Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park

McWay Falls is just a must! Awesome place for pictures and the trail is short and sweet. Would go back for sure.
FYI — This trail is right off of highway 1 you can’t miss it.

When planning our trip down to SLO (San Luis Obispo for folks who don’t know) I wanted to take advantage of being further south to do a nice little hike in a spot where it wouldn’t be fully exposed in the sun, had about at least a 4 mile trail, and not too strenuous. In my search, I found that Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park would be the spot and although we were really huffing it in the first 2.5 miles, it was worth it and quite a nice trek in the woods and fields.
L O C A T I O N
A bit further south from Big Sur and an hour-​ish north of San Simeon, Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park is located off of Highway 1.
P A R K I N G
It gets busy here, so we came on a Sunday morning around 11am and the parking lot was already full, though we weren’t planning on paying the $ 10. We were lucky enough to get a parking spot off of Highway 1. Just make sure you’re not over the white line and well behind it to not get ticketed. South bound had a few more spots that were shaded by the trees.
T R A I L S
There are a few trails here, one that’s short and gets to the McWay Falls, another is the Canyon Trail which joins to Ewoldsen Trail (Which is a loop) and you can shoot off of that trail to get to the Water Trail as well as the Overlook Trail. There are a few more trails to the south which I didn’t get a chance to look at but we did do the Ewoldsen Loop. There’s a nice creek that you walk along when you’re going up to Ewoldsen. It is a fairly gradual incline with some heinous steep sections so, it’s definitely not for the faint of heart. Though it’s very doable especially if you take some breaks and take in the view of the redwoods and nice shaded spots to take a break. There are portions of the trail that are not covered which if you do take the left at the fork, you won’t be happy going up on when it’s a sunny day. So make sure you take the right side as there’s much more shade when you’re trekking up. There’s an overlook which you might feel like torture since it’s more incline, but it’ll be a nice little resting spot with a great view. By going counter clockwise, you’ll be able to enjoy ocean views on your way down.
O V E R A L L
I enjoyed the trail we went on and I would definitely come back again if we were in the area. There’s a restroom at the main parking area but that’s pretty much it so make sure you take advantage of it. Also pre load your phone with maps and such as there is absolutely no phone reception out there. But it’s definitely a great place to just enjoy nature and unplug from the world.

Tons of blue skies above and below… amazing trail (Hans Ewoldsen trail) but I suspect that’s a well-​known ‘secret’ already; there were quite a few hikers here on a Wednesday morning in February.
Bring $ 10/​car and don’t expect the entry booth to be manned. Or else, if you’re early enough, park on the opposite side of the highway and cross it to get into the park (trailhead is not far).
Also: be prepared to shed layers as you climb from the parking lot to about 1500 ft. Parts of the trail are overlooking the ocean and exposed to the sun, so you will need sunblock. Good shoes can prove quite useful in the spring when the path is a bit more wet and slippery.
Hans Ewoldsen, a former ranch foreman and resident of Big Sur (at least he was in the ‘90s), rebuilt this trail in 1933 from an old logging trail.
I bought a blue spruce sapling from Home Depot over Christmas and replanted it here on the trail. I hope it survives among the huge redwoods. I got the coordinates and will be visiting again in 2 – 3 months. … fingers crossed!
Update (5.2.2016): my blue spruce sapling from home depot has survived! It’s really beaten the odds: between deer and storms, downed trees and lack of water…

This is one of the few places in the world that has a tide fall, which makes this place truly special. You can walk to see the overlook of the tide fall which is scenic, but we didn’t have the opportunity to go down to the base. Instead we hiked up the mountain which was also very beautiful. The hike was challenging but rewarding as the view from the top is breathtaking. There are redwood trees and streams with little lizards that have blue tails that live there. If you’re going going to big sur I recommend checking this place out :)

BEAUTIFUL! This is a wonderful hike that I would allocate 3 – 3.5 hours depending on your pace. As you walk along the fresh stream you hear all sorts of birds chirping melodic songs.
The hike has a few steep parts so bring good shoes (although I saw a tourist in flip flops at the top) and lots of water. The pictures don’t do this place justice

Just a spectacular place to visit. I’m from Austin, so we don’t see this kind of scenery very often! The park was nice, nicely clean. We arrived on a Saturday and it was a madhouse so didn’t even stop. The next day we came early and had the place practically ourselves. The name of the game is EARLY. Remember that. While there, we went by a bunch of signs that said, «Don’t make trails here» or other words of warning. The only people we saw were hopping the fence at the signs to take pictures. These morons are why they will get larger, more practical fences that look like Trump walls to keep them from destroying the environment. While there, we also spotted a California condor on the way out. So, look UP and down while visiting.

