Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park

A 1,000-acre sanctuary of giant coast redwoods and riverside trails along the Big Sur River.

Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park protects over 1,000 acres of old-growth coast redwoods along the western slopes of the Santa Lucia Mountains. Often described as a "mini Yosemite" due to its dramatic canyon topography and towering granite features, the park is centered on the Big Sur River, which winds through groves of ancient Sequoia sempervirens. Among these giants stands the Colonial Tree, an enormous redwood estimated to be between 1,100 and 1,200 years old. The park serves as a sanctuary where the marine fog of the Central Coast meets the warm inland air, keeping the forest floor damp and fragrant with the scent of redwood duff, bay laurel, and river silt.

The land has a deep human history, beginning with the Indigenous Esselen people who gathered acorns and fished these waters for thousands of years. In the late 19th century, European homesteaders Michael and Barbara Pfeiffer arrived in the region, and their son, John Pfeiffer, established his home on the north bank of the river in 1884. In 1908, John and his wife Florence opened the Pfeiffer Ranch Resort to accommodate early coastal travelers. When a developer offered to buy the land in the early 1930s to build a subdivision, John Pfeiffer refused, choosing instead to sell 680 acres to the State of California in 1933 to establish the park. During the Great Depression, the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) built much of the park's early infrastructure, including stone bridges, trails, and the outdoor theater, elements that still stand today.

Visitors can explore the park via a network of scenic trails, including the two-mile round-trip Valley View and Pfeiffer Falls Trail. This route, which reopened in July 2025 with a newly reconstructed 70-foot pedestrian bridge after a fallen redwood damaged it in 2023, leads to a 60-foot waterfall cascading down a sheer rock face. For a more strenuous climb, the Buzzards Roost Trail ascends through shaded redwoods and oak woodlands to a ridge offering panoramic views of the river valley. Overnight accommodations include the historic Big Sur Lodge, which offers 62 cottage-style rooms, and a massive campground featuring 189 RV and tent sites situated along the riverbanks. Wading in the cool, clear waters of the Big Sur River is a classic park pastime, particularly near the Day Use areas where the riverbed is lined with smooth, water-worn stones.