Piedras Blancas Motel facts for kids
The Piedras Blancas Motel is an old-fashioned motel and diner complex. It sits right by the ocean on the Central Coast of California. You can find it about seven miles north of the historic town of San Simeon. This motel is now part of the Hearst San Simeon State Park. As of 2017, it was being updated. The plan is to use it as a campground and a place for budget-friendly stays in the future.
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What Makes the Motel Special?
This property is truly unique. It is the very last ocean-front motel of its kind. It sits on a remote, wild, and rural part of the historic State Route 1. This area is south of the famous Big Sur Coast. For a long time, it was the only private building along 13 miles of coast. This coastline was planned to become state parks.
Who Owns the Piedras Blancas Motel?
The state park system of California now owns the motel. Many people want to save and restore it. The state is still deciding how to respond to these efforts.
The land where the motel stands has an interesting past. It appears on old maps of William Randolph Hearst's huge land holdings. Hearst owned 300,000 acres along this coastline for 18 miles. However, this tiny piece of land, where the motel is, was the one spot he was never able to buy from its original owners.
History of the Piedras Blancas Motel
We don't know the exact year the motel was built. However, this 12-room building was likely constructed in the early 1950s. This was just before many tourists started visiting Hearst Castle. During the 1950s, the motel welcomed families of American soldiers returning from war. It continued to serve vacationers from America and other countries. Even until it closed, rooms were available for as little as $28 per night. The motel was closed by the Trust for Public Land and the State of California in April 2005.
Many people, including local residents, tourists, and historians, have asked for the motel to reopen. In October 2005, a local group was formed. This group, called Citizens for the Preservation of the Piedras Blancas Motel, works to save the complex. They want it restored and reopened as a low-cost motel for everyone. They also ask for the buildings to be protected from weather damage until they can be fixed.
In the past, the property also had a small RV campsite and a beach. It even had a gas station and a gift store. The gas pumps and tanks have since been removed. The private beach is now open for everyone to enjoy. In 2007, a part of the motel with three rooms was torn down. The State said this was due to coastal erosion. New homes being built nearby have also put the historic Highway One and the motel's surroundings at risk. As of March 2008, the Piedras Blancas Motel remained neglected and closed to the public.
Current Uses and Future Plans
The old manager's suite at the motel is currently used as a home. State Park employees live there. State Parks is now (as of October 2017) updating the south end of the motel. This is part of their plans to add a new campground there.
A State Parks spokesperson said in 2016, "A long-term project here is to be able to get the Piedras Blancas Motel back in shape and to get a campground." A spokesperson for the California State Coastal Conservancy added more details. They said, "The plans are to provide 20 to 30 drive-in campsites and 10 to 15 cabins. At full capacity, it looks like it could accommodate 40 guests."
