We ventured up Canyon Trail which winds east through the forested terrain along McWay Creek until it ends at the park’s lesser known second waterfall Canyon Falls. Please visit the website below (under “resources”) for details on each trail. Big and bright like the California coast, the womens Parks Project Big Sur Waterfall tank top provides a pop of color and helps support park projects. 25 miles up to 5 miles, each of varying elevation. While absolutely breathtaking, viewing McWay Falls doesn’t require much time (30 minutes should be plenty), so to maximize your visit, I’d recommend exploring one (or more) of the other trails located within the park. If you park along Highway 1, just look for access points to the trail near the park’s entrance. Since Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park (and parking lot) is located on the east-side of Highway 1, the trail will take you underneath the highway through a tunnel before shooting you out along the coast towards the lookout. 3 miles) from the parking lot will take you to the McWay Falls lookout point.
This basically means that it’s a coastal waterfall which gives it the rare distinction of being 1 of only 25 documented tidefalls in the entire world (two of which reside in California, the other being Alamere Falls in Point Reyes).Ī very short trail (approximately. This 80ft drop into the Pacific Ocean classifies McWay Falls as a “tidefall”.
McWay Falls is the result of McWay Creek dumping itself over a cliff into the secluded cove below. Located within Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park along Highway 1 in Big Sur, whatever this waterfall lacks in magnitude (like Niagara or Victoria Falls), it easily makes up for with its paradisal location. McWay Falls just might be the prettiest waterfall in the state and perhaps the country.