Big Sur in Monterey County, California — The American West (Pacific Coastal)

Daring: Dog-hole Ports

Ship to Shore, Shore to Ship

Photographed by Joseph Alvarado, April 26, 2022

1. Daring: Dog-hole Ports Marker

Click on the picture to see more information on the inset images.

Inscription. In the 19th and early 20th centuries, most settlements in Big Sur had only narrow trails to connect them to Monterey in the north and San Simeon in the south. Bulky items too large to be carried by mules had only one way in or out - by sea. But the Sur also lacked large sheltered harbors. The only solution was to haul cargo to and from the bluffs above through tunnels or to slide it up or down steep, timber-framed chutes at tiny dog-hole ports located along the rocky coast.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Industry & Commerce • Waterways & Vessels.

Location. 36° 10.167′ N, 121° 41.095′ W. Marker is in Big Sur, California, in Monterey County. It is on Cabrilla Highway (State Highway 1 at milepost 37), on the right when traveling south. The markers are near the cliff at the Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park Vista Point. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Big Sur CA 93920, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is on Central Coast

and specifically on the Coast Ranges.

It is also on the American Pacific Coast.

Globally, it is in North America,

on the Ring of Fire,

in the Pacific Rim,

in the Western Hemisphere,

in the Western World,

and in the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain

and also Mexico’s Alta California.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: High Seas: The Ocean Highway (here, next to this marker); Esselen: We Are Still Here (here, next to this marker); Pioneers: Homesteading the Sur (here, next to this marker); Red Giants: Trees of the Mist (within shouting distance of this

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marker); Condors: Returning to Our Skies (within shouting distance of this marker); Inspiration: A Wild Coast and Lonely (within shouting distance of this marker); House with a View (approx. 0.9 miles away); Two Women From Two Worlds (approx. 0.9 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Big Sur.

More about this marker. This is the third of four panels mounted to a stone and masonry foundation. There was a nonfunctioning audio player to the right of the foundation.

Photographed by Joseph Alvarado, April 26, 2022

2. Daring: Dog-hole Ports Marker

Second from the right.

Credits. This page was last revised on May 21, 2022. It was originally submitted on May 9, 2022, by Joseph Alvarado of Livermore, California. This page has been viewed 345 times since then and 20 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on May 9, 2022, by Joseph Alvarado of Livermore, California. • Syd Whittle was the editor who published this page.