Story highlights Access closed as landslide along highway extends more than a quarter mile

Area has been hit by several landslides since January

(CNN) A monster of a landslide has buried a quarter-mile section of the scenic coastal highway in California's Big Sur region, piling fresh misery on a remote area that hasn't seen the road fully passable for months.

More than 1 million tons of rock and dirt fell Saturday onto the Pacific Coast Highway, considered by some to be one of the most scenic drives in the United States. The section is 1 mile southeast of the small community of Gorda, about 60 miles south of Monterey.

The landslide covered the road, also known as State Route 1, in a 35-40 feet deep layer of dirt for about 1,500 feet. The highway is the main artery running through Big Sur, a picturesque stretch that is a major tourist attraction.

The highway already was closed at that spot -- almost continuously since January -- and at a few other points along the dozens of miles of Big Sur coast because of landslides caused by unusually heavy winter and spring rains.

But Saturday's slide at Mud Creek was the largest by far, and authorities said they don't know when it can be cleared.

Read More</s>If you're heading to Big Sur, check your route. There's a massive landslide is blocking a large portion of Highway 1 (May 23, 2017)</s>A landslide in California's Big Sur buried a portion of the state's coastal Highway 1 under 40 feet of rocks and dirt.

The landslide covers a quarter of a mile along the highway, according to the Associated Press, and authorities don't know when that portion will re-open.

The incident was one of the largest mudslides in California's history, the Associated Press reports, and comes after the state endured a record level of snow and rain this past winter that caused several other similar events.

Before this weekend, these storms alone were already set to cost the state over $1 billion in damages, according to the Associated Press.

Highway 1 that runs through Big Sur , which has been designated American National Scenic Byway , is a major attraction for tourists.</s>A massive landslide that went into the Pacific Ocean is the latest natural disaster to hit a California community that relies heavily on an iconic coastal highway and tourism to survive, and it adds to a record $1 billion in highway damage from one of the state’s wettest winters in decades.

The weekend slide in Big Sur buried a portion of Highway 1 under a 40-foot layer of rock and dirt and changed the coastline below to include what now looks like a rounded skirt hem, Susana Cruz, a spokeswoman with the California Department of Transportation, said Tuesday.

More than 1 million tons of rock and dirt tumbled down a saturated slope in an area called Mud Creek. The slide is covering up about a one-quarter-of-a-mile stretch of Highway 1, and authorities have no estimate on when it might re-open. The area remains unstable.

“We haven’t been able to go up there and assess. It’s still moving,” Cruz said. “We have geologists and engineers who are going to check it out this week to see how do we pick up the pieces.”

It’s the largest mudslide she knows of in the state’s history, she said. “It’s one of a kind,” Cruz said.

One of California’s rainiest and snowiest winters on record has broken a five-year drought, but also caused flooding and landslides in much of the state and sped up coastal erosion.

“This type of thing may become more frequent, but Big Sur has its own unique geology,” said Dan Carl, a district director for the California Coastal Commission whose area includes Big Sur. “A lot of Big Sur is moving; you just don’t see it.”

Even before the weekend slide, storms across California have caused just over $1 billion in highway damage to more than 400 sites during the fiscal year that ends in June, Mark Dinger, also a spokesman for the state transportation agency, said Tuesday. That compares with $660 million last year, he said.

Big Sur is one of the state’s biggest tourist draws in a normal year, attracting visitors to serene groves of redwoods, beaches and the dramatic ocean scenery along narrow, winding Highway 1.

This winter has been particularly rough for Big Sur, state transportation spokesman Colin Jones said. Repeated landslides and floods have taken out bridges and highways, closed campgrounds, and forced some resorts to shut down temporarily or use helicopters to fly in guests and supplies.

Even before the weekend damage, the state had closed the Highway 1 along Mud Creek to repair buckled pavement and remove debris after an earlier slide. Authorities removed work crews from the area last week after realizing that saturated soil in that area was increasingly unstable, Jones said. Road crews also have stopped work at another damaged stretch of Highway 1 in the area, for the same reason.

Last year, a wildfire burned for nearly three months in the Los Padres National Forest and on private land, sparked by an illegal campfire. Thousands of visitors were shut out from signature state parks and the businesses that cater to those tourists.

