Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park

Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park not to be confused with the much bigger and popular Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park is located along Pacific Highway 1 around 36 miles south of Carmel and 12 miles south of Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park. The 3,000 acre park stretches from the Big Sur coastline into 3,000 foot ridges and is home to 400 feet redwoods which are over 3500 years old. But the main attraction of the park is McWay Falls which tumbles over 80 feet down a granite cliff onto a secluded and very picturesque beach. The waterfall can only be viewed from the Overlook Trail since there is no access to the sandy beach and scenic cove below.

The Overlook Trail is a short trail around .5 miles return which takes roughly 10-15 minutes to walk to the overlook. From the parking lot, it follows McWay Creek, runs through a tunnel under the Coast Highway and emerges to magnificent coastal panoramas. This is a very beautiful spot that offers dramatic coastal vistas and is a must-see if you're travelling along this stretch of highway. There are benches at the end of the trail, perfect for a picnic lunch and for observing migrating grey whales.(Dec-Jan and Mar-Apr)