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McWay Falls

Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park / Big Sur, California, USA

About McWay Falls

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McWay Falls was easily one of the most beautifully situated waterfalls on the California Coast that we’ve personally encountered.

The waterfall was where McWay Creek was said to drop some 80ft into a beach situated within the picturesque McWay Cove (also called Waterfall Cove), which opened out to the Pacific Ocean.

JP_Burns_SP_074_04022015 - McWay Falls and McWay Cove
McWay Falls and McWay Cove

We’ve even confirmed that McWay Creek was year-round as we’ve been here in different seasons from Spring through Autumn.

Its impossibly scenic location (as you can see in the photo above) was what made this waterfall unique and a place we never get tired of seeing no matter how many times we’ve been here.

I swear that every time we’ve visited the Big Sur Coast, we’ve made at least one stop to McWay Falls so I’d imagine we had to have been here at least six times or more over the years.

The waterfall is said to drop some 80ft into a beach situated within a picturesque cove (McWay Cove; also called Waterfall Cove) opening out to the Pacific Ocean.

Julia_Pfeiffer_Burns_SP_059_11172018 - McWay Falls as seen in the late afternoon of an overcast day in November of a dry year, which further proves its longevity
McWay Falls as seen in the late afternoon of an overcast day in November of a dry year, which further proves its longevity

In addition to the picturesque (but inaccessible) cove, on a recent visit in 2018, we noticed for the first time that there was actually a sea arch almost behind the waterfall itself!

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Tagged with: big sur, monterey, bay area, central coast, california, waterfall, julia pfeiffer burns, ventana



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Big Sur Visit Last Summer March 22, 2010 8:07 pm by Ron Andrews - I agree that the California coast is a unique place in the world. I spent a couple days in the Big Sur area last summer. ...Read More

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