Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park

Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park

Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park
4.5
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Duration: 2-3 hours
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4.5
4.5 of 5 bubbles77 reviews
Excellent
62
Very good
11
Average
3
Poor
1
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195508Anonymous
256 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Sep 2022
We visited Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park because much of the Julia Pfeiffer park trails were closed due to fires, slides etc. This was an excellent alternative. We took the falls and valley view hikes which are connected. They were wonderful even on a cloudy, rather dreary day. The trails were easy to navigate and we met enough other hikers on the trail to ensure we were going in the right direction. The view of the small falls was lovely and the valley view was definitely worth the uphill hiking. We really enjoyed this morning of hiking.
Written September 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.

Penny W
Galesburg, IL45 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2020 • Friends
If you can find the beach it is well worth the effort. It is NOT marked well from the highway so you really need to ask for directions first. There are three keyholes to view and wonderful waves to watch. They do NOT accept national park pass so be prepared to pay.
Written February 15, 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.

Steve5863
Avon, OH12,818 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2019 • Family
The Big Sur is famous for being a remote, rugged and spectacularly beautiful coastline and while one can easily spend several days exploring this stretch of coastline between Carmel and San Simeon, connected by the Pacific Coast Highway (CA-1), it is also very possible to see and experience a lot in a single day as we did.

Getting an early start, we took a long day to drive this 90 mile (145k) stretch of the PCH which takes one by the spectacular rocky coast, with waves crashing, and dotted by sandy beaches. We stopped at many pullouts to get a good look as well as a number of state beaches and parks including Garrapata, Pfeiffer Beach, Julia Pfeiffer Burns and Limekiln. Along the way we saw historic bridges, lighthouses, redwoods, wildflowers, waterfalls, sea lions, harbor seals, sea otters, and even purple sand (Pfeiffer Beach) with the final stop being the elephant seal rookery at Piedras Blancas, just north of San Simeon, where we saw hundreds.

Following the spectacular day, we were left with no doubt as to the well-deserved fame and reputation of this stretch of coast and hope to return some day to see more.
Written April 28, 2019
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.

Jackson Lo
New York City, NY975 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Nov 2017 • Couples
Big Sur is big. There's a lot of viewpoints to check out and there isn't just one perfect spot to take it all in. I recommend driving down the Pacific Coast Highway and make multiple stops along the way including the Bixby Bridge, McWay Falls and the Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park. Those are all nice places to check out.
Written September 29, 2018
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.

Andy B
New Jersey380 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2019
If you want to get on the right path for your vacation in the Big Sur, stop by this ranger station and visit the park. The staff here was very informative and provided much needed guidance for our tour. Go during the week, because at least in our experience, there was only one ranger working the weekend. During the week there were two. The weekends are crowed in the state park for good reason, it is beautiful and I am sure is packed with locals as well as transients like us!
Written October 21, 2019
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.

carlosdieppa
Miami Beach, FL783 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Dec 2021
We hiked up a trail and had great views in the different trails, some where more challenging better suited for advances hikers.

This is a very well run and maintained state park.
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.

CrisFM7
Nashua, NH234 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2019 • Couples
I think God put extra effort into making this part of California. It is truly beautiful and there's so much serenity all around.
Written March 26, 2019
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.

Luz Ma
Miami, FL73 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Nov 2017 • Friends
It is a must! You will be amazed by the landscaping.
We left Carmel at noon and as soon as we started the Big Sur we lost service; we were counting on our cell phone's GPS, so it was hard to find some of the main attractions (Pfeiffer Beach for example is hidden and there are no visible signs -we had to ask people at a close restaurant for its location)
The road is blocked after Lucia. We were told about a detour, but some cars were stuck on the road, so that was not an option. We went back to Monterey. Still, we enjoyed so much our trip! Great memories and pictures, for sure!
Written November 12, 2017
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.

L0ve2TravelCanada
Toronto, Canada423 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2019 • Couples
The scenery is stunning and the drive at times get scary. Nevertheless, the stunning scenery is not just unique to Big Sur. The coastal drive in Northern California is nothing short of breath taking and one would get sweatier palms driving through winding coastal roads of Northern California ( Fort Bragg to Bodega Bay). Some places are better known and famous that the others and Big Sur is definitely one of them.
Written July 12, 2019
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.

LV
Palm Coast, FL273 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
May 2019 • Couples
Highly reccomend taking the PCH through here. There are some parts of the road with hairpin turns. I was OK but my husband had some issues with the heights. Some areas. Have no guard rails. If you are a little scared of clifts and heights, take the road north. South you are on the outside next to the drops offs.
Written May 27, 2019
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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Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2024)

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