Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park
Trail
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Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park and History of Big
Sur
In Big Sur River Valley,
from Pfeiffer Ridge, which flanks the ocean, to the
Ventana Wilderness, Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park is
a rare and wonderful place.
It is the heart of Big Sur
– where the first American pioneers settled.
It was the most hospitable
place – river, valley, redwoods. Settlers farmed
and made honey with the abundance of wildflowers.
The park is 1,006 acres of
old growth redwoods, magnificent mountain views,
granite river gorge, condors and rich
history.
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Big
Sur
began 35 million years ago, 14 miles deep in the
earth off the coast of Mexico. Tectonic plates
rubbing against each other moved these
mountainous rocks north. Five million years ago
they pushed up out of the ocean to form an
island that is now Big Sur. The Santa Lucia
range, which includes the Ventana Wilderness of
today, is young and precocious.
Indians
Before colonization by
the Spanish Empire, indigenous people populated
the southern Monterey Bay area including the
Salinas Valley, Monterey Peninsula, Big Sur
coast, and Santa Lucia Mountains. Throughout the
years, these people have been identified by
different tribal names including Ohlone,
Costanoan, and Esselen. Their descendents today
chose a legal name that reflects that
identification diversity.
Today, the
Ohlone/Costanoan-Esselen Nation is seeking
federal tribal recognition.
The Esselen territory
encompassed the interior of the Santa Lucia
Range and portions of the Big Sur coast. The
Spanish colonization and mission building was to
change every aspect of indigenous peoples’ lives
in California, and the Monterey area was no
exception. The forced relocation of Native
Americans decimated their culture and numbers.
In 1939 the last fluent speaker, Isabel Meadows,
of the traditional local languages
died.
But the culture and
people survived and thrive today. Some Esselen
escaped the missions and hid in caves in Carmel
Valley. A few became trappers for Russians,
later cattle drivers for the
Spaniards.
Some re-entered
American society as Mexicans. These few have
kept their Native American traditions alive, and
continue as stewards of the Santa Lucia
Mountains and coastal valleys. Salinan Indians
thrived in the San Antonio Valley, Salinas
Valley and throughout the Santa Lucia range from
Carmel Valley to Paso Robles, and to Morro Bay
on the coast.
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History
of Big Sur Lodge
Before the
arrival of American pioneers, the Big Sur
region was settled during the Mexican
period.
The development
of two very large land grants from the
1830s, El Sur and San Jose y Sur Chiquito,
were north of the park but led to
settlement farther south. The culture of
the coast during the nineteenth century
was predominantly Hispanic. To this day,
an Hispanic thread continues to weave
throughout the area’s history and
culture.
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Pioneer
cabin c. 1880s
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The first European
immigrants to settle permanently in Big Sur were
Michael and Barbara Pfeiffer. Their son, John,
and his wife, Florence, homesteaded a parcel on
the north bank of the Big Sur River. Like most
settlers of that era, they spoke Spanish. John
was more comfortable speaking Spanish than
English.
Photo by Margie
Whitnah
When John and
Florence Pfeiffer settled the area, they found
that others were drawn here by the fishing,
hunting and exploring. The Pfeiffer’s let the
visitors stay at the ranch. John cared little
for money and insisted that visitors not be
charged.
Florence, however,
became increasingly disgruntled by the number of
drop-in visitors, the cost and workload she bore
for their care, and the rudeness of those who
took the Pfeiffer’s hospitality for
granted.
Finally, her patience
reached its end when she saw a visitor beating
his mule. She told the bully, who had stayed
without even a “thank you” to the Pfeiffer’s,
that he couldn’t treat the mule like that on her
property. From that time on, visitors had to pay
for their meals, beds and horse feed, and were
forbidden to mistreat an animal. That was the
beginning of the Pfeiffer Ranch Resort, now the
location of the Big Sur Lodge.
John was disappointed
but acquiesced to his wife’s wishes.
In 1933, the Pfeiffer’s
sold and donated 680 acres of their ranch to the
State of California. This became Pfeiffer
Redwood State Park in commemoration of the
family’s contribution to the pioneer history of
the Big Sur region and of their gift to the
state. Like most of the Big Sur settlers, John
Pfeiffer was a naturalist and conservationist,
and he stipulated that the ranch be saved as a
park.
