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Photo: Brian Cantoni, CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Miles of trails, beaches, and meadows. The 24 primitive camp sites were closed "indefinitely" in 2021.
Andrew Molera State Park is a 7.5-square-mile (19-square-kilometer), relatively undeveloped state park on the Big Sur coast of California, United States, preserving land as requested by former owner Frances Molera. Situated at the mouth of the Big Sur River, the property was part of the Rancho El Sur land grant, and later owned by Californio pioneer John Bautista Rogers Cooper and his descendants. Cooper's grandchildren Andrew and Frances Molera inherited the property from their mother in 1918. Andrew popularized the artichoke in California in 1922, and died in 1931. In 1965, Frances sold the property to The Nature Conservancy, stipulating that the park to be created should be named for her brother.
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Pfeiffer Beach is known for its purple sand and the huge rock towers that emerge from the water, one of which has a natural tunnel through which the sunset can be viewed at the right time of year. Reaching the beach can be challenging - Sycamore Canyon road is easy to miss from Highway 1, the winding road is one-lane and shared with local residents, and the parking area only accommodates sixty vehicles and is often full. The area is managed by the US Forest Service, which charges a day-use fee of $10. Pfeiffer Beach is not accessible from Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park.
Great sunsets and a fun beach, with sand that has a purple hue due to manganese garnet (dig down a bit to find it) and a rock formation famous with photographers due to a natural keyhole through which the sunset shines. Swimming is possible although there is a strong undertow. The road to the beach is hard to find and a bit treacherous - it will be the only non-gated, paved road on this portion of the highway. If you are heading south on Route 1, the key to finding this beach is to look for the yellow sign - "NARROW ROAD No RVs - Trailers". During summer holiday season and holiday weekends the 65 car parking lot fills up quickly. You can park at the Pine Ridge Trailhead on Highway 1 and walk. The road to the beach is about 2 miles long.
There are hiking trails through redwood groves. It is a 1.4-mile round trip to 60-foot Pfeiffer Falls that runs from Dec to May.
Point Sur is a dominant feature along Highway 1. It is a National Historic Landmark and is one of the only complete turn-of-the-century light stations open to the public in California. It is also allegedly one of the most haunted places in America. Spectacular views can be had from atop Point Sur. Tours (3 hours) are offered - meet west side of highway at farm gate a quarter mile north of Pt Sur Naval Facility.
Iconic bridge built in 1933. One of the most photographed in the world because of its location within such beautiful scenery. The concrete arch spans 320 feet (98 m), and its 280-foot (85-m) height makes it one of the tallest single-span concrete bridges in the world. You cannot stop at or anywhere near Bixby Bridge to take pictures. Parking on the bridge itself has always been illegal; effective August 5, 2026, Monterey County (with the state government's consent) has imposed a one-year moratorium on parking anywhere within 900 feet north of the bridge or 700 feet south of the bridge. "No Parking" signs have been posted. This was because of extreme overtourism at Bixby Bridge. Having traveled vast distances, many tourists were not allowing a critical shortage of parking spaces stop them from getting their desired photographs. They were increasingly parking and leaving their vehicles right in the middle of Highway 1, which was illegal, dangerous, and resulted in heavy traffic congestion. The one-year parking moratorium is intended to alleviate that issue while the county government studies long-term solutions.
The Big Sur ranger station is 3 miles south of Big Sur Village. The wilderness covers 240,026 acres. Within the wilderness area alone there are 237 miles of trails and 55 designated camping areas. As of January 2018, the Pine Ridge trail which begins in Big Sur is closed due to damage from the Soberanes Fire and the subsequent rains during the following winter. As an alternative, consider the Mt. Manual Trail into the Little Sur River watershed. It is accessible from within Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park. A second alternative is the North Coast Ridge Road trail which is accessible from behind the Ventana Inn. Both are strenuous uphill climbs, gaining 3,000 feet in elevation in less than four miles. For a shorter hike through beautiful redwood forests, try the Pfeiffer Falls Trail or the Valley View Trail.