Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
From the west end of the parking lot, follow Sycamore Creek 0.1 mile down to the
ocean. Redwoods, bays, and buckeyes line the stream, soon giving way to a wind-
sculpted stand of Monterey cypress, whose roots anchor in the steep dunes.
At the creek mouth, the trail emerges on the wide beach. Leave your own foot-
prints in the soft sand. Just offshore, waves crash against rugged rocky outcrops, some
carved over time into natural arches. These dramatic formations offer a natural barri-
er from the crashing surf, sheltering shallow tide pools for waders of all ages. Water
temps remain a nippy 50s Fahrenheit year-round.
Enjoy a barefoot beach stroll along Pfeiffer Beach, one of the most incredible wave-washed
beaches of Big Sur.
PFEIFFER BEACH GEOLOGY
Referred to as the Pfeiffer Beach Slab, these low bluffs and loosely consolidated
cliffs expose the variegated hues of ancient deformed rocks. The predominant rock
at Pfeiffer Beach is sandstone, ranging in color from tan or gold to gray. Carved with
numerous arches, the nearshore rocks are remnants of massive sandstone blocks that
continue to erode with each pounding wave.
While part of the Franciscan complex, they have been less heavily metamorph-
osed than similar formations farther north. Geologists believe these differences are