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Getting Around Big Sur
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The
most asked question here at
the Big Sur Lodge is, “Where
is Big Sur?” The answers
usually are, “It is a region
90 miles long and 40 miles
wide;” and, “It is not a
place. It is a state of
mind.”
However
you like to refer to this
unique slice of geography, Big
Sur is a rare place with many
faces.
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Like
an island, the northern half of the
Santa Lucia coastal mountain range has
evolved an unusual ensemble of geologic
and botanical communities. Nearly 200
plants have their northernmost habitat
here, and, similarly, nearly that many
have their southernmost habitat here
also. You will see Yucca
Whipplei from the Mexican high
desert, and Sequoia sempervirens
from the subarctic peacefully and
luxuriantly prospering here.
Today,
Big Sur is a coastal
wilderness. It is as pristine
as could be imagined for its
200,000 acres and 90 miles of
premium California coast. It
is a grand testimony to the
human craving for appreciating
this raw, bold beauty that it
has been protected. A highway
was constructed in the 1930’s
just to see this boldly
beautiful natural setting. The
road in this setting has come
to define Big Sur for most
people. But, the will of the
pioneers to conserve the
remarkable region has
prevented Big Sur’s
destruction by
development.
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Margaret
Owings, who created Friends of the Sea
Otter, said, “There’s something about
Big Sur that puts people in their
place. Something they have to come back
to, because it does something to you.
And it gives you a responsibility to
keep it like this.”
Ninety-five
per cent of Big Sur is the
fold-upon-fold of Ventana Wilderness,
each a unique watershed, rare biology,
incredible geology that most people
never see. In the coastal mountain
canyons that vein the intricate quilt
of watersheds, such as seen when hiking
the Partington watershed, one gets an
inside peek at this wondrous
country.
In
Pacific Ocean coves, sea otters and
elephant seals have been rediscovered
after their announced
extinction.
You
can access nearly every distinctive
habitat here from Highway One. The U.S.
Post Office, sort of the “official”
location of Big Sur, is two miles south
beside an interesting assortment of
businesses.
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People
of Big Sur
Some
of the finest novelists, painters,
poets and photographers have found
inspiration for their works in Big
Sur’s Coast. Robert Louis Stevenson,
Mary Austin, Jack London, Sinclair
Lewis, John Steinbeck, Robinson
Jeffers, Lillian Ross, Jack Kerouac,
Henry Miller, Edward Weston, Ansel
Adams all came here and enriched their
palettes.
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For
intellectual stimulation and a literary
orientation of the meaning of Big Sur,
visit the Henry Miller Memorial
Library. You will find it in a redwood
grove through an Alice in Wonderland
rabbit hole four miles south of the
Lodge. The director, Magnus Torren,
speaks many languages, has sailed
around the world, and keeps a wonderful
bookstore.
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Pfeiffer
Beach
Pfeiffer
Beach, where Richard Burton and Elizabeth
filmed Sandpiper and where Burt
Lancaster and Deborah Kerr filmed their
famous beach scene in From Here to
Eternity, is 3.3 miles from the Lodge.
Drive south (and up the hill) 1.1 mile to
Sycamore Canyon – the road is not marked.
There is a sign that reads, “Narrow Road –
RVs and Motor Homes not recommended.” Turn
right and slowly drive two miles all the
way through the canyon to the U.S. Forest
Service parking and restroom facility. Pay
$5 per car. (This fee is not covered by
the Big sur Lodge guest pass).
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Pfeiffer Beach photographed when outrage
around the world followed news of the U.S.
Navy intent to use Big Sur as a practice
facility for jet fighter
bombing.
Photo
by Margie Whitnah
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5
Hiking
Trails Guide
Wondrous
scenery and amazing biodiversity in the Santa
Lucia Mountains along the coast make Big Sur a
treasure of nature.
Good
trails and spectacular country.
