![]() This area is often victim to two types of natural disasters: wildfires and floods from subsequent rains. Here they are listed from shortest to tallest. There are four waterfalls that are well worth the effort to go see. This post reviews the most beautiful waterfalls in Big Sur, including directions to get to each and some of the best pictures from Instagram. Thanks to an abundance of rivers, streams, and creeks in this area combined with steep elevation changes, there are also many waterfalls. The state couldn’t find a use for the house, so they demolished it in 1966, leaving only these foundations and gardens.Įnjoy the equally gorgeous views to the north and gaze at the tide rolling into McWay Cove, then return back the way you came to continue your journey along the coast or hike the park’s more challenging Ewoldsen Trail.Big Sur's magical scenery includes lush mountains, towering redwoods, windswept beaches and views of the Pacific Ocean in all colors of blue and green. Helen donated the land to the state in 1961 in honor of her friend, the region’s earlier homesteader Julia Pfeiffer Burns. The Browns decorated their house with masterpieces by Degas and Gaugin but left the property 16 years later and never returned. If you continue along the path, an elevated wooden boardwalk will take you to the remains of the Waterfall House, a seaside mansion built by Boston socialites Lathrop and Helen Hooper Brown in 1940. Odds are the currents will continue to remove the sand from this beach and the waterfall will return to emptying directly into the ocean, the same way it did before the slide. Not only is the beach environment dangerous due to crumbling rocks and unpredictable tides and currents, but the area is very vulnerable to erosion.įun fact – the picturesque sandy beach below the falls didn’t exist until a massive 1985 landslide just north of the falls added tons of debris to the ocean waters. There is no safe way to reach the beach below – but despite warning signs along the entire route, when I was there I still saw footprints in the sand below and a lone hiker trying to scramble his way back up the nearly-vertical, crumbling rock wall beneath the walkway. ![]() You’ll most likely see photographers lined up along this walk, and as you reach them you’ll be able to turn back and see the falls in its full glory. Keep to the right to head on an even path with a wooden guard rail. Upon emerging at the other side, you’ll be greeted by the sound of crashing waves and the smell of salt in the air. Continue heading west and pass beneath the CA-1 through a short tunnel. There’s a short side-trail to a historic Pelton Wheel generator from the area’s homesteading days, but this was closed when I visited. It’s only 0.2 miles of level trail before you pass underneath the Cabrillo Highway. ![]() Either way, enter the park and look for the well-marked entry to the McWay Falls Trail, just across the road from the restrooms. Whether you’re visiting as part of a larger planned hike further inland or just stopping to grab a few snapshots, it’s worth a stop at Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park.Įither pull-off into one of the small, often-crowded free lots off the Cabrillo Highway or pay the self-issued State Park fee and use one of the larger lots inside the park ($10 at the time of writing). It’s one of those scenes that, when you show your photos of it to friends, they won’t believe it’s real.īut the falls are, in fact, real – and are visible after a short and easy stroll right off the Cabrillo Highway. If you’ve ever searched for images of Big Sur, you’ve seen McWay Falls – an almost unbelievably picturesque waterfall that drops 80 feet onto the untouched sands of McWay Beach before churning in the azure Pacific. ![]()
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