Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Blackswift Creek plunges 300 feet before disappearing into the surging tide.
Trip Description
From the trailhead (380'), you'll switchback along the steep, eroding canyon walls be-
side
Blackswift Creek.
Views from the top bear witness to a dramatic topographical
change, from gentle slopes and broad marine terraces south of the point to Big Sur's
trademark rocky bluffs north of the point.
The trail drops 0.2 mile to a small wooden bridge at the base of
Blackswift Falls.
Stop on the bridge to admire the 300-foot tiered waterfall as it tumbles to the beach
and mingles with the churning surf. Wander amid the granite boulders atop black sand
before returning up the trail.
Piedras Blancas
T
RUE TO ITS NAME
,
Piedras Blancas
(Spanish for white stones) is named for a trio
of treacherous white rocks just off the point. In 1875, a lighthouse was built to guide
mariners along this lonely, fogbound coast. Today, the lighthouse is automated, and
the only residents are thousands of noisy, boisterous seals, including massive elephant
seals, which beach just south of the light.
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) manages Piedras Blancas and is restor-
ing the site. Guided tours offer insight into a bygone era of maritime travel. For
tour
DIRECTIONS:
Piedras Blancas is off Highway 1, 7.7 miles north of San Simeon.
