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Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park, Big Sur, CA

Photo: Wordydave, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Cropped and resized.

Sport & OutdoorIconicOutdoor Adventure

Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park

Highway 1, 37 miles south of Carmel · Big Sur, CA

Why you should go…

Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park sits on Highway 1, 37 miles south of Carmel, and runs from the Big Sur coastline up to 3,000-foot ridges. It is known for McWay Falls, an 80-foot waterfall that spills onto a beach you can view only from above, since there is no beach or ocean access. You can also walk through a tunnel blasted through rock to Partington Cove, once a tanbark shipping port. The park is named for a pioneer woman of the Big Sur country.

  • #state park
  • #waterfall
  • #big sur
  • #coastal views
  • #redwoods

Good to know

General sport & outdoor guidance

Habits that pay off across this whole category, not rules for this one venue. Always check the official site for the specifics.

  • Weather calls the shots

    Check the forecast the morning of and keep an indoor backup in your pocket for the day it turns.

  • Shoes, water, sun cover

    The three things that decide whether you last the whole outing or cut it short after an hour.

  • Parking and launches fill early

    On a nice weekend, lots and trailheads are often full by mid-morning.

  • Daylight shrinks in shoulder season

    Spring and fall visits need an earlier start than the same trip in July.

What's around here?

The closest stops to Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park, ordered by straight-line distance. A few more like it, plus some different kinds of fun so you can build a full day.

  • Tours
    Family Favorite

    Princess Monterey Whale Watching

    $50+

    Narrated whale watching and wildlife cruises on Monterey Bay aboard two large heated vessels departing from Old Fisherman's Wharf.

    16 mi awaySwitch it up: Tours

  • Tours
    Outdoor Adventure

    Discovery Whale Watch

    $50+

    Narrated whale watching cruises departing daily from Monterey's Fisherman's Wharf.

    16 mi awaySwitch it up: Tours

  • Tours
    Family Favorite

    Little Mermaid Glass Bottom Boat Tours

    Under $25

    Cruise Monterey Harbor on a glass bottom boat to spot sea otters, seals, and kelp forest life.

    16 mi awaySwitch it up: Tours

  • Tours
    Outdoor Adventure

    Central Coast Scuba

    $50+

    Family-owned dive shop offering guided scuba and snorkeling tours plus PADI and NAUI certification courses in Monterey Bay.

    16 mi awaySwitch it up: Tours

  • Sightseeing
    Iconic

    Old Fisherman's Wharf

    Free

    Historic waterfront pier in Monterey lined with seafood restaurants, shops and whale-watching operators.

    16 mi awaySwitch it up: Sightseeing

  • Sport & Outdoor
    Outdoor Adventure

    Pinnacles National Park

    $25–$50

    Hike among volcanic rock spires, scramble through talus caves and watch for California condors overhead.

    36 mi awayMore like this