Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park

Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park

Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park
4.5

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  • GrandTour61795333
    21 contributions
    Amazing redwood trails And a wonderful cafe & bar!
    We enjoyed the amazing redwoods on the path by the river and then on the hike to the Pfeiffer Falls. The Pfeiffer Falls trail was steep going up, but the redwoods make it worth the effort! We continued on from the Falls to the Valley View trail and we probably would not recommend that trail. It would have been more enjoyable for us to just walk back down the Pfeiffer Falls trail. We also were pleasantly surprised that the park had a cafe (we loved the shrimp tacos and the ice cream) with wonderful seating on the back deck -- with a bar, wine and beer. It was a delightful day in Big Sur!
    Visited August 2021
    Written September 8, 2021
  • Nikko Gandia
    Monterey, California480 contributions
    hiking valley view to pfeiffer falls trail loop after 13 year closure
    i hiked the valley view to pfeiffer falls trail loop after a 13 year closure and posted a video that includes a vlog, tips and suggestions for all hiking levels, so future visitors can be prepared for the journey to come. you can find a link to my youtube on my profile or you can look me up by name “nikko gandia”. it's highly trafficked. if the lots are full, there's parking right outside the entrance. the loop is about 3 miles and 700ft of elevation gain. recommend going clockwise to see the falls last and because the decent is easier. waterfall only hike - i recommend going on the east side of the trail, it’s about 2 miles out and back. shorter, easier and more scenic.
    Visited July 2021
    Written August 8, 2021
  • motherchristmas61
    Richardson, Texas862 contributions
    Beautiful purple sand
    My daughter and I and her 2 small children drove from Pacific Grove to Pfeiffer Beach. Beautiful coastal drive! There is a sign to turn for the beach, but is rather sharp and then it is a two mile drive on a one way dirt road to the beach parking. No large vehicles are allowed. If you are driving a motor home type vehicle, you can park on the main road and walk the two miles. The entry fee was 12.00. They like exact change or credit card. They are famous for their keyhole rock formation and their purple sand. We were told at the entrance the sand is only purple during the wet winter months because the rain loosens the manganese garnet rocks from the cliffs which turn the sand its beautiful pink and purple hues. We took our lunch and ate on the beach, enjoying the crashing waves. The kids enjoyed playing in the sand and climbing rocks. We planned it so we would be there at low tide and maybe see some tide pools, but they were having King high tides and it was barely low enough to walk the whole beach along the cliffs. There are restrooms and trash cans at the parking lot. Beautiful beach! We loved our day there.
    Visited January 2021
    Traveled with family
    Written January 8, 2021
  • Thomas J
    Fremont, California2 contributions
    Amazing "Free Park". Hurry and don't linger there.
    Review: I hated every state parks because they cost money, but you can walk in trails with limited time for free. Limited parking time is enough for a small hiking trip with a picnic. The tall redwoods are amazing. A big quiet river flow slowly. There's tables for picnic. Blue birds will fly very close towards you. The park is a nice protected environment in the harsh Big Sur lands, I would pick this out of all the Big Sur state parks. Useful Plans For You If You Want To Go There: My family started the second day of SF-LA trip. We went from Monterey to Pismo Beach. I suggest you to buy lunch in Monterey and serve in the picnic tables. Hike the river trail. Pass the water. Have your lunch at the lunch tables. Hurry, or you can't reach San Luis Obispo by sunset. There's not a single campground or hotel for you after this park.
    Visited July 2022
    Written October 5, 2022
  • Laura S
    Santa Ana, California80 contributions
    Beautiful but not for the faint hearted.
    Stunningly beautiful but so windy sand pelted skin! There's a narrow road in but cars were courteous to pull aside for passing. There's a $12 parking fee and the lot is small. It was a beautiful sunny, sheltered spot. Then you walk a small trail to the large beach. As soon as you get to the opening you are hit by galeforce winds. As we went back to the car I had felt bad for all the families with toddlers who were joyfully taking along their sand toys. Not gonna happen! I'm not sure hiw regularly its rhat windy, but the gate attendant should let you know as you pay to enter. Or maybe it would be helpful to post the beach windspeed.
    Visited June 2021
    Traveled with family
    Written June 13, 2021
  • Sharpinv
    Sisters, Oregon7 contributions
    short straw has to drive
    Amazing vistas with a color of ocean water I've never seen before. We came from the south and it's definitely a couple of hours of hard curvy slow driving so the passengers definitely get the most out of it. IF coming from the south, don't worry too much about trying to get into the little gravel turn outs for a view - the good views come later and have plenty of parking and much safer to enter/exit. For someone that had the choice and didn't want to make the entire drive, my opinion is that the top quarter is by far the prettiest and has the most "official" turn outs, etc. and if we had known that I wouldn't have stopped nearly as much on the southern three quarters. Still, glad we did it all but cherry picking the northern 20 miles gives you 90% of the experience with 25% of the hard driving.
    Visited May 2022
    Written May 27, 2022
  • Christin L
    Downey, California15 contributions
    Wonderful Campground
