A barrage of warning signs such as this at the beginning of a road pracically guarantees there will be little traffic. Though Highway One, at sea level, buzzes with traffic, the Coast Ridge Trail 3000 feet above, is silent and serene. Three mufflers along the roadside within one mile warn that this road is not suitable for every vehicle. In Yosemite every thousand feet of elevation gain produces a dramatic reduction in the population. Though the floor of Yosemite Valley often resembles a circus, the rim high above is calm and quiet.
Few people penetrate to the roadless interiors of California's rugged coast ranges.
Lack of vital services, such as gas, has the effect of increasing the remoteness of a location. Bad weather discourages many people from visiting the parks, leaving sights like this to be enjoyed by the hardy few. This national monument's distance from the nearest power line made it economic to install photovoltaic generation.