Not
as high, but steeper than the Sierra, and more
diverse. Big Sur and the Ventana Wilderness
offer challenges. The broad biodiversity,
newborn geology, and the closeness of the ocean
all combine to engage your senses in unexpected
ways.
Now that you are here,
let’s hike!
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Photo by Margie
Whitnah
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Nature
Trail
This
self-guiding trail can be toured in
about 30 minutes and is a .7 -mile
round trip from the Lodge. The trail
offers a fine opportunity to see many
of the plants that are native to Big
Sur. Printed nature guides are
available at the western end of the
trail, between the Lodge and the Ranger
Station. The trail is suitable for
wheelchairs.
Pfeiffer
Redwood Creek Trail
This
instructive trail to the falls is
through a lively, dense old redwood
grove. It is an instructive trail. You
can see how a redwood forest makes its
own soil and understory. The creek cuts
through alluvial deposits, and you can
see how the valley built up over the
eons.
Pfeiffer
Falls Trail
This
40 to 60 minute stroll along
Pfeiffer Redwood Creek
features some of the finest
redwood groves in the Big Sur
region. Expect steps in the
few steeper sections and a
number of scenic bridges
across Pfeiffer Redwood Creek.
The 60 foot high waterfall at
the end of the trail is a
scenic highlight. A wooden
platform at the base of the
falls is a fine place to rest,
meditate or have a picnic
lunch – 0.7 mile one-way from
the Lodge.
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Valley
View
From
either the beginning of the Pfeiffer
Falls trail, or from the base of the
falls themselves, you can climb through
the oak woodland to Valley View
Overlook. The view from this vantage
point includes much of the Big Sur
Valley, Point Sur and Andrew Molera
State Park. The outlook is a mile
one-way from the Lodge and 0.5 mile
from Pfeiffer Falls.
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Buzzard’s
Roost
Photo
by Margie Whitnah
The entire
Buzzard’s Roost loop is a 5-mile round
trip from the Lodge.
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A moderate
two-hour, 5-mile hike along the Park’s
western edge will take you along the
river, through shady redwoods, then
through a series of switchbacks among bay
trees and tan oaks to the
chaparral-covered top of Pfeiffer
Ridge.
Up there is a
magnificent panoramic view of the Pacific
Ocean and the Santa Lucia Mountain Range.
Interestingly, on the ridge redwoods grow
alongside chaparral plants. The unusual
soils made of sandstone and shale, and the
rare microclimate formed by the cool ocean
breeze mixing with the warm valley air,
create a fascinating array of plants –
dwarf redwoods with chamise, wheat leaf,
ceanothus, yerba santa and manzanitas side
by side.
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Oak
Grove
The great beauty
of Big Sur is due in part to the variety of its
natural ecosystems. The Oak Grove trail
exemplifies this as it travels through a number
of plant communities.
From deep redwood
groves to open, oak woodland, and to hot, dry
chaparral, this 60 to 80 minute hike makes it
possible to enjoy the many different faces of
Big Sur. It is approximately 3 miles round trip
from the Lodge.
Huge boulders brought
by the river are flung around the canyon in
great artistic array. Pebbles brought down the
undammed river provide spawning and rearing
habitat for steelhead, a seagoing trout. Sands
brought by the river spread out along the banks
by the redwoods making a unique and pleasing
scene.
Big Sur
River Gorge
Beyond
the end of the gorge trail is an
undeveloped natural area. There are no
maintained trails in this area. Persons
using this area should use extreme
caution, especially when hiking on
rocks, logs, or wading in the
river.
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Do not climb the
steep canyon walls. Loose rock and
unstable soils make this extremely
hazardous. Jumping or diving into river
pools is prohibited.
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For
hiking and other general information about the
area, see the excellent book and map selection at
the Big Sur Lodge Gift Store. More maps,
books and advice are available at Big Sur
Station. Regional offices for California State
Parks, Los Padres National Forest and CalTrans are
located here. You can park at Big Sur Station for
back country hikes into Ventana Wilderness, get
campfire permits, and access the several nearby
trail heads. The Big Sur Station staff is a good
source for trail conditions. Call (831)
667-2315.