Kirk Gafill, president of the Big Sur Chamber of Commerce and owner of the historic Nepenthe Restaurant, said the slide may prove a blessing, stabilizing land that Caltrans was working to shore up.

On the other hand, he acknowledges his theory may be wishful thinking.

“There’s no question if you live and own a business in Big Sur, you live in a very dramatic landscape and we know historically, whether it’s fire or a mudslide or a landslide from one year to the next it’s not very predictable,” said Gafill, whose restaurant is serving two to three dozen local diners a day rather than the 600 to 1,000 typical for this time of year.

Gafill said repairing damage from the this landslide is not as critical for business as replacing Pfeiffer Canyon Bridge, a span on Highway 1 that had to be demolished earlier this year after it was badly damaged by storms in in January and February. The new bridge is scheduled to open in September.

Kurt Mayer, who owns Big Sur Tap House, was also taking news of the slide in stride. He said Tuesday he wouldn’t trade in his work location for somewhere safer.

“We’re all going to make it, I’m pretty sure,” he said. “Big Sur can scare some people, and those people usually come and go pretty quickly. And those who can hang, they’re still there and they’ll continue to be there.”</s>Tons of dirt and stones are blocking the coastal scenic highway in California's Big Sur region.

A portion of the Pacific Coast Highway, considered by some to be one of the most scenic drives in the US, was buried by a massive landslide, the California Department of Transportation said.

On Saturday, more than 1 million tons of rock and dirt fell down the slope and into the ocean about 65 miles northwest of San Luis Obispo.

The landslide along California's State Route 1 extends more than a quarter mile and left the road covered in a 35-40 feet deep layer of dirt. The highway is the main artery running through Big Sur, a remote, picturesque stretch of coast whose beauty makes it a major tourist attraction.

Authorities have closed all access to the highway and they don't know when it will be reopened.

"No words needed but here's a few: million tons of rock/dirt, about 1/3 mile of roadway covered 35-40 feet deep. Mother Nature hard at work," a spokesperson for the state transportation department wrote on Twitter Big Sur landslide pic - shared by some friends at USGS. 😮 #landslide pic.twitter.com/tnWCPv7xhZ — Claire Masteller (@ccmasteller) May 24, 2017 "The slide went from bad to worse over the weekend," a Monterey County sheriff's office spokesperson said on Facebook. No injuries or damage were reported, officials said. The slide came down the slope, covered the highway and continued down into the ocean -- about 250 feet past the shoreline. The highway had been closed for some time because crews were working to remove debris from an earlier landslide. Before Saturday's landslide, repairs were suspended and heavy equipment was ordered removed from the road after officials were alerted to the possibility of another landslide. The slide left a pile of earth about 35 to 40 feet high covering the highway. The area, which relies heavily on tourism, has been hit by several landslides since January that have caused temporary road closures.</s>CBS2 / KCAL9 CBS2/KCAL9 is part of CBS Television Stations, a division of CBS Corp. and one of the largest network-owned station groups in the country. CBS Studio City Broadcast Center 4200 Radford Avenue Studio City, CA [...] Massive Landslide Covers Portion Of Highway 1 In Big Sur A swath of the hillside gave way in an area called Mud Creek on Saturday night, covering about one-third of a mile of road and changing the Big Sur coastline immediately below.

Start the conversation, or Read more at CBS Local.</s>Just like last winter, Big Sur is once again isolated from the rest of California and the world — accessible to tourists only by helicopter.

Southern access via Highway 1 was cut off on Saturday night by a startling late-spring landslide, with no reopening date in sight. On the north, construction of a new bridge has closed the route from the Bay Area until late September.

All the chaos, however, is transforming the old counterculture paradise into a place affordable only to well-to-do visitors.

For prices ranging from $4,300 to $13,500, the posh Post Ranch Inn will carry you and a friend to the resort by helicopter from the Del Monte Aviation’s tarmac at Monterey Regional Airport for a two- to four-night stay — meals and yoga included. The package is called “Escape Through The Skies.”

“It’s an incredible ride, and the only way to get here,” said Big Sur native Kirk Gafill, president of the Big Sur Chamber of Commerce. “It’s a unique opportunity to come during this quiet time.”

