State Parks see big crowds for July 4th weekend

Big Sur is a hot spot for summertime activity, especially camping for the 4th of July. This year was no exception and park staff were prepared to handle the crowds.

“Sunday we were sold out at one point, we were at total capacity. Saturday and Monday were busy, but not quite to the extent of Sunday,” said Sean James, the Public Safety Superintendent with California State Parks.

During the busy holiday weekend and beyond, James said it’s a constant effort to keep the parks clean of trash and the facilities functioning.

“After the fact, on a Tuesday morning like today, it’s mostly trash pickup, when dumpsters have exceeded their capacities, or when all the trash doesn’t make it to the dumpster,” said James.

And the best way to keep the state’s parks clean is to educate the public to be prepared. Something state park officials have been working to do more of over the past few years.

“Make our expectations of keeping the parks clean known,” said James, “because use overall in the past decade has sky rocketed.”

Not only are state park officials working to keep the Big Sur area clean, they’re also really trying to crack down on illegal campfires.