Five stars for the park, one star for the ranger.
The park is beautiful, and there is plenty of free parking on the road! However– if you plan on hiking (and I don’t mean «hiking» to see McWay falls) but taking the Ewoldsen, Water, or Tin Ridge trails do yourself a favor and spray on some bug spray that has DEET in it. Especially your shoes and backpack if you are carrying one! You will be crawling over/​under trees, shrubs, grass, etc. and there are a ton of ticks in the park. To be on the safe side bring some tweezers/​tick remover and some alcohol swabs. (Also bring plenty of water, the 1700ft incline to the tin house is no joke)
My boyfriend got a tick bite and we had nothing to remove it with. We figured this happens pretty often and went to the ranger at the ranger station. She was nice enough, but completely not helpful. She said the most she had was a bandaid, and didn’t have any advice on what to do-​except for tell me to pinch it and pull it out with my bare fingers. (Note-​do not do this as you can break off the body, push pathogens into your skin, and get the head stuck)
You would think that being in the middle of nowhere and hours away from any urgent care, Dr, or emergency room they would be a bit more prepared with some basic supplies, especially with a campsite nearby.
So while we hiked a beautiful ten miles, My bf got a tick bite, and the ranger was useless. Shoutout to the people who had a tick removing kit in their car and let us use it!

With a desire to explore some more, we left the Pfeiffer Beach to wander further elsewhere to the more popular touristy spot a little further away. When you drive in to the driveway of the State Park, you’ll first pass by a Ranger’s Station where you can grab some information packets and use the restrooms. There is a fee to park your car in the parking lot, and I believe it’s around $ 10 as well. Don’t park too far away from the Ranger’s Station as the entrance into the actual hiking trail is directly across from the Ranger Station.
As you walk out of the Ranger’s Station, you’ll notice that there are some white colored stair heading downward. Take the stairs down, and they will lead you across a small bridge and then more dirt paths and trials. All along this hike, there will be lots of rocks to climb, slips on the dirt, sweat pouring down your face, a little tunnel underpass, and lots of things to see — but ultimately when you see those crystal clear blue water underneath you. it’ll be all worth it!
Bring plenty of water, good hiking shoes, and good company and then you’re all set to explore this wonderful state park!

Beautiful! Another great spot along the Big Sur coast. Julia Pfeiffer Park has amazing views of the coastline, and is famous for the natural waterfall that flows into the ocean. Visitors can hike down the trail and along the coastline to see what is around the area. It does tend to get busy during the day, when the weather is nice. It is best to park along the highway, rather than in the park (costs $ 10).

What should I say about this place? Phenomenal? Beautiful? This place was so amazing on both levels.
Me and my college buddies came up here via Highway 1 on Spring Break and camped north of the McWay Falls some 20 minutes up. It was March-​April, and it was actually rather easy finding street parking at 11 am here on Highway 1. Seeing the McWay Falls was the easy part; It’s actually wheelchair accessible from the parking lot, and the walk from highway 1 to the Falls viewpoint is about 5 minutes. But this can wait.
The best part of this wasn’t the falls though. It was the Ewoldsen Trail loop that was more or less a 3 hour brisk walk through deep Redwood forests, wonderful looking rock structures, grassy hills, and ocean views. Note that this is NOT wheelchair accessible, but the entire trail is marked and unpaved. I would recommend walking UP the trail loop FIRST since it’ll be a nice breather to see the falls when you get back.
Tips for Hiking the Canyon/​Ewoldsen Trail:
1. Bring some water for this walk — it’s quite a walk and I wouldn’t go without it.
2. When you see the trail, go up and back down Canyon, then turn right into Ewoldsen Trail.
3. When you get to the loop, I think there is a bridge. Take the RIGHT so that you’re going counterclockwise on the Ewoldsen Loop. This is honestly the better way, since you’ll be facing a gorgeous ocean view WHILE you’re walking down on the way back. The right side of the loop is steep uphills with heavy forests, while the left side has some grassy hills and clearings.
4. Watch out for bees. There were some bees on the right side of the loop. Keep that in mind.
5. The hike is moderately steep, meaning there’s no need to get on your hands to climb. Just steep for your legs.
6. Bring sunscreen. Once you get up to the upper reaches or the left side of the loop, you’ll be pretty exposed at times to the sun. The right side is far shadier.
7. Once you get down, check out the falls for some nice relief.
8. Check out my photos for the order which our party travelled!

Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park is in the Southern part of Big Sur. You can park on the street (along Highway 1) or park for $ 10 in the parking lot in there. Unfortunately, during the summer, there are a lot of people haha. And street parking is what you’re gonna have to resort to):
You can take the short trail and go to McWay Falls. McWay Falls is a really kindasmall waterfall, but the color of the Pacific Ocean at that point is beautiful. Capture the best photos there. The blue-​green color of the ocean will make you be like whaaaaa. And if you are a photographer, that’s a great place to go to!
There are other trails that you should walk around and go to, but only if you gots time! They have a lot of maps in the area which tell which trails go to where.
They have restrooms, but there are long lines for men and women. Don’t forget your hand sanitizers as well: P

Beautiful view. I can’t believe that this used to belong to someone. It’s definitely worth a visit.
Parking is $ 10 for the day, and you can use the same pass for all the state parks along the drive for the day; so its not a bad deal at all.