Rules of the trail include
common sense and concern for others, wildlife and
the natural habitats. Do not pick anything. Stay on
the trails. Don’t take your dogs on the State Park
trails. They are allowed on U.S. Forest Service
Trails on a leash.
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Big Sur
River
Pfeiffer Big Sur State
Park is very popular for many reasons, not the
least of which is for the lovely Big Sur River and
its many swimming holes. The Big Sur River is also
home to native steelhead trout.
Steelhead
are listed as threatened under the Federal
Endangered Species Act. The park has an active
educational program on how visitors can help
protect the steelhead by not indulging in harmful
recreational activities. In particular, the
building of temporary rock dams in the river is
detrimental for the steelhead.
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6
Hans
Ewoldsen Nature Center
Visit Thomas Heverly
(shown seated here with a stuffed bobcat) to learn
about the many animals in the State
Park.
Photo by Margie
Whitnah
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Photo by Jack
Ellwanger
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Big Sur
Coast
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Wildflowers
and Native Plants of Big Sur
Big
Sur’s mild climate, rare geology and isolation
conspire to provide habitat for a great
diversity of plant communities. Almost half of
all plants in California have a home here. Many
plants have their only natural home here. Nearly
200 plants have their southernmost or
northernmost home here.
Our
area of the Pacific Ocean is
transitional between the Southern
California and Oregonian zones. Water
temperatures vary by the influence of
each zone and the deep underwater
canyons.
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Yucca
whipplei
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Cold
water from deep offshore canyons wells
up to meet warm air and create vast fog
masses.
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Indian
Paint Brush
Photo by Margie
Whitnah
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Stairway to Pfeiffer
Falls
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Pfeiffer
Redwood Creek Trail
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Big Sur
is the southernmost reach of Sequoia
Sempervirens – coastal redwoods –
but there are many glorious examples
here of these grand trees. In Pfeiffer
Big Sur State Park, near the group
picnic ground, one of the trees,
Colonial Tree, is 27 feet in
circumference. Closer to the Lodge,
there is a grove of 1,200 year old
redwoods called the Proboscis
Grove.
Much of the
virgin redwood in the area was cut when
the Ventana Power Company built a
sawmill at the turn of the century.
Although the sawmill was abandoned by
the Power Company in 1906, the
Pfeiffer’s continued to use it
intermittently. Florence got the mill
back in running order to cut lumber for
guest cabins. The sawmill ran again
during the early 1920s, providing cut
lumber to build housing for people
working on Highway 1.
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Big Sur’s
remoteness and rugged terrain helped save some
of its natural resources. Harvesting trees in
steep canyons was difficult, then transporting
them to an ocean cove to be loaded on a ship
required complex logistics and much
capital.
Harvesting Big Sur’s
natural resources was made possible in large
part by the elimination of the Native
People.
Standing
near the southern limit of their range,
coast redwoods are found in areas along
the Big Sur River and smaller creeks in
the park.
Like a royal
pageant through the valley, they lend a
serenely grand aura to the atmosphere.
Even when the 200-site campground is
full, there is a quiet amidst the
trees. When a chickadee or a warbler
sings, its melody echoes along the
river. A sage and blackberry aroma
wafts through the Valley.
Pfeiffer Big
Sur State Park is a hiking paradise.
Within the park itself there are almost
11 miles of trails of varying degrees
of difficulty. From the short Nature
Trail, to the vigorous mountain trails
into the magnificent Ventana
Wilderness, there is a bountiful
variety of trails. One of the most
popular trails follows Pfeiffer-Redwood
Creek to the 60-foot high Pfeiffer
Falls and features exceptionally fine
redwood groves.
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Pfeiffer
Big Sur Redwoods
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7
Other
Big Sur State Parks
Point
Lobos
Twenty-three miles north of Big Sur
Lodge
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Mercifully
spared the developer’s bulldozer early
in the last century, Point Lobos has
been preserved as a California State
Reserve.
Its rare
beauty and unique biology has made it a
symbol of California Parks and the
Monterey Bay National Marine
Sanctuary.
It may seem
peaceful now, but Point Lobos has a
raucous history.