Caltrans said Tuesday it’s unclear how long Highway 1 in southern Big Sur will remain closed after the landslide sent millions of cubic yards of dirt and rock down the hillside at Mud Creek around 9:30 p.m. on Saturday.

The slide measures 1,500 feet long and 30 to 45 feet deep. It will require a prolonged digout, to say nothing of the time it will take to repair the road.

But that won’t stop affluent guests. About 200 people per week, on average, are flying to Big Sur from other parts of California but also from Texas, New York, Canada, the United Kingdom, Germany and parts of South America and Asia, according to Kelsey Gummow, a spokeswoman for the Post Ranch Inn.

Once there, how do you get around? Easy: Borrow one of the inn’s complimentary Lexuses.

While most of Big Sur’s trails and parks are closed, trails near the resort are open, as well as world-famous Nepenthe, the Hawthorne Gallery and the Tap House. Ventana Inn & Spa is hoping to open its campground in July. Without traffic, it’s possible to walk down Highway 1 in serenity.

At night, locals offer evening festivities. Celebrating Big Sur’s isolated “island” life, Nepenthe will host Island Fever Luau Night with grass skirts, mai tais, punch and pulled pork specials on June 3. Its historic ping-pong table, a favorite of poet Henry Miller and other celebrities, was the center of a festive tournament on “Game Night” last weekend.

Big Sur’s southern route near Mud Creek has repeatedly opened and closed since the fierce winter storms, allowing only intermittent one-lane access from places like Cambria, Santa Barbara and Los Angeles.

The new landslide is “deep-seated,” caused by saturated soil after prolonged above-average rainfall. According to the U.S. Geological Survey, such landslides typically occur toward the end of the winter season — in March, April and May — because of the time it takes for seasonal rainfall to reach the bottom, a slippery layer of soil. Often, deep-seated landslides lie dormant for lengthy periods of time.

According to Caltrans spokeswoman Susana Cruz, there are five active landslides in the area, which is about 9 miles north of the southern Monterey County border. It’s believed four of the slides came down together Saturday night.

Big Sur’s broken link to the north — the Pfeiffer Canyon Bridge, damaged by winter storms — won’t be open until late September. The new bridge will span across the canyon, rather than resting on columns as the previous bridge did.

A steep and narrow half-mile footpath through Pfeiffer Canyon is open for locals only.

Locals are also driving Nacimiento-Fergusson Road as a cut over to Highway 101, a slow and dangerous route with many white-knuckle switchbacks and sheer cliffs.

Money no object? A 20-minute copter flight leaves every hour between 11 a.m. and 5 p.m.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.</s>Dirt and stones are blocking the sweeping views of a coastal scenic highway in California.

A portion of the Pacific Coast Highway, considered by some as one of the most scenic drives in the US, was buried by a massive landslide, the California Department of Transportation said.

On Saturday, more than a million tons of rock and dirt fell down the slope and into the ocean about 8 miles north of San Luis Obispo.

The landslide along California’s State Route 1 extends about a quarter mile and has the road covered in a 35-40 feet deep layer of dirt. The highway runs through Big Sur, which is a major tourist attraction.

Authorities have closed all access to the highway and they don’t know when it will be reopened.

“No words needed but here’s a few: million tons of rock/dirt, about 1/3 mile of roadway covered 35-40 feet deep. Mother Nature hard at work,” a spokesperson for the transportation department wrote on Twitter.

“The slide went from bad to worse over the weekend,” a Monterey County sheriff’s office spokesperson said on Facebook.

There were no injuries or damage reported, officials said.

The highway had been closed for some time because crews were working to remove debris from an earlier landslide.

Before Saturday’s landslide, repairs were suspended and heavy equipment was ordered to be removed from the road after officials learned of a possible landslide.

The area, which relies heavily on tourism as it’s frequented by ocean scenery enthusiasts, has been hit by several landslides since January that caused temporary road closures.</s>BIG SUR (AP) — A massive new landslide along California’s iconic coastal Highway 1 has buried the road under a 40-foot layer of rock and dirt, the latest hit in winter of crippling slides and flooding.

A swath of the hillside gave way in an area called Mud Creek on Saturday night, covering about one-third of a mile of road and changing the Big Sur coastline immediately below, Colin Jones, a spokesman with the California Department of Transportation, said Monday night.

