McWay Falls

An 80-foot waterfall that drops straight onto a beach in a turquoise cove — and one of the most misunderstood stops in California, because almost nobody who photographs it can actually get to it.

Current status

Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park is closed until further notice. California State Parks closed it alongside Pfeiffer Big Sur, Andrew Molera, Limekiln and Point Sur "due to the growth of the Timber and Plaskett Fires." The park sits around mile marker 36, in the middle of the closed segment of Highway 1. There is no way in from either direction and no published reopening date.

The thing to understand about McWay

You cannot go to the beach. This is not a fire restriction — it is permanent. State Parks states it in capitals: there is no beach or ocean access at McWay Falls. The Waterfall Overlook trail is the only viewing point, and going beyond the fenced boundary is prohibited. "Cliff areas beyond the fenced boundaries, including the BEACH, SADDLE ROCK and MCWAY FALLS are completely off limits."

Every photograph you have seen of someone standing on that sand is either old, illegal, or taken somewhere else. Plan for a ten-minute walk to a railing with a very good view, not a beach day.

What else was already closed here

Independently of the 2026 fires, a set of trails in this park has been closed indefinitely following the Dolan Fire and subsequent debris flows: the Waterfall Overlook trail itself, plus Tan Bark, Tin House, Ewoldsen and Canyon trails. Storm damage has also cut the available parking.

This matters for expectation-setting: even in a good year, Julia Pfeiffer Burns is a much smaller experience than its reputation. It is a short walk and a viewpoint, not a day.

When it reopens

• $10 per vehicle day use. The receipt transfers to other California State Parks the same day.
• Parking is limited and fills fast; roadside parking on Highway 1 here is dangerous and enforced against.
• An environmental camp at $30 a night exists in the park — walk-in, no vehicle access. Site count is not published.
• The falls run year-round, unlike most California waterfalls, because McWay Creek is spring-fed.

The nearest thing that is open

There is no substitute for McWay on the open parts of the coast — it is genuinely singular. The closest thing in spirit is the cove system at Point Lobos: same turquoise water, same granite, no waterfall.