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China
Beach
Photo by Jack
Ellwanger
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Point Lobos is
the product of complex geology. Blocks of earth
from three miles deep, and parts of the Sierra
Nevada mountains and some Pacific islands off
southern Mexico collided here. The sparkling
granite cliffs that came from deep beneath the
sea, emerged as molten lava and cooled very
slowly. The granite cleanses the sea. A great
progression of change is evident in the meadows
and coves throughout Point Lobos.
Titillating geologic
scenes look like Chinese watercolors.
The flora is both
delicate and overpowering all at once. As
exciting as the physical tableau may be, the way
it intermingles with the sea, in interminably
mysterious and inviting ways, is the start of
the real story of Point Lobos.
John Steinbeck and Ed
Ricketts
(“Doc” from
Cannery Row and Sweet Thursday)
were great practitioners of tide pool collection
here. The discipline and theories they developed
here mark their great scientific works that
still stand today as the best in their field:
Sea of Cortez and Between Pacific
Tides.
Robert Louis Stevenson
hiked here while
waiting for Fanny Osbourne to get a divorce.
Local lore claims Point Lobos inspired Spyglass
Hill in Treasure Island. Mary Austin, Lincoln
Steffens, Jack London, Sinclair Lewis, Robinson
Jeffers sauntered around the
peninsula.
Giant kelp beds,
available up close here, inspire wonder of the
sea. Spectacular scuba diving, endless gazing,
and bird watching are favorite pastimes
here.
Sea otters lay on their
backs and roll in the tide swell. Wrapped in
strands of kelp to keep them from sinking while
they nap, or cracking open abalone, these
critters are a source of amused joy.
Steller and California
sea lion pups lounge on the beaches of Point
Lobos waiting for “Mom” to return from her
fishing. Spaniards named this peninsula for the
bark of these precocious animals. “Lobos” means
wolves in Spanish. The sea lion bark is loud and
can be heard up and down the Big Sur coast.
Also, the sea lion is named “wolf” because it
hunts in packs.
Andrew Molera
State Park
Four miles north of
Big Sur Lodge
Molera
State Park is a mostly wide open, wind-swept
canvas where the Big Sur River runs wild to the
sea.
Seven
and a half square miles of wilderness, 21 miles
south of Carmel, along the ocean, into the
mountains, and complete with a wild and scenic
river – Andrew Molera State Park is a great
favorite for outdoor
enthusiasts.
The
State Park Service is restoring native grasses
to reclaim a major aspect of the park from its
dairy farming past. And the old pioneer home is
now headquarters to the Molera Cultural and
Natural History Center. The “creamery” – a
grazing field for Molera’s cows – is being
restored to its native state. The dairy was home
to the first large commercial production of
Monterey Jack Cheese.
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Pico
Blanco
from the mouth of Big Sur River. A 600
million ton chunk of white gray marble
that migrated from Mexico presides over
the Molera park. It is the dominant
feature of the north westernmost
portion of the Santa Lucias.
Ohlones
believed Coyote, the Creator of people
and other creatures, resided
here.
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Pico Blanco
Photo by Margie
Whitnah
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Julia
Pfeiffer Burns State Park
Eleven miles
south of Big Sur Lodge
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Almost
2,000 acres of coastal, canyon and
mountain greatness, Julia Pfeiffer
Burns State Park is a fantastic place
–and a perfect introduction to Big
Sur.
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Julia
Pfeiffer Burns (JPB) State Park is 34
miles south of Carmel, and 11 miles
south of Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park
and covers 10 miles of exquisite coast
with many coves.
Within
the park are idyllic trails,
waterfalls, underwater parks,
historical gems, riparian hardwood
forests, mystic redwood groves with
ancient growth trees, and deliriously
beautiful scenery.
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End of Ewoldsen
Trail
Photo
by Jack Ellwanger
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It
would be difficult to select a single
area as a Best of Big Sur – – there is
so much variety in the area, it is
difficult to choose anywhere that is
typical.
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But
Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park is such
an incredibly beautiful place, that it
would make the “Best” lists for
anywhere in the world. It may not be
one of the best in Big Sur, but surely
one of the best in the world.
