Day Hikes Around Big Sur: 80 Great Hikes (Day Hikes)

Big Sur is an awesome stretch of spectacular coastline in central California, where the Santa Lucia Mountains rise over 5,000 feet from the ocean. The area is characterized by craggy coastal head lands backed by mountains and carved canyons. The area¿s topography, as well as its wilderness and national forest designations, have kept Big Sur unspoiled.

Day Hikes Around Big Sur includes a cross-section of 80 excellent hikes

lying along the coastline and throughout the interior mountains. These hikes accommodate every level of hiking experience, ranging from easy beach strolls to elevated climbs with far reaching views. The trails have been chosen for their scenery, variety, and ability to be hiked within a day. Highlights include isolated beaches, eroded coves with tide pools, rugged marine terraces, redwood and Monterey cypress groves, canyons, waterfalls dropping into mossy glens, oak studded meadows, lighthouses, and numerous overlooks from the ocean to the mountain peaks. Undoubtedly, these hikes include some of the best scenery in Big Sur and California.

Each hike includes its own map, accurate driving and hiking directions, and a quick overview of distance/time/elevation. The summaries allow hikers to choose a trail appropriate to their ability and desire. This 184-page book is a comprehensive hiker¿s guide to the Big Sur area.

Companion hiking guides, also by Stone, include Day Hikes Around Monterey & Carmel and Day Hikes On the California Central Coast.

The Day Hike Books series includes 20 hiking guides for the western United States and Hawaii.

Day Hikes Around Big Sur includes 80 unforgettable hikes along the spectacular coastal headlands. An excellent cross-section of hikes accommodates every level of hiking experience, from easy beach strolls to crested mountain ridge trails. Highlights include isolated beaches, tidepools, redwood groves, canyons, numerous waterfalls, lighthouses and outstanding panoramic views. Undoubtedly, these hikes include some of the best scenery in Big Sur.

For more than a decade, veteran hiker Robert Stone has been writer, photographer, and publisher of Day Hike Books. He resides summers in the Rocky Mountains of Montana and winters on the California Central Coast. This year-round temperate climate enables him to hike over 200 trails throughout the year. When not hiking, he is researching, writing, and mapping the hikes before returning to the trails. He has hiked every trail in the Day Hike Book series. With 20 hiking guides in the series, he has hiked over a 1,000 trails throughout the western United States and Hawaii.

Big Sur and its Trails 7

Map of the Hikes 10

Point Lobos State Reserve

Map of Point Lobos State Reserve 12

1. Granite Point and Moss Cove Trails 14

2. Whalers Knoll Trail 15

3. North Shore Trail 18

4. Cypress Grove Trail 20

5. Sea Lion Point Trail 22

6. Lace Lichen¿Mound Meadow¿Pine Ridge Loop 24

7. South Shore Trail 26

8. Bird Island Trail¿China Cove, Pelican Point and Gibson Beach 28

9. South Plateau¿Mound Meadow Loop 30

Garrapata State Park

10. Soberanes Canyon Trail 32

11. Rocky Ridge¿Soberanes Canyon Loop 34

12. Soberanes Point Trails 36

13. Garrapata Beach and Bluff Trail 38

Rocky Point to Point Sur ¿ Palo Colorado Road ¿ Old Coast Road

14. Rocky Point 40

15. Skinner Ridge Trail to overlook 42

16. Mount Carmel 44

17. Little Sur River Camp 46

18. Pico Blanco Road to Little Sur River 48

19. Old Coast Road¿Northern Access 50

20. Old Coast Road¿Southern Access 51

21. Point Sur Lightstation State Historic Park 54

Andrew Molera State Park

Map of Andrew Molera State Park 56

22. Headslands Trail to Molera Point 58

23. Creamery Meadow¿Molera Beach Loop 60

24. Ridge Trail¿Hidden Trail¿River Trail Loop 62

25. Bluffs¿Panorama¿Ridge Loop 64

26. Bobcat Trail to Coyote Flat 66

27. Bobcat¿River Loop 68

28. East Molera Trail 70

Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park

Map of Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park 72

29. Liewald Flat 74

30. Buzzard¿s Roost 76

31. Pfeiffer Falls¿Valley View Loop 78

32. Nature Trail 80

33. Gorge Trail 82

34. Oak Grove Trail 84

35. Mount Manuel Trail 86

36. Pine Ridge Trail to Terrace Creek 88

37. Coast Ridge Road to Terrace Creek Trail 89

38. Pfeiffer Beach 92

f039. De Angulo Trail to Partington Ridge 94

Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park

Map of Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park 96

40. Partington Cove 98

41. Tanbark Trail to Tin House 100

42. Fire Road Trail to Tin House 101

43. McWay Falls and Saddle Rock 104

44. Canyon Trail to Canyon Falls 106

45. Ewoldsen Trail 108

Garland Ranch Regional Park

46. Waterfall¿Mesa Loop 110

47. Snivley¿s Ridge¿Sky Loop 112

48. Garzas Canyon¿Redwood Canyon¿Terrace Loop 114

49. Veeder¿East Ridge¿Terrace Loop 115

50. Laureles¿Vasquez¿Spring Loop 118

Interior Big Sur: Carmel Valley Road ¿ Tassajara Road ¿ Arroyo Seco Road

51. Carmel River Trail to Danish Creek¿Los Padres Reservoir 120

52. Big Pine Trail to Danish Creek Camp¿Los Padres Reservoir 121

53. Anastasia Trail to Cahoon Spring 124

54. Pine Ridge Trail to Church Creek Divide 126

55. Horse Pasture Trail to Horse Pasture Camp 128

56. Horse Pasture Trail to¿The Narrows at Tassajara Creek 130

57. Rocky Creek Trail to Rocky Creek Camp 132

58. Santa Lucia Loop 134

Limekiln State Parkr59. Hare Creek Trail 136

60. Waterfall Trail 138

61. Redwood Trail to the Limekilns 140

62. Kirk Creek Beach 142

Interior Big Sur: Nacimiento¿Ferguson Road ¿ Central Coast Ridge Road

63. Vicente Flat Trail from Kirk Creek Campground 144

64. Vicente Flat Trail from Cone Peak Road 145

65. San Antonio Trail to Fresno Camp 148

66. Cone Peak Trail 150

67. North Coast Ridge Trail to Cook Spring Camp 152

68. Mill Creek Trail 154

69. Pacific Valley Flats 156

70. Sand Dollar Beach 158

71. Jade Cove and Plaskett Rock 160

72. Willow Creek Trail 162

Silver Peak Wilderness

Map of Silver Peak Wilderness 164

73. Cruickshank Trail to Upper Cruickshank Camp 166

74. Redwood Gulch 168

75. Soda Springs and Lower Buckeye Trails 170

76. Buckeye Trail to Buckeye Camp 171

77. Salmon Creek Falls via Salmon Creek Trail 174

78. Spruce Creek Trail to Spruce and Estrella Camps 176

South Big Sur Coast

79. Nature and Cliffside Trails¿Ragged Point Inn 178

80. Ragged Point 180