, just past the southern, coastal border of San Simeon. Big Sur is a region known for its scenic views, campgrounds, hiking trails, and beaches. Highway 1 runs along the entirety of Big Sur, beginning roughly at Carmel down to San Luis Obispo.
Geography
Climate
The Big Sur region experiences a Mediterranean climate characterized by dry summers and mild wet winters. From 1915 - 2016 the average annual temperature was 68.6 F and the average rainfall was 40.79 inches[1] . Big Sur receives significantly more rain than other parts of Monterey County due to the influence of the coastally positioned Santa Lucia Mountains. This geographic feature forces cool ocean air to rise quickly and subsequently fall as precipitation.
Ecology
Big Sur is part of the historical range of the The Californian Condor, a critically endangered species.
Popularity
Big Sur is a region known for its scenic views, campgrounds, hiking trails, and beaches. Big Sur's coastline is largely undisturbed and protected from development (source).
Links
Wildfire
Historic Wildfires
- Marble Cone Fire (1977)
- Rat Creek - Gorda Complex Fire (1985)
- Kirk Complex Wildfire (1999)
- Basin Complex Fire (2008)
- Soberanes Fire (2016)
Agencies
Public
Private/Non-Profit
Places
State Parks and Reserves
- Point Lobos State Natural Reserve
- Garrapata State Park
- Point Sur State Historic Park
- Andrew Molera State Park
- Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park
- Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park
- John Little State Natural Reserve
- Limekiln State Park
- Hearst San Simeon State Park
Regional
References
- ↑ Big Sur Station - Western Regional Climate Center, Desert Research Institue https://wrcc.dri.edu/cgi-bin/cliMAIN.pl?ca0790
Disclaimer
This page may contain students' work completed as part of assigned coursework. It may not be accurate. It does not necessarily reflect the opinion or policy of CSUMB, its staff, or students.