With
ten miles of coast, 3,762 acres of
highlands and canyon watershed and
offshore underwater reserve, JPB is a
collection of some of California’s most
intriguing and evocative coastal
features.
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Ewoldsen Trail
Photo
by Jack Ellwanger
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Photo
by Margie Whitnah
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In
a Redwood canyon along the McWay creek is
as delicious and idyllic a scene as any
Hollywood set creator could dream
up.
There
are ancient Redwoods that were not
harvested 125 years ago because they had
anomalies — like twisted trunks or great
burl outgrowths that diminished their
commercial values. But left to grow, they
are magnificent reminders of what the
forest was like. They are like huge holy
creatures. The forest floor is a soft bed
of fluffy needles accented by glossy green
ferns, sunlight beaming through the forest
canopy onto the busy, gurgling stream
which is flopping over colorful, mossy
rocks in a gentle meander to its
thunderous fate in the spectacular falls
into the Pacific Ocean.
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Special
features include: A fault line
runs right into the sea at the
McWay waterfall, Indian village
sites, medleys of geologic
remnants mesh in stunning
promontories, forested rocky
points jutting straight up from
rich underwater canyons, white
rocks from the Sierras and plants
from the desert, coves with thick
kelp forests and dancing black
oyster catchers, and view
vantages that are so enchanting
they are difficult to
leave.
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Photo
by Margie Whitnah
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Two
other features of Pfeiffer Burns are worth
mentioning. McWay Falls is an 80 foot drop
over a granite precipice, into the ocean
tide on a pristine beach in a cove that is
completely unmolested by humans – except
there is a trail high up the granite
cliffs on the opposite side where people
trod a well-beaten path to view one of
this continent’s most exquisite sights.
The other mentionable feature is a picnic
area near the Park entrance.
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If
you do not see Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park
for yourself, you will not believe it.
Most
people just see the ocean coves, waterfalls and
granitic rock islands. What is missed by them
are the ancient growth redwood groves, highland
meadows of amazingly diverse botany, fascinating
historical structures, wonderland-like trails,
mixed evergreen and riparian hardwood
forests.
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Atop Wagon Cave
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Back
Country
Wonderful experiences
await Big Sur Lodge guests. Pristine landscapes
that look very much like they did before Europeans
arrived. Vast oak savanahs and magnificent vistas
of the Ventana Wilderness and Santa Lucia Mountains
are part of the early California treasures. A
Mission and a Hearst Hunting Lodge are part of the
Big Sur Lodge BackCountry trips our guests can
take.
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Hiking in San Antonio Valley
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9
The Rich
Marine Environment
Early European hunters
almost entirely eliminated sea otters, gray whales,
red abalone and elephant seals along the whole
Pacific coast. This tradition carried through with
the Americans as the Big Sur region was plucked
almost completely clean of redwoods and tan bark
oaks.
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Elephant
seal pups at San Simeon are part of one of
nature’s most spectacular comebacks. Less than
25 years ago, this incredible mammal was thought
to be extinct. A few survived and colonized a
Mexican island. At the end of the 1980s they
began colonizing in Big Sur, and today there are
more than 8,000 of these amazing seals on our
South Coast.
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Photo
by Jutta Jacobs
Friends of the Elephant Sea
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Photo by Margie
Whitnah
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Whales in McWay Cove are
occasionally seen. During the northern migration,
two cows bring a newborn calf up the coast. The
trip is dangerous as orcas hunt the California gray
whales to kill the calf. The cows seek the cliffs
to help them protect against orca
attacks.
More than 20,000 gray
whales make the Arctic to Baja migration and back
each year. It was not long ago that they were
hunted by humans to near extinction.
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Southern
sea otters were thought to be extinct by the early
part of last century. They had been hunted by
Europeans for their silky pelt. But a colony of
this precocious and lovable critters was near Bixby
Canyon in the mid-1930s. Shortly they became the
object of conscionable civic action and legislation
to protect them. Now there are more than 2,000
residing along the Big Sur coast.
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Photo by Margie
Whitnah
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