    This was our first time staying in the campground. After the initial frustration of trying to reserve sites 6 months in advance with everything selling out in the first few minutes, the rest of the check in process was easy. The sites are large and easily accommodated the 3 tents we needed. There was a creek a short walk from the site which everyone enjoyed. The bathrooms are well-maintained with soap and toilet paper. The showers always have hot water. Something we didn’t prepare for was hold cold it got at night. Since it was July, we assumed a couple blankets would be sufficient. In the end, we slept in sweatpants, sweaters, socks, and an extra picnic blanket to stay warm enough. Planning to come back next year.
    Visited July 2022
    Traveled with family
    Written July 10, 2022
  • JBRetired
    Apple Valley, California466 contributions
    Pfeiffer Falls Trail don’t miss it
    This trail has been rebuilt all new stairs and wide path. A lot of steps but take your time it is worth it. First it takes you through a magical woods of huge trees. At the end is the falls I would guess 60’ and runs all year. No it’s not a wide falls but it’s a beautiful setting. So let’s go!
    Visited March 2022
    Traveled as a couple
    Written March 23, 2022
  • Gardengel-IoW
    West Sussex, United Kingdom690 contributions
    trekking only
    $10 to get in to park another 2 if you want a map of the paths. 4 small car parks all pretty close to each other, so cant see much of park by driving. We didnt have much time anyway so parked as near we could to stream and did a very short walk along stream shore. Ok but not spectacular. Over the road a short path 'nature walk' was just a walk through some trees where you could still see the road and nothing outstanding to see. Toilet facilities available once in car parks Disappointing
    Visited February 2020
    Written February 21, 2020
  • Naturelover
    California156 contributions
    Parking challenging,beautiful park
    As always parking was challenging even on a Fri at 10am.It was probably more busy thought because it was right before Labor Day. We hiked Buzzard Trail,it’s a moderate hike with distance ocean views. Loved all the Redwood Trees. FYI some trails closed due to Dolan fire,most likely won’t be restored until 2026.
    Visited September 2021
    Traveled as a couple
    Written September 17, 2021
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
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Thomas J
Fremont, CA2 contributions
Jul 2022
Review:
I hated every state parks because they cost money, but you can walk in trails with limited time for free. Limited parking time is enough for a small hiking trip with a picnic. The tall redwoods are amazing. A big quiet river flow slowly. There's tables for picnic. Blue birds will fly very close towards you. The park is a nice protected environment in the harsh Big Sur lands, I would pick this out of all the Big Sur state parks.
Useful Plans For You If You Want To Go There:
My family started the second day of SF-LA trip. We went from Monterey to Pismo Beach. I suggest you to buy lunch in Monterey and serve in the picnic tables. Hike the river trail. Pass the water. Have your lunch at the lunch tables. Hurry, or you can't reach San Luis Obispo by sunset. There's not a single campground or hotel for you after this park.
Written October 5, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Laura S
Santa Ana, CA80 contributions
Jun 2021 • Family
Stunningly beautiful but so windy sand pelted skin! There's a narrow road in but cars were courteous to pull aside for passing. There's a $12 parking fee and the lot is small. It was a beautiful sunny, sheltered spot. Then you walk a small trail to the large beach. As soon as you get to the opening you are hit by galeforce winds. As we went back to the car I had felt bad for all the families with toddlers who were joyfully taking along their sand toys. Not gonna happen! I'm not sure hiw regularly its rhat windy, but the gate attendant should let you know as you pay to enter. Or maybe it would be helpful to post the beach windspeed.
Written June 13, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Sharpinv
Sisters, OR7 contributions
May 2022
Amazing vistas with a color of ocean water I've never seen before. We came from the south and it's definitely a couple of hours of hard curvy slow driving so the passengers definitely get the most out of it. IF coming from the south, don't worry too much about trying to get into the little gravel turn outs for a view - the good views come later and have plenty of parking and much safer to enter/exit. For someone that had the choice and didn't want to make the entire drive, my opinion is that the top quarter is by far the prettiest and has the most "official" turn outs, etc. and if we had known that I wouldn't have stopped nearly as much on the southern three quarters. Still, glad we did it all but cherry picking the northern 20 miles gives you 90% of the experience with 25% of the hard driving.
Written May 27, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Christin L
Downey, CA15 contributions
Jul 2022 • Family
This was our first time staying in the campground. After the initial frustration of trying to reserve sites 6 months in advance with everything selling out in the first few minutes, the rest of the check in process was easy. The sites are large and easily accommodated the 3 tents we needed. There was a creek a short walk from the site which everyone enjoyed. The bathrooms are well-maintained with soap and toilet paper. The showers always have hot water. Something we didn’t prepare for was hold cold it got at night. Since it was July, we assumed a couple blankets would be sufficient. In the end, we slept in sweatpants, sweaters, socks, and an extra picnic blanket to stay warm enough. Planning to come back next year.
Written July 11, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

