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Things to do in Big Sur
Local Hikes
Point Lobos State Reserve
Point Lobos contains headlands, coves and rolling meadows. The offshore area forms one of the richest underwater habitats in the world popular with divers. Wildlife includes seals, sea lions, sea otters and migrating gray whales (from December to May). Thousands of seabirds also make the reserve their home. Hiking trails follow the craggy shoreline and lead to many hidden coves. The area used to be the home of a turn-of -the-century whaling and abalone industry.
Enjoy this Slideshow of Point Lobos.
www.parks.ca.gov
Aerial photos
Garrapata State Beach
The park has two miles of beach front, with coastal hiking and a 50-foot climb to a beautiful view of the Pacific. The park offers diverse coastal vegetation with trails running from ocean beaches into dense redwood groves. The park also features outstanding coastal headlands at Soberanes Point. Sea lions, harbor seals and sea otters frequent the coastal waters and California gray whales pass close by during their yearly migration.
Aerial photos
Point Sur lighthouse and its supporting light station buildings, now a California State Historic Park, stand atop a dramatic volcanic rock just off-shore in Big Sur, California.
www.pointsur.org
Andrew Molera State Park
Creamery Meadow to Molera Beach is a 2 mile round trip, easy. This trail crosses the Big Sur river and then treks through a meadow, ending at Molera Beach and the mouth of the Big Sur River. Mountain biking is allowed on some trails. Directly across Highway 1 is Old Coast Road, a dirt road that is popular among mountain bikers. Horseback riding is available with a variety of rides. Sunset rides...
Aerial photos
Molera 8-mile loop. This is a moderate to strenuous hike with a combination of the Ridge Trail, the Panorama Trail, and the Bluffs Trail with great coastal views and beach access.
Aerial photos
Hiking details for the Andrew Molera Loop, Bluffs, Panorama and Ridge Trails
Ventana Wildlife Society has their field office and bird ornithology lab located at Andrew Molera State Park because of the abundant bird population along the Big Sur River. They often have guided Condor tours and birding adventures. Drop in and see what they're up to.
Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park
Pfeiffer Falls Trail is a 1.4 mile round trip, easy. A scenic hike along Pfeiffer Big Sur creek through one of the park's finest Redwood groves ends at a 60-foot high waterfall.
Hike details
Valley View Trail is a 2 mile round trip from the trailhead or one-half mile from Pfeiffer Falls. This trail takes you from redwoods to oak groves, finally opening up to a view of the Big Sur valley to Point Sur.
Hike details
Oak Grove Trail is a 3-mile round trip from the entrance to Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park. An easy to moderate hike, this trail intersects with the Pfeiffer Falls trail, offering a variety of ecosystems including redwood groves, oak woodlands, and dry chaparral.
Hike details
Pfeiffer Beach
Pfeiffer Beach is a popular destination amongst locals and tourists. It offers a beautiful beach for walking and sunsets are often simply stunning.
Aerial photos
Julia Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park
Enjoy a short, easy stroll on the McWay Waterfall trail which is only six-tenths of a mile roundtrip to an overlook with a direct view of McWay Falls. From this same location journey inland and enjoy a more strenuous hike on the Ewoldsen Trail. This 4.5 mile rountrip is moderate to strenuous. A loop trail begins in a Redwood forest and climbs to reveal breathtaking coastal views.
Hike details
Aerial photos
Partington Cove Trail
Partington Cove is a popular hiking destination which offers two distinctly different options. One is a 2-mile down-and-back to the ocean. At the point you will find a tunnel that was carved out of the rock to historic Partington Cove. This picturesque cove has a beautiful kelp forest and sea otters are often seen lying in the kelp eating shellfish.
Partington Cove hike details
Tanbark Trail
The second option is to hike inland into Partington Canyon. You can follow Partington Creek for a buccolic hike or if you're in the mood for a more strenuous hike you have the option to take the Tan Bark Trail, a 5.6 mile loop with a 1,600 feet elevation gain alongside the south side of Partington Canyon.
Aerial photos
Tanbark Trail & Tin House hiking details
Jade Cove
Jade Cove provides outstanding opportunities for rock-hounding, searching for the coveted Big Sur Jade and diving for jade. The beach is a designated hang-glider site.
Aerial photos
Hike details
Sand Dollar Beach Trail
Sand Dollar Beach area is a nice crescent beach perfect for a stroll in the sand. There are a limited number of sand beaches in Big Sur and this one a great area for a picnic.
Hike details
Aerial photos
Big Sur Hike Map shows where most of these hikes are located along the Big Sur coast with links to even more hiking opportunities. Big Sur photo gallery of these hiking spots.
The above is just a sampling of Things to do in Big Sur and for a sampling of things to do in Carmel, Monterey, Pacific Grove and San Simeon visit our Things to Do nearby to Big Sur page.
For more information about whale watching, birding, hiking, concerts, art galleries and many other activities in Big Sur, visit the Big Sur Chamber of Commerce.
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