explore big sur

Explore big sur

Fernwood’s Guide to Big Sur

When you visit, ask our team questions and recommendations to the best spots in Big Sur. Connect with locals and enjoy all the wonders of this special place. Here is our guide to some of the best spots and attractions!

Travel to Big Sur

Highway 1 (also known as the Pacific Coast Highway) is considered one of the most unique drives in the country with much of it running along dramatic coastlines. Here are helpful resources for your trip:

Beaches in Big Sur

Big Sur has several spectacular beaches located just a short drive from Fernwood Resort. Here are 2 iconic and easy access beaches:

Andrew Molera Beach is a lovely place for a peaceful beach day. It is located within the beautiful 4,800-acre Andrew Molera State Park.

How to Get There: Drive north on Highway 1 to the Andrew Molera Beach parking lot. From there, take the easy 1-mile walk down the Creamery Meadow trail to a driftwood-covered Andrew Molera Beach.

  • 17min drive from Fernwood to the entrance
  • Dogs not allowed beyond day-use parking lot.

Pfeiffer Beach offers great sunset views and short hikes along the beach. This beach is known for:

  • Sand with a distinct purple hue. This unique color naturally occurs from manganese garnet particles eroding from the surrounding hillsides – it is especially vivid after rainfall .
  • The iconic Keyhole Rock. This natural sea arch has become a photographer’s paradise where they seek out that perfect time of day when the sun’s rays align perfectly through the arch!

How to Get There: 1.5 miles south on Highway 1, take 2nd right after the Ranger Station at single lane road. Drive two miles down Sycamore Canyon Road to the beach.

  • 11min drive from Fernwood to the entrance
  • Dogs are allowed on Pfeiffer Beach

Hiking Trails and State Parks

Every path will lead you to a new discovery. No matter where you go, the journey and the destination are unforgettable.

Andrew Molera State Park is located a few miles north of Fernwood and has some fantastic hiking and beach combing.

Here are 5 great hikes:

  1. Creamery Meadow to Molera Beach: 2 miles roundtrip, easy. A stroll through Creamery Meadow to a driftwood covered Andrew Molera beach.
  2. Molera 8-mile loop: This is a moderate to strenuous hike. A combination of the Ridge Trail, the Panorama Trail and the Bluffs Trail with great coastal views and beach access.
  3. East Molera Trail: 3.2 mile round trip. The trailhead begins about one-third of a mile south of the park entrance on the east side of Highway 1. Sweeping views of the Big Sur valley. Hike through coastal oak forest.
  4. River Loop Trail: 4 mile loop. This trail offers the opportunity to take a dip in the Big Sur river.
  5. Old Coast Road: Some of the trails at Andrew Molera have mountain bike access. Directly across Highway 1 from Andrew Molera is the entrance to the Old Coast Road, which is also good for mountain bike riding.

Resources:

Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park and Fernwood Resort share a border and you can easily hike into the state park from our campground. Buzzards Roost trail is the most easily accessible hiking trail from the Fernwood Resort.

Did you know? Pfeiffer State Park hosts activities, guided seasonal hikes, and Junior Ranger and Ranger Cubs programs. See the schedule and details here: https://www.bigsurcalifornia.org/campfire-program.html


6 Trails We Love at Pfeiffer State Park:

  1. Buzzard’s Roost Trail: Just steps from Fernwood’s southern entrance into Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park, the Buzzard’s Roost Trail offers a 2.8-mile loop through shaded redwood groves and up to a panoramic ridge. With an elevation gain of approximately 816 feet, this moderately challenging hike takes about 1 hour and 40 minutes to complete. The trail is well-maintained and mostly shaded, making it a comfortable trek even on warmer days. At the summit, hikers are rewarded with sweeping views of the Big Sur River Valley and the Pacific Ocean. Please note that dogs are not permitted on this trail.  For more details and a trail map, visit AllTrails.com.
  2. Pfeiffer Falls Trail: 1.4 miles roundtrip from trailhead. Easy hike. A scenic hike along Pfeiffer Big Sur Creek through one of the park’s finest redwood groves ends at a 60-foot high waterfall.
  3. Valley View Trail: 2 miles roundtrip from trailhead or 1/2 mile from Pfeiffer Falls; easy. To beautiful views of Point Sur and the Big Sur Valley.
  4. Oak Grove Trail: 3 miles roundtrip from the entrance to Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park, easy to moderate hike. This trail intersects with the Pfeiffer Falls trail. There is a variety of ecosystems beginning with redwood groves, open oak woodlands, and dry chaparral.
  5. Mount Manuel Trail: Beginning at the Oak Grove Trail, 8 miles roundtrip, strenuous. A steep, beautiful climb to the top of 3,379 foot Manuel Peak.
  6. Gorge Trail: 1 mile into a steep narrow gorge with huge granite rocks and swimming holes.