JBRetired
Apple Valley, CA466 contributions
Mar 2022 • Couples
This trail has been rebuilt all new stairs and wide path. A lot of steps but take your time it is worth it. First it takes you through a magical woods of huge trees. At the end is the falls I would guess 60’ and runs all year. No it’s not a wide falls but it’s a beautiful setting. So let’s go!
Written March 23, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Gardengel-IoW
West Sussex, UK690 contributions
Feb 2020
$10 to get in to park another 2 if you want a map of the paths.
4 small car parks all pretty close to each other, so cant see much of park by driving.
We didnt have much time anyway so parked as near we could to stream and did a very short walk along stream shore. Ok but not spectacular. Over the road a short path 'nature walk' was just a walk through some trees where you could still see the road and nothing outstanding to see.
Toilet facilities available once in car parks
Disappointing
Written February 21, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Naturelover
California156 contributions
Sep 2021 • Couples
As always parking was challenging even on a Fri at 10am.It was probably more busy thought because it was right before Labor Day.
We hiked Buzzard Trail,it’s a moderate hike with distance ocean views.
Loved all the Redwood Trees.
FYI some trails closed due to Dolan fire,most likely won’t be restored until 2026.
Written September 17, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

GradingMachine
Oak Park, CA541 contributions
Jul 2021
My wife and I hiked to Pfeiffer Falls after parking at the lodge. We did NOT see any of the spectacular views on the state park website--mostly because the lodge offers 90-minute free parking for short hikes, all that we had time for. We weren't entirely prepared for the hike. It was more vertical and rigorous than we anticipated. White tennis shoes and Coach bags were not the best hiking attire/accessories although we received a few compliments. :) We made it! The falls are unimpressive due to the drought. The falls are more like a "trickle."
Written July 22, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Michael K
929 contributions
Aug 2022
This park has a bit of everything: redwood trees, waterfalls, and scenic river for dipping in the water. At the Big Sur River Gorge, there are quiet and calm sections of the river that are quite scenic and there are rocky areas with plenty of visitors enjoying themselves in the pools of water. To get there, park at the Day Use Lot 3 and follow the sign to the gorge. The Pfeiffer Falls is about 60- foot tall reachable from a "moderate" 1.3-mile out and back trail with lots of stairs. To get there, park at the Day Use Lot 1 and follow the sign to the fall.
Written August 14, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

phvi2617
Anaheim, CA485 contributions
Jul 2021
This is a really nice state park with great scenery and lots of amenities. The hike to Valley View overlook and Pfeiffer Falls is fairly easy (though with lots of stairs) and includes great views and a pretty cascade. There are some other nice little trails along the Big Sur River. The only drawback was that it was rather crowded for my taste. If you prefer more serenity, it may be better to visit during the off-season.
Written August 14, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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