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Julia
Pfeiffer Burns State Park |
Partington Trails to the Cove and Tin House McWay
Falls |
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Almost 2,000 acres of coastal, canyon and mountain greatness, Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park is a fantastic place –and a perfect introduction to Big Sur. |
McWay Creek Photo by Jack Ellwanger
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Most
people just see the ocean coves, waterfalls and
granitic rock islands. What is missed by them are
the ancient growth redwood groves, highland meadows
of amazingly diverse botany, fascinating historical
structures, wonderland-like trails, mixed evergreen
and riparian hardwood forests. Pfeiffer
Burns underwater park from above the McWay falls
(left) Starfish,
sea anemone and other tidepool denizens crowd in at
the Julia Pfeiffer Burns Underwater
Park
(right).
Photos
by Margie Whitnah
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Condors over Big Sur – Julia Pfeiffer Burns has been chosen by these
wondrous creatures to nest
Photo by Daniel Bianchetta
Big
Sur Tours by PelicanNetwork
Big
Sur Road Guide
………………..
Big
Sur Trail Guide
From the
PelicanNetwork description of camping at
JPB: The
sites have a cupboard, table, typical camp
charcoal stand, and a fire pit.
(Sorry,
dogs are not allowed.) These
sites have something rare and exhilarating.
Set on
the south side of the promontory that forms the
threshold for McWay Falls, the camp sites face
Saddle Rock – a unique scene of extraordinary
beauty – and the granite coves of the south side
of this point. The
views are breathtaking. The campsites are
situated among granite boulders, in a pine and
cypress forest. Two
other features of Pfeiffer Burns are worth
mentioning. McWay Falls is an 80 foot drop over
a granite precipice, into the ocean tide on a
pristine beach in a cove that is completely
unmolested by humans – except there is a trail
high up the granite cliffs on the opposite side
where people trod a well beaten path to view one
of this continent’s most exquisite
sights. The
other mentionable feature is a picnic area near
the Park entrance. It is in
a Redwood canyon along the McWay creek – as
delicious and idyllic a scene as any Hollywood
set creator could dream up. There
are ancient Redwoods that were not harvested 125
years ago because they had anomalies –like
twisted trunks or great burl out growths that
diminished their commercial values. But left to
grow they are magnificent reminders of what the
forest was like. They are like huge holy
creatures. The forest floor is a soft bed of
fluffy needles accented by glossy green ferns,
sunlight beaming through the forest canopy onto
the busy, gurgling stream –which is flopping
over colorful, mossy rocks in a gentle meander
to its thunderous fate in the spectacular falls
into the Pacific Ocean. If you
do not see it for yourself, you will not believe
it. Big
Sur Pages A
story about the Waterfall
Trail
Hike-in
environmental campsites, like Molera. But nicer.
And, cost more. Price here is $14 per day in the
In-Season, and $11 per day in the Off-Season.
There are two sites, each accommodates up to 8
people. No water. No toilets. You have to hike
back to the park entrance for those. The hike
from the park’s vehicle parking area is about
1/3 mile. But, the campsites can be reached from
the road by foot (there’s a closed gate at the
trail to the camp sites), and that cuts the hike
in half.
About the Waterfall
Trail and history of Julia Pfeiffer Burns and the
Browns who lived here Coast&Ocean
story.
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