Pfeiffer Falls Trailhead — Attraction in Monterey

I visited Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park on July/5/ 2021. The park is now fully OPEN after 12 years of being closed down. My heart was singing since I know that I can now enjoy it's many scenic trails. I paid $10 for parking but note there is some limited free parking in the street as well. I went and hiked the Pfeiffer Falls Trail. It is a loop of 1.5 miles with 403 ft of elevation gain. I was truly impressed with the new wooden bridges. There were a lot of stairs, very nice signs, fresh hand railings, an observation deck, and the landscaping, all of which had risen back from the ashes after the long 12 years... I also hiked the side trail from the falls, it added up about 0.7 miles to my distance with some elevation gain, but it offered me incredible views of the Big Sur Mountains and the Central Coast. It also provided breathtaking spots to watch a phenomenal sunset!! Overall … It was an awesome hike with a good mix between sun and shade, a lot of stairs up and down, some of the tallest majestic redwoods in Big Sur, pleasant waterfalls, and astonishing views at the lookouts! I will definitely be coming back to scout out more of this...

Pfeiffer Falls is an easy, accessible trail inside the Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park. The round trip of the trail is about 2 miles if not combined with the Valley View loop. It has an elevation of 400 feet. If you choose to do the Valley View trail too, it will be 3 miles with an elevation about 700 feet.

The trail head is near the highway 1. You can park either at the nearby Big Sur Lodge parking lot if you are a patron there,or you can park at the park day use lot #2. (The park collects $10 entry fee at the entrance). There are bathroom facilites and water fountains nearby.

Just follow the River Path along the Big Sur River, you will reach the trail head. Most parts of the trail are shaded by the forest, there are lots of giant redwood trees along the trail. After being badly damaged in the July 2008 Basin Complex Fire, the trail was rebuilt with bridges, railing, and retaining walls. You will climb a lot of staires. At the end of the trail, there is a tiny water fall, it is even smaller than the small McWay Falls 10 miles away. So lower...

Wonderful hike! I visited on May 10, 2023 with a friend and my service dog Mack. It was sunny with temperature in the 70s but the trail was very nicely shaded. Lots of flora and fauna! There’s a high degree of elevation. It was about a 3 mile round trip distance and I would consider it a moderate hike. The views are absolutely amazing! The trees and mountains are absolutely gorgeous! Pfeiffer Falls at the end of the trail was a marvelous reward! It was a wonderful opportunity to be present in the moment. We took great photos! My service dog Mack thoroughly enjoyed the trail! Each person we encountered was very open and friendly. And the hike back down was a lot of fun! Much easier than the hike on the way up! There’s usually a restroom near the gift shop at the trailhead but they were working on the...