About this permit
Limekiln State Park packs a beach, a redwood canyon, a nearly 100-foot waterfall and a set of historic lime kilns into a very small piece of the Big Sur coast, 56 miles south of Carmel at Highway 1 mile marker 20.95.
Camping here restarted on 1 April 2026. California State Parks had limited the park to day-use visitation for over a year because multiple landslides along Highway 1 restricted safe public access and limited the ability of park staff to fully operate the campground. After Highway 1 reopened at Regent's Slide in February 2026, Monterey District staff restored operations and reopened the campground. Anyone planning a trip should check Caltrans road conditions before setting out. This is the campground where the road is the deciding factor.
Bookings go through ReserveCalifornia at reservecalifornia.com or 800-444-7275, on the standard six-month rolling window. ReserveCalifornia splits the campground into Ocean Camp, sites 1 to 12, and Redwood Camp, sites 13 to 29, with a maximum stay of 15 nights.
Two practical constraints catch people out. Vehicle limits are small: maximum trailer 15 feet, maximum camper or motorhome 24 feet. And all transactions at Limekiln are cash only, with the entrance kiosk open 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and day use 8:00 a.m. to sunset. Dogs are not allowed at this park.
The route
The park is 56 miles south of Carmel at Highway 1 mile marker 20.95, two miles south of Lucia, and the entrance road is at the south end of the bridge over Limekiln Creek. Camping is split into two areas in ReserveCalifornia: Ocean Camp holds sites 1 to 12 and Redwood Camp holds sites 13 to 29, with a maximum stay of 15 nights. Trails run up the canyon to the kilns and the waterfall, and the Limekiln Trail to the Pitkins Curve Trail and ocean view overlook is open. Vehicle size is tightly limited: maximum trailer 15 feet, maximum camper or motorhome 24 feet.
Why it matters
Limekiln is the most access-fragile campground on the Big Sur coast. California State Parks limited it to day-use visitation for over a year because multiple landslides along Highway 1 restricted safe public access and limited the ability of park staff to operate the campground. Camping reopened on 1 April 2026, after Highway 1 reopened at Regent's Slide in February 2026. That history is the single most important planning fact about this campground: a reservation here is contingent on a road.
The feeling
A steep redwood canyon that runs straight out onto the Pacific, with the surf audible from sites in the trees. The park packs four different things into a very small area: a beach, a redwood creek canyon, a nearly 100-foot waterfall that splashes down a rock face, and the stone lime kilns the place is named for.
