Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park

Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park

Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park
4.5
State Parks • Beaches
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A breathtaking 80-foot waterfall dropping from the cliffs to the ocean is the focal point of this park.
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  • happytraveler2010_10
    Sedona, Arizona147 contributions
    Peace and quiet
    If you want peace and quiet this campground is for you. We camped here in our small travel trailer. Our site was on the river side and we could hear the sound of the water. Our trailer and truck just fit in the pad. The sites seem to run small and are great for tents or smaller motorhomes. Overall most of the sites are too small for bigger rvs, so if you have one, make sure you reserve a site that is long enough. There are sites that are not on the river that are in the redwoods. If you have a dog, they are only allowed on a few trails. Also avoid the weekends. We arrived on a Sunday and it was noisy, but quieted down during the week.
    Visited May 2021
    Written May 28, 2021
  • ArlettgKeating
    Rancho Cucamonga, California26 contributions
    A smallish park with a quick walk
    Really all you can do here in January is take the short walk to see the waterfall. But its worth the walk and worth stoping. Yes you pay $10 to park, but then you get a pass that is good for all state parksnfor the rest of thw day. We ended up going to 3 state parks so for a little more than $3 a park, totally worth it.
    Visited January 2020
    Traveled with family
    Written January 6, 2020
  • phvi2617
    Anaheim, California485 contributions
    Come for the falls, stay for the redwoods
    Most travelers stop here to see McWay Falls. It's a very pretty sight, but it's often crowded, and most of the trails near the parking area are closed due to fire damage, making for a rather quick excursion. If you're looking for a little more adventure, go north on Hwy 1 for two miles and check out the Tan Bark Trail on the east side of the highway, opposite the Partington Cove Trailhead. It's a little hard to find, but it's a real treasure. The trail follows the babbling Partington Creek through a coastal canyon with stands of redwoods and lush ferns. About a mile in, the trail gets a bit steeper, but you can always turn back whenever you like. Overall, it's a gorgeous and serene area with lots of solitude. It's remote with no cell service, so be prepared and check out the Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park website for more information and current conditions.
    Visited July 2021
    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.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
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4.5
1,459 reviews
Excellent
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Average
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Poor
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TennisStar602
New Jersey564 contributions
Oct 2022 • Solo
A person must pay ten dollars ($10.00) to park at Julia Pfieffer Burns State Park, and then an individual must walk under a tunnel to a path which allows hikers to witness this beautiful waterfall. This waterfall is humble, but the views of it with the surrounding Pacific Ocean is breathtaking. The next door mountains are gigantic. There are awesome rock formations and a variety of unique plants. The access to go further down the hill is currently closed due to construction. I thought that the admission price was high due to the fact that the trail was curtailed, but the scenery was magnificent and it was totally worth my visit.
Written October 29, 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.

melwashere81
Cleveland, TX1,141 contributions
Sep 2021 • Couples
There isn't much to do here other than hike to the viewing area at the top of the falls. It would have been nice to hike down to the beach and get some amazing views of the waterfall BUT most of the hikes are closed off due to recent fire damage. Its a shame because I would have loved to spend half the day hiking the trails. The trail to the falls isn't far but its really crowded so good luck getting a good view of the falls. With the park not being fully open its not worth the $10 admission just to see the falls. Maybe next time I come through the whole park will be open again....
Written September 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.

Bambi12345
181 contributions
Aug 2022 • Couples
The view is beautiful, but there are a few downsides to consider. The place is quite small and there is only a single view point. If you drive though route 1, this stop is not very special. The parking costs 10$, you can pay cash only and need to have the exact amount.
Written August 12, 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.

Rahul Anand
United States45 contributions
Sep 2019
Big Sur, California drive is full of scenic beauty and McWay is one of them. No one can go near to fall, there is a small trail to go and see McWay Falls from the top. And there is a 10$ fee for car parking.
Written March 22, 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.

Backpacker
San Luis Obispo, CA1,071 contributions
Jan 2020
I just spent last weekend camping at Julia Pfeiffer Burns SP Environmental Campsite 1. It was very nice! Beautiful scenery, clean port-a-potties, and trash/recycle cans. The surf provides this repetitive white noise that caused me to have a great night sleep.

My only issue is that the map shows the two sites as separated and one looks to be above the other one. But this is not the case. They are right by each other. So, you just have to hope your neighbor camper is quiet and considerate. I got lucky, but I was worried.

I am very glad I camped here, but probably wouldn't do it again, unless I was able to reserve both sites.
Written January 13, 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.

Rahul Anand
United States45 contributions
Sep 2019
Big Sur, California drive is full of scenic beauty and McWay is one of them. No one can go near to fall, there is a small trail to go and see McWay Falls from the top. And there is a 10$ fee for car parking.
Written July 28, 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.

SteelCity13
Austin, TX885 contributions
Apr 2021
Great Park but not alot of the trails are open right now. This is the park you need to enter to see McWay Falls. Which is the waterfall that flows directly onto the beach. Would have loved to do more hikes in this beautiful park but they were all closed for safety. The trail for McWay falls and the trail for Partington are open. Partington trail is a short but very scenic trail that goes over wooden bridges, through beautiful redwoods, in and out of tunnels and have great ocean coves to explore. Its a very great little hike that anyone can do.
Written May 1, 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.

TedSeattle
Seattle31 contributions
Sep 2022
The view isn't bad, but nothing out of the ordinary for the region, and not worth the $10 parking fee or the hassle of negotiating the cramped, crowded parking area. There are plenty of spots along the highway that are easy to pull off onto where the views are better. Also, don't believe any website that says you can see redwoods here. There is only a short path to the shore, nothing more.
Written September 12, 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.

Kristi M
Arizona36 contributions
Jul 2021 • Family
Our first time here. Using the directions provided by other travelers on TA we were able to find the turn off with no problems! The road is narrow but scenic. The parking area is small but we were able to grab a spot at 2:00pm on the first try. The views are beautiful! We are glad we went however... the wind was so bad the sand was pelting us non-stop. We tried to find area that might be less windy but there were none! We should have worn our goggles so we could see without the sand getting in our eyes. Maybe is was an overly windy day? We don't know. We did not stay as long as we had hoped because the sand in our eyes was too much. We would absolutely go again! The views are worth it. We had expectations of sitting on the beach enjoying the views or maybe hiking around. The wind/sand was too intense during our visit to do that.
Written July 3, 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.

Becky053
Bloomington, IN285 contributions
Jun 2021
This visit was a disappointment after seeing this about 10 years ago. Much of the area is closed off, including the path to the former house site. That, to me, was the most special spot, affording 180 degree views of the ocean area and seeing what a nirvana place to have a house would be.
Written June 9, 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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