“A massive slide. We’ve never seen anything like that,” Jones said.

The state already had closed that part of Highway 1 to repair buckled pavement and remove debris after an earlier slide triggered by one of California’s rainiest winters in decades.

Authorities removed work crews from the area last week after realizing that saturated soil in that area was increasingly unstable, Jones said. “Now it’s covering 10 times as much,” he said of the newly deposited rock.

State road officials plan to wait for the immediate slide danger to pass before going back to start figuring out how to strengthen the hillside and rebuild and reopen that part of the road, he said.

Narrow, windy Highway 1 through Big Sur is a major tourist draw, attracting visitors to serene groves of redwoods, beaches and the highway’s dramatic oceanside scenery.

The rough winter has closed at least two other stretches of road in the area, forcing some resorts to close and others to use helicopters to ferry in supplies and guests.

Even though the rainy season mostly has stopped and the sun come out again, “it doesn’t mean the ground isn’t shifting now based on what happened over the winter,” Jones said.</s>Sunday’s enormous debris slide at Mud Creek on Big Sur’s southern coast buried about a third of a mile of Highway 1.

“People see video of the massive slide and are canceling reservations,” says Stan Russell, executive director of the Big Sur Chamber of Commerce.

Multiple debris slides, punishing winter rains and the demolished Pfeiffer Canyon Bridge leave gaps in what once was Central California’s iconic coastal drive.

But that doesn’t mean you should give up on a visit.

Everything north of the bridge closure near Big Sur Station — places with rooms, cabins and camping, such as the Big Sur River Inn, Fernwood Resort and Ripplewood Resort — are open for Memorial Day.

Some state parks that had been shut since February have reopened too.

Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park in Big Sur offers camping on a first-come, first-served basis at a limited number of sites (131 to 189). Picnic areas and day-use lots 1 and 2 will be open to visitors as well. Popular trails such as Redwood Deck, the Nature Trail, River Trail and others are open too.

Big Sur Lodge, which includes a restaurant, general store and rooms, at 47225 Highway 1 in Big Sur is open. Because of Highway 1 closures, you’ll only be able to enter from the north. Reservations and information: (800) 424-4787

Point Sur Light Station in Big Sur is open for tours. Info: (831) 625-4419

Garrapata State Park, 18 miles north of Big Sur, straddles Highway 1. Only the parkland west of the roadway is open. The larger, eastern portion was badly damaged in the 2016 Soberanes Fire and remains off limits.

Limekiln State Park is open, but getting there is tricky. Highway 1 is closed north and south of this park. You have to cut inland and then come through the mountains on Nacimiento Fergusson Road to Highway 1.

The good news: You’ll have a stretch of roadway between closures to yourself (unless everyone else discovers this too). Nearby Treebones Resort and Gorda Springs Resort on this temporarily cut off bit of the coast are open.

Post Ranch Inn, the posh resort at 47900 Highway 1, is bringing guests in by helicopter because of the road closures. Check out availability for the inn’s Escape Through the Skies package, which starts at $1,725 for two people (room, helicopter, dinner and other perks). You’ll get use of a Lexus to drive on Highway 1. Reservations and info: (831) 667-2200

Highway 1, all traffic in both directions, is closed at Mud Creek (where the big landslide buried the roadway), Paul’s Slide and Ragged Point. These closures are all south of the failed Pfeiffer Canyon Bridge.

Andrew Molera State Park, 20 miles south of Carmel, has been shut since winter because of rain damage and flooding from spring storms.

Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park with the dramatic beach-side waterfall remains closed. It’s 26 miles south of Carmel.

The famed Nepenthe’s Restaurant in Big Sur at 48510 Highway 1 is open to locals only — and guests who fly in to stay at the Post Ranch Inn. The eatery has been hosting ping-pong matches and plans a Memorial Day luau. Info: (831) 667-2345

Ventana Big Sur at 48123 Highway 1 is closed and shifting guests (and staff) to its sister property, Carmel Valley Ranch, about 20 miles to the north. Info: (800) 628-6500

Massive landslide adds to ‘unprecedented’ damage along scenic Highway 1 in Big Sur area

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A landslide at Big Sur blocks off a portion of California State Route 1 just south of Gorda; no injuries have been reported.