Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Trip 32
RAGGED POINT NATURE TRAIL
LENGTH AND TYPE: 1-mile out-and-back
RATING: Moderate to strenuous
TRAIL CONDITION: Passable to difficult, poison oak
HIGHLIGHTS: In winter this tallest tiered waterfall in Big Sur cascades 300 feet into the surf off Ragged
Point.
TO REACH THE TRAILHEAD:
Ragged Point is off Highway 1, 23 miles north of Cam-
bria and 44 miles south of Big Sur. Turn west into the Ragged Point Inn & Restaurant
parking lot. The trail begins at the gazebo, just past the coffee shop and gift shop.
TRIP SUMMARY:
This hike descends the steep canyon beside Blackswift Falls, which
plunges hundreds of feet onto the soft black sand of a secluded cove at the edge of
the Pacific. This short, steep hike is subject to washouts each winter and is moderately
overgrown with coastal brush in the spring. Watch for poison oak and ticks, which
cling to trailside plants.
