Piedras Blancas Light Station Service, Cambria, Central Coast, California

The Trip

Our work location will include the Piedras Blancas Light Station and the spectacularly dynamic area surrounding it, rich in species diversity and cultural history. The Light Station itself is six miles north of Hearst Castle off the California Coastal Highway and adjoins San Simeon State Park. This isolated promontory is surrounded by the largest mainland rookery of northern elephant seals, along with sea otters, California sea lions, harbor seals, and peregrine falcons. The awe-inspiring seascape is part of the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary, the largest marine sanctuary in the United States. Sweeping vistas of the rugged Central Coast and the sounds of pounding surf will be your daily backdrop!

Some history about this breathtaking location: In the 19th century, President Andrew Johnson approved the purchase of Piedras Blancas. The Light Station was completed in 1875, and then subsequently operated by employees of the U.S. Lighthouse Service until 1939 when the U.S. Coast Guard assumed command. In 2008, Congress designated it an “Outstanding Natural Area” and it is now part of the Bureau of Land Management’s Natural Landscape Conservation System. The 90 miles of cliffs and beaches between San Simeon and Carmel is the world-famous, spectacular Big Sur Coast. 

Our group will be staying in cabins at Camp Ocean Pines. The camp is in the small town of Cambria, about 15 miles south of the Light Station on a bluff overlooking the Marine Sanctuary.

As we engage in our service work, we will be working on the ancestral lands of the Chumash tribe. We want to express our gratitude for the opportunity to gather in this beautiful place and work on their traditional homelands.

The Project

This well-loved area offers us a wealth of opportunities for meaningful service work. For example, over the past few years, volunteers have nearly eradicated a virtual monoculture of invasive ice plants from the 19-acre Light Station site. In addition to removing other invasive plants, we may participate in the upkeep of the glorious California Coastal Trail, the collection of native seeds, and the maintenance of historic structures. In addition to the BLM land surrounding the Light Station, we may also work in the adjacent and dually managed (with California State Parks) elephant seal overlook area and the conservation area contained within Fiscalini Ranch. Specific work projects will be determined by the agencies closer to our arrival date, but expect to make a rewarding contribution to this magnificent area.

Getting There

You may fly to the mid-coastal region and then travel by car, or drive directly to the Light Station. The nearest airports are San Luis Obispo (40 miles), Monterey (105 miles), Santa Barbara (115 miles), San Jose (160 miles), and San Francisco (200 miles). Each person is responsible for his or her transportation to Piedras Blancas, but the leader will share participants' contact information to facilitate carpooling. Please do not make travel arrangements until the leader has confirmed you as a trip member and provided additional arrival details.

Accommodations and Food

We'll stay at Camp Ocean Pines, a non-profit camp and conference center in Cambria. Each of the comfortable cabins includes 5 bunk beds and a bathroom with a shower. The camp is about 15 miles south of the Light Station outside of Cambria on a bluff overlooking the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary.

Food is part of the adventure on Sierra Club trips! Our meals are planned to satisfy your appetite and to be an occasion for gathering with your fellow volunteers after a day’s work or play in the outdoors. The menu will be healthy, nutritious, high-energy front-country cuisine with a concerted effort toward local and sustainable resources. Meals will be primarily vegetarian. The first meal will be dinner on day one, and the last will be breakfast on day seven. All participants will be able to help cook prep meals and clean up on a rotating basis throughout the week.

If you have food allergies, dietary restrictions, or special food preferences, please contact the leader and cook before you apply for the trip to determine if reasonable accommodations will be possible.

Trip Difficulty

The variety of projects available to us may allow participants some choices, but please expect moderate-to-hard physical labor. You may be expected to dig, bend, crawl, lift, saw, and hike to complete the projects. Your Sierra Club trip leader and local agency representative will provide tool training, directions, and support to ensure your safety. Plan ahead and prepare for the work! By conditioning yourself for outdoor labor, you will be able to truly enjoy our accomplishments and the opportunity to meet and work with a variety of like-minded individuals who also care about this fragile and special environment. 

Equipment and Clothing

Tools will be furnished by the agency, but bring thick work gloves, sturdy boots, long pants, and long-sleeved shirts due to the sun, insects, and poison oak. Sierra Club Leaders will have an emergency first aid kit, but you should bring your comfort items and medications.

Piedras Blancas Light Station can be very windy. It is best to have layers of comfortable clothing as temperatures may range from 40 to 85 degrees and rain is possible. A full list of equipment will be sent to all registered participants. If you have questions, please contact the trip leader or cook.

References

Websites:

• Piedras Blancas Light Station: http://www.piedrasblancas.gov
• Fiscalini Ranch: https://www.fiscaliniranchpreserve.org/
• Camp Ocean Pines: https://campoceanpines.org/
• Ventana Wilderness Alliance: http://www.ventanawild.org
• Friends of the Elephant Seal: http://www.elephantseal.org
• Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary: https://montereybay.noaa.gov
• Hearst Castle State Park: http://hearstcastle.org
• Central Coast Chumash Indians: https://activerain.com/blogsview/120551/central-coast-chumash-indians

Books:

• Henson, Paul, and Donald J. Usner, The Natural History of Big Sur. University of Calif. Press.
• Lussier, Tommie K., Big Sur – A Complete History and Guide. Big Sur Publications.
• Alder, Peter and Fred Heath, National Audobon Society Field Guide to California. Alfred A. Knopf.

The Light Station has a gift shop that sells books and souvenirs.

Conservation

In 2002 public meetings were held in Cambria, California to discuss the public’s concerns and wishes for Piedras Blancas Light Station. As a result of those meetings, the following issues were identified and incorporated into a management “framework” for the site:

• Restore the Piedras Blancas Light Station to its period of greatest historic significance (1875 to 1940)
• Offer structured public access for tours and educational purposes
• Continue (site-dependent) near-shore and marine research

The mission statement of the Piedras Blancas Light Station: "Manage and restore the Piedras Blancas Light Station to a period in its history when the site played a significant role in the protection of Central California maritime activities. In addition, preserve and protect the natural, historical, and cultural resources of the site while providing opportunities for compatible scientific, cultural, social, and interpretive activities for the benefit of present and future generations."

Since its founding in 1892, The Sierra Club has worked to preserve and restore the natural environment we all share on this planet. Thousands of grassroots-level volunteers spearhead our efforts to conserve and sustain resources, both in our backyards and on a global scale. Through direct experience in the outdoors, Sierra Club outings enable participants to better understand, advocate, and participate in the environmental conservation goals of the Club.

Service outings, in particular, stand out as one of the Sierra Club’s most important “boots on the ground” conservation efforts. The work done by service trip participants in our nation’s public lands is a way of practicing conservation in the most direct way possible, whether it’s improving access while preserving wilderness values, restoring wildlife habitat, or repairing human-caused damage to a natural area. Service trips are a great way to pitch in and do something tangible to make the world a better place; they’re a way to go beyond just talking about conservation; a way to get out there and experience conservation with your whole being.

Sierra Club National Outings is an equal opportunity provider and when applicable will operate under permits obtained from U.S. federal land agencies.