McWay Falls Big Sur

About this spectacle

McWay Falls tumbles 80 feet directly onto a pristine cove beach at Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park, one of the very few tidally influenced waterfalls in California that drops straight to the ocean. Visitors stand on a paved overlook trail and look down at turquoise water meeting golden sand, framed by rugged Santa Lucia cliffs and sea caves. The roar of surf mingles with the hiss of the falls, and on clear days the light refracts into soft rainbows in the mist. The cove itself is inaccessible — you observe from above, which lends the scene an untouched, almost dreamlike quality. Otters occasionally float in the kelp offshore, and California brown pelicans glide past at eye level. Sunrise bathes the west-facing cove in soft side-light, while golden-hour late afternoon fills the amphitheater of cliffs with warm color. The short, flat overlook trail makes the spectacle accessible to nearly all visitors.

When to go

Jan — Dec, peak Nov — May

Getting there

Nearest airport: MRY. Nearest city: Monterey.

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