Amazing Big Sur Trail Reopens For First Time Since 2008

Thanks to KCBS for letting us know that the popular Pfeiffer Falls Trail in Big Sur is reopening for the first time in 13 years.

Save the Redwoods League and California State Parks are reopening a fully renovated Pfeiffer Falls Trail in Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park on June 18, 2021.

This is the first time that this Monterey County hiking trail will be open to the public since the Basin Complex Fire destroyed the popular tourist destination in 2008.

The Pfeiffer Falls Trail is a 0.75-mile trail segment that leads under the redwoods, down through a gorge to a 60-foot waterfall known as Pfeiffer Falls. The trail connects with the Valley View trail to form a 1.5-mile loop. The renovated segment is complete with a newly constructed 70-foot-long pedestrian expansion bridge that spans the Pfeiffer Redwood Creek ravine.

See the full details at savetheredwoods.org

The 162,818-acre Basin Complex Fire damaged Big Sur and the trail in 2008. In subsequent years, the Soberanes Fire, landslides and a long closure of Highway 1 south of the park delayed the construction and long-awaited reopening of the trail.

Visiting Pfeiffer Falls Trail

• The park is located 26 miles south of Carmel on Highway 1. – See Map
• Big Sur State Parks day use fee – $10 per vehicle
• Park open 8am to sunset – see updated hours
• See current weather

The post-fire restoration and trail realignment work involved removing such fire-damaged infrastructure as bridges, retaining walls, railings, steps and signage.

In an effort to reimagine the visitor experience and protect sensitive habitat, California State Parks and Save the Redwoods League replaced more than 4,150 square feet of asphalt and concrete and seven stream crossings with the newly aligned trail and a pedestrian bridge that spans the ravine and offers dramatic views.

This realigned trail no longer brings foot traffic directly through the sensitive streambed, and it restores natural habitat necessary for a healthy aquatic ecosystem.