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Big sur waterfall on beach11/22/2023 ![]() ![]() If you park in the parking lot, you’ll need to walk down a few stairs to get to the trail that leads to a tunnel that goes under Highway 1 and leads you to the falls viewing area. You can either park along PCH for free or pay the $10 Day Use Fee Permit and park in the Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park parking lot. The walk to get to the falls viewing area is a short 0.6 mile round trip along a trail. From the north, you can take US Hwy 101 south to CA Hwy 156 west at Prunedale. If you’re approaching from the south, you’ll need to exit US Hwy 101 at San Luis Obispo and then follow CA Hwy 1 north on through Morro Bay. There’s only one way to get to Big Sur and that’s via your own mode of transport on Highway One. McWay Falls is located in Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park in Big Sur, California. If you want to see the tidefall, go at high tide. So, if you want to see the waterfall fall onto the beach, go at low tide. While McWay Falls is a tidefall during high tide, meaning it falls directly into the ocean, at low tide, the falls splash directly onto the beach. For years, the little waterfall always fell directly into the ocean, but thanks to the massive amount of rains in 1983 which caused mudslides north of the park, the ocean and waves later transported the debris and formed a sandy beach in McWay Cove. McWay Falls is actually a tidefall meaning it falls into the ocean at high tide and onto the beach at low tide.īut McWay Falls has not always splashed onto a beach, even at low tide. You can see a few photos of the house here before it was demolished. The viewing area has a sign with photos and just know that the terrace you’re standing on to view the waterfall used to be a bedroom with a view of the falls. Thus, when the museum could not be finished, the Waterfall House was bulldozed in 1965. Hélène Brown gifted the land to the state of California with the requirement that the house be used as “museum for the custody and display of indigenous Indian relics, flora and fauna of the California coastal area, and historical objects pertaining to the Big Sur country”, or if not, be demolished. They replaced the cabin in 1940 with a modern, two-story home that they named Waterfall House. Named after Christopher McWay, a homesteader who owned the land in the early 1900s, the land was then purchased by Lathrop and Hélène Brown who built a redwood cabin across from the falls (where the viewing area is today). Once you emerge from the tunnel, continue walking along the trail as it veers right along the bluffs, and you will soon come to the overlook, where you can gaze your fill at pretty McWay Falls and snap lots of photos.Visiting Big Sur and thinking about stopping by McWay Falls? Keep reading and learn what to know about McWay Falls BEFORE you go! History of McWay Falls You will then traverse the tunnel under California Highway 1 to get to the western side of the road. Once you go down the steps, you will walk parallel to McWay Canyon, and you can see (and hear) McWay Creek in the canyon below, gurgling its way to the cliffs and the ocean. ![]() The wingspan of the California condor is supposed to be close to 10 feet, so it is indeed a magnificent sight. We’ve not seen one on our visits so far, but don’t forget to scan the tree tops and the skies when you visit: you just may be lucky and spot one of the massive birds! Sea otters and harbor seals can sometimes be seen in the cove.Ĭalifornia condors reportedly roost in the eucalyptus trees by McWay Falls. Especially in December and January, the migrating whales pass close to shore. In the winter and spring, you can look for migrating gray whales as well. ![]()
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