Some social media sites report the availability of free camping on the side of roads , but camping of any sort along highways and secondary roads is illegal and subject to fines . Casual campers have turned every wide spot along the Nacimiento-Fergusson Road into a campsite , although there are no bathrooms or fire pits . Residents complain about the campers building illegal camp fires and defecating along the road without using proper sanitation . Camping is only permitted within designated private and state or federal park campsites or within USFS lands . On July 22 , 2016 , an illegal campfire within Garrapata State Park , where camping is not permitted , got out of control . The resulting Soberanes Fire burned , 57 homes and 11 outbuildings , and killed a bulldozer operator . It took almost three months to extinguish and cost about $ 236 million to suppress . In October , 2017 , a visitor from Florida was arrested for starting an illegal campfire that grew out of control
Soberanes Fire
Soberanes Fire
Big Sur