Pico Blanco Scout Camp is for sale

So, yeah, I’ve had a journey up Palo Colorado Road, to Pico Blanco Scout Camp, on my radar for awhile. It’s been closed for about 5 years, due to fire damage, and a washed-out road. It’s now FOR SALE!

I guess I better get going, and see it before it changes, or becomes off-limits!

There’s a gate, 4 miles from Highway 1. From there it’s about 3.5 miles to Bottcher’s Gap and 4 miles further to the Scout Camp…and about 1300 feet of climbing in each direction!

Road intersection, at the gate, where we parked
Sign at Bottcher’s Gap

The camp is in great condition, from what I can see. We were told there was an on-site caretaker, but we saw no signs of anyone.

The Aquatics area, with a lifeguard chair

The caretaker at Bottcher’s Gap told us that there’s been quite a bit of vehicle traffic to the camp. He believes the property showing is complete, and the Scout Council is reviewing offers. It will be interesting to see…

We also had an interesting discussion about the endangered Dudley’s Lousewort and the Santa Lucia Fir. I’ve seen Dudley’s at Portola Redwoids State Park, but didn’t spot any here. The beautiful, and very rare, Santa Lucia Fir was visible on the steep hillsides, as well as one in the Bottcher’s Gap parking lot

About AlphaRoaming

Random outdoor roaming: hiking, cycling, camping, backpacking & plotting more of the above Grew up on the edges of the Adirondack mountains of New York, just a bit west of Vermont. Now living in Silicon Valley and venturing out when and where I can!
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5 Responses to Pico Blanco Scout Camp is for sale

  1. caljim51 says:

    Scouting has been on a long decline so this isn’t surprising. I’ve never been to the scout camp but I was the trail lead for the Ventana Wilderness Alliance’s project to improve the trail from the Coast Road up the Little Sur River to Pico Blanco Public Camp. After the 2008 fire destroyed almost the whole trail I became discouraged and abandoned it. There is a beautiful waterfall and swimming hole at the Public Camp.

  2. Roger Beaudoin says:

    You should use this map to explore the area, https://bigsurtrailmap.net/ I have hiked with Jack and he keeps it up to date. Pico Public Camp, Pico Blanco summit are something else to see, I got to see them when my boys were is Scouting…. The lousewort is out there, just need to spend a lot of time to find it, it like disturbed soil, trails, washouts etc… the trip up the Little Sur from camp to Fox Camp is one of my favorites…then there is La Ventana…..bummer the road is closed, the BSA used to sell parking permits for backpackers and made it easy to head in to a real hard place to hike…

  3. Roger Beaudoin says:

    copy…”Pico Public Camp” is a USFS campsite on the South Fork reached from the Old Coast Road with egress over El Sur Ranch and Granite Rock property, the BSA camp is on the North Fork.. complete bushwack as Caljim51 noted……cheers

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