Make Way for McWay

Check out McWay Falls in Big Sur

Big Sur’s had some hard luck with fire damage and mudslides in the past few years, but that hasn’t put a stop to its wild natural beauty: epic Pacific views, iconic redwoods, and one of only two beach waterfalls that runs year round: McWay Falls. (The other is Marin’s Alamere Falls.)

Cascading down 80 feet of granite onto the beach, McWay is easy to reach on a 1.2-mile (round-trip) stroll through redwood-fragrant air and past the ruins of a once glorious mansion. McWay is located within Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park, where currently only trails from the west side of Highway 1 are open. You’ll walk the Waterfall Overlook Trail. From the parking area, descend on a dirt trail and across a wooden bridge through a tunnel passing under famous Highway 1.

The tunnel comes out to a big view of the Pacific and a turquoise cove. Follow the trail—currently sprouting wildflowers—until the rocky perch at the end, the vantage for getting a clear view of McWay cascading to the sand and sea. There’s no way down to the beach so you’ll have to marvel from afar at this oasis where freshwater meets the ocean. But the panorama of the Pacific is so good here you may get an added bonus or two: Keep an eye out for migrating whales at sea and the famed California condors, sometimes spotted among the eucalyptus. Big Sur’s going with the flow.

Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park is located at mile marker 35.8 on Hwy. 1. The park is currently only accessible from the north. Parking $10. No dogs.

Trending Stories NorCal

View all Stories
  1. Sequoia Re-opens Crystal Cave

    Step inside Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Park's hidden world by visiting the newly re-opened Crystal Cave—the only cave in the parks open to the public. Closed for four years, this rare marble karst cavern is welcoming visitors once again, but only through the summer season!

    View
  2. Afternoon on the Island

    What is it about tiny islands in the middle of lakes? There’s something that just draws you in. It’s even more fun when getting there is half the adventure because you have to reach it by canoe, kayak, paddleboat, or a ranger-guided boat tour!

    View
  3. Easiest Best Hike in the World

    Choose the easiest and most view-rewarding hike in Yosemite. Okay, we’ll go first: the combination of hiking to Sentinel Dome and Taft Point. Both of these lookouts are within a couple miles of each other on Glacier Point Road

    View
  4. Hiker in the forest at Mount Sutro in San Francisco

    San Francisco's Middle Earth

    No need to travel to New Zealand to visit Middle Earth. San Francisco’s Mount Sutro Open Space is practically Hobbiton—a hidden “shire” in the middle of the city. Okay, maybe not quite as magical, but still an incredible place to take a hike in city limits.

    View

Trending Stories SoCal

View all Stories
  1. Locals' Feature: Jim Litchfield, Owner of Reno Fly Shop

    If there's a river, you're likely to find Jim Litchfield there. As the owner of Reno Fly Shop, Nevada's premier fly fishing outfitter and shop, Jim's passion for rivers knows no bounds: he's fished in places near and far, including Alaska, Bolivia and Christmas Island. But home is beautiful Reno, where he has been running Reno Fly Shop and leading tailored river float and fly fishing adventures (including beginner-friendly options) for over a decade.

    View
  2. Can't Top This

    San Francisco’s Presidio was already a fantastic place to hang out for the afternoon, a beautiful site within the largest urban national park in the United States (the Golden Gate National Recreation Area). And Presidio Tunnel Tops is like a cherry on top. Make that two cherries on top, with the newly opened (July 2025) Outpost Meadow, a 1.5-acre green space located at Old Mason Street across from the Crissy Field Marsh in the Presidio.

    View
  3. Volcanic Activity

    Northern California is home to one of the most unique ecosystems in the country: Lassen Volcanic National Park. The region features geothermal areas, including the largest dome volcano in the world, Lassen Peak. Hike to the top of this active volcano on a 5-mile out-and-back.  

    View
  4. Oh Ryan

    Sure, it’s those whimsical trees that give Joshua Tree National Park its marquee billing; but this beautiful landscape also has surrounding mountains and its night sky—one of the darkest in Southern California and designated an International Dark Sky Park. Joshua Tree has four allowable stargazing parking lots, and a newly opened haven for spending the night nearby...

    View