Definitely a must see when you’re in the area. Wonderful spots where you can see an overview of the place and the waterfall that they have. Plus there’s a bunch of hiking trails that you can take and explore more of the area.
Parking is $ 10 however if you don’t want to pay you can park on the side of the road at your discretion.

Nice view of the falls from the short trail from the jammed parking lot but I was expecting more… Perhaps having just come from the stunning Point Lobos State Reserve further north this is an unfair comparison. It was a late summer weekday afternoon and this place was a zoo — I’d hate to see it on a weekend in summer. I’m guessing hiking inland would be more satisfying and you’d lose most of the crowds…
One bonus was that there was a good view of some humpback whales feeding below the observation point.

Magical.
Breathtaking.
Stunning.
Speechless.
Need I say more?!
Note: If you come from Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park, your parking fee will cover the fee for this location. Parking is a little sketchy off the road and the foot traffic is high.

During our last day here, after hanging out at Pfeiffer Beach, we decided to hike one more trail along Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park.
Instead of paying $ 10 again, we just parked along the highway and cross the highway.
There’s a gifts shop, little café, Big Sur lodge and clean bathrooms.
There’s a campground here and there are a lot of trails.
We did the Buzzard’s Roost Trail and the one that’s leading to the falls, it’s called Pfeiffer Falls Trail.
Heading to the falls is easy; it’s only 1.4 miles roundtrip. Anyone can do it, I saw many kids doing the hike as well.
Heading towards the falls is uphill, and has some stairs; it can be tiring but not difficult.
It’s within the forest so it’s shady.
Scenic and easy hike that ends with a 60ft high waterfall!
Opposing side of Pfeiffer Falls Trail is the Valley View Trail.
2 miles roundtrip, it’s easy as well that offers great views of Point Sur and Big Sur Valley.
If you want to swim and dive in the swimming holes, check out Gorge Trail – one mile hike, more of rock climbing though. It’s a narrow gorge with large granite rocks and swimming holes.

$ 10 parking or free street parking
This spot can get crowded but it’s only a quick 5 minute walk to the view. There’s no beach access here but the view is awesome! It isn’t a hike but there’s plenty of hiking spots around the area.
When we went on July 4^th weekend, it was foggy but still pretty. I saw this spot on Instgram a few months back and I knew that I had to make a trip here if I were to drive to SF. The drive to here is on the 1 freeway and the view was breathtaking the whole way!
There’s a public restroom there but there was a really long line. Luckily I didn’t need to go.
Definitely a spot to check out of you’re on a road trip up and down the coast of California! Check out the Bixby bridge 30 minutes north of this spot too! It’s along the 1 freeway too!

We didn’t have much time to stop, but you really only need like 30 min and you can take in the beauty of McWay Falls.
PARKING:
We parked in the side of the road (yes it was a bit dangerous) as the shoulders are quite narrow, but it’s free! We were traveling north so we had to quickly run across the road to access the trail without getting killed. So be careful!
TRAIL:
The trail is actually on the side of HWY1 driving South! It’s kind of hidden but you will see people walking toward it. It’s a very short and flat walk. You can really wear any type of shoe and you will be fine. You can’t see the falls from the freeway but walk along the path and you will shortly be revealed the wonder of McWay falls! At the end of the trail, you can read about the falls’ history (how it was formed) and about Julia Pfeiffer, the original pioneer of the area.

We rode our bikes down Highway 1 through Big Sur so it was impossible to miss Julia Pfeiffer Burns state park and the famous McWay Falls because you can see it from the side of the road from a ways away. We parked right next to the trail entrance and walked down in just a few minutes to get a closer look. There’s interesting history about the house that used to stand on that location (can you imagine living there??) and the landslide that altered the cove.
There’s a tunnel connecting the trail to the main park entrance where there are bathrooms with running water and toilets. I’m not sure if there’s a fee for entering the park but you can easily stash your car at the side of the Highway 1 and walk to the falls lookout without entering the park (I saw lots of cars parked there).

«Big Sur is the California that men dreamed of years ago, this is the Pacific that Balboa looked at from the Peak of Darien, this is the face of the earth as the Creator intended it to look» — Henry Miller
How have I missed reviewing this park? Obviously I have posted a few photos ;-)
You know this park because of the lookout to McWay Falls. But the reason it gets 5 stars is not just for that iconic view, but for the inland trail that takes up to a waterfall, through a redwood forest and then to on top of the hills with a magnificent view of the Big Sur coast.
It’s rather silly frankly to pay $ 10 just to see the falls… there are a billion photos online you can see it for free. Spend more than just 10 minutes here. Walk along side the creek, take your time going up through the forest… spend a couple of hours in this wondrous forest rather than just check off a box of your Big Sur list. You really haven’t explored Big Sur until you’ve hiked it for hours over multiple days and even through multiple hours.
The inland hike here is less than 5 miles, follow the Ewoldsen Trail most of the time and it will loop back. You will thank me later if you do it… the photos don’t lie ;-)