Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Trip 25
EWOLDSEN TRAIL
LENGTH AND TYPE: 5.7-mile loop
RATING: Moderate
TRAIL CONDITION: Restored in 2013 after the 2008 Basin Complex Fire, poison oak
HIGHLIGHTS: Wind past some of Big Sur's oldest, largest redwoods and admire coastal views from hill-
sides covered in wildflowers and oaks.
TO REACH THE TRAILHEAD:
The trailhead is at the far end of the upper parking lot on
the north side of McWay Creek. Restrooms and water are available at the trailhead.
TRIP SUMMARY:
This hike is a semi-loop with gorgeous coastal views. You'll follow
boulder-laden McWay Creek in the shade of redwoods before ascending a ridgetop
more than 1600 feet above the sea. In winter and spring, gray whales skirt the shore on
their migration route between Baja and Alaska. Watch for their blowholes and arching
backs from the open bluffs.
Trip Description
The
Ewoldsen Trail
begins at the far end of the upper parking lot (260'), following
McWay Creek
through a lush canyon of redwoods to a creekside
picnic area
(0.1
mile, 280'). A few feet farther the trail skirts past a dilapidated barn and crosses the
creek on a rustic wooden bridge, one of many along the creek.
You'll soon pass redwoods bearing fire scars at the base of their trunks. In 1985
the Rat Creek Fire raged through much of the canyon. Thanks to their thick, fire-res-
istant bark, these redwoods endured the heat and flames with only minor burns. This
unique adaptation has enabled the trees to survive for thousands of years in fire-prone
areas. Ecologists believe that prior to permanent European settlement, fires hit the Big
Sur every 12-20 years, and as a result, the dominant vegetation evolved to adapt to
fire.
CONDOR COMEBACK
By the early 1900s, after decades of habitat loss, hunting, and poisoning, California
condors were severely threatened. In 1987 researchers rounded up the last of the
state's 27 remaining wild condors and laid the groundwork for a captive breeding and
reintroduction effort. Under the auspices of the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, the Cali-
fornia Condor Recovery Program is a multi-entity effort to recover the wild condor