Additional Resources:

Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park is a few miles south of Fernwood but worth the drive to see the beautiful McWay Waterfall and to enjoy the Ewoldsen trail.

  1. McWay Waterfall Trail: .64 mile roundtrip, easy. A quick walk to an overlook facing McWay Falls, an incredible 80-foot waterfall that drops directly onto the sandy beach.
  2. Ewoldsen Trail: 4.5 miles roundtrip, moderate to strenuous. A loop trail starting in the redwood forest by McWay Creek and climbing to incredible coastal views. Learn more about the Ewoldsen Trail here.
  3. Partington Cove Trail: 3/4 mile – easy. About a quarter mile down from Highway 1 to Partington Cove tunnel which takes you to Partington Landing. Built in the late 1800’s to ship redwood and oak lumber to San Francisco. Later used for boot legging, we’re told. See the Partington Cove trail map and info here.
  4. Tan Bark Trail: 5.6 mile loop. Moderate to hard. The Tan Bark trail begins 2 miles north of the park entrance on Highway 1. Learn more about the Tanbark Trail & Tin House Trail here.

From the redwoods to the sea describes the unique topography of Limekiln State Park. This gem of a park, 52 miles south of Carmel, adjoins the Ventana Wilderness area of the Los Padres National Forest.

On the the legendary Big Sur coastline where the Santa Lucia Mountains meet the Pacific, the park’s more than 700 acres offer peaceful solitude, a breathtaking waterfall, and seascapes of the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary.

Watch wildlife from the beach or along fern-lined trails, and picnic among the redwoods. Deep within their forest sanctuary, along the west fork of the Limekiln Creek, tower the four enormous kilns from which the creek takes its name.

Resources:

Los Padres National Forest offers millions of acres of hiking and is mostly accessed by ‘backpackers’ but there are many trails available to you from roadside turnouts adjacent to Highway 1.

To name a few favorite trails:

You will see the famous Point Sur Lighthouse on your drive to Fernwood. You can’t miss it! It’s a big rock on the point with a lighthouse and structures on top.

Point Sur State Historic Park and Point Sur Lightstation are located about 7 miles north of Fernwood at Mile Marker 54.1. Point Sur Lightstation is visible from Andrew Molera State Park.

Guests must have a reservation to enter Point Sur State Historic Park. Point Sur Light Station offers tours year-round!

Garrapata State Park is 2,879 acres between Andrew Molera State Park to the south and Point Lobos State Reserve to the north. Beautiful, rugged coastal bluff hiking, beach hiking and hiking on the Rocky Ridge Trail and Soberanes Canyon Trail. Day use only.

Garrapata State Park is located about 20-miles north of Fernwood between Mile Markers 63.0 – 67.2.

Our favorite hikes:

  • Rocky Ridge Trail: 6 miles out and back or a 4.6 mile loop.
  • Sobranes Canyon Trail: 2.2 mile out and back or a 4.6 mile loop.
  • Sobranes Point Trail: 2 mile loop

See the Garrapata State Park brochure (PDF) for hiking trails.

Visit Garrapata State Park website

Point Lobos State Natural Reserve offers some of the most spectacular coves and meadows available in Big Sur. Day Use only.

This reserve is located about 25 miles north of Fernwood.

Cypress Grove Trail is 0.75 to 3 miles round trip. It has plenty of offshoots and coves to explore!

Activities & Adventures

There is something for everyone in Big Sur! Visit some of our favorite local spots.

A few of our favorite closest restaurants with the estimated drive time from Fernwood Resort:


See a full list of Big Sur Restaurants here: https://www.bigsurcalifornia.org/restaurants.html

Big Sur is filled with unique art galleries and fantastic shops that showcase handcrafted items by Big Sur artisans! Here are a few of our favorites with the estimated drive time from Fernwood Resort:

Located just a 6min drive from Fernwood Resort, the Henry Miller Memorial Library offers a unique and inspiring experience for visitors seeking to connect with literature, art, the local community, and the natural beauty of Big Sur. It is a nonprofit arts center, bookstore, and performance venue all in one place!

What can we do here?

  • Explore an extensive collection of Miller’s books, manuscripts, letters, and rare ephemera – making it one of the most significant repositories of his work outside UCLA.
  • Attend one of the eclectic array of events throughout the year, including live music performances, film screenings, writing workshops, and art exhibitions. Notable past performers include Philip Glass, Laurie Anderson, and Fleet Foxes
  • Participate in one of the library’s community-focused programs like the Big Sur International Short Film Screening Series and the Big Sur Writing Workshops

Learn More and See their Schedule Here: https://www.henrymiller.org/

Walk or drive into Pfeiffer State Park from Fernwood Resort to enjoy park hosted activities! From outdoor movies, star talks, guided seasonal hikes, and more – there are many fun ways to connect with Big Sur.

See the schedule and details here: https://www.bigsurcalifornia.org/campfire-program.html

Big Sur offers a dreamlike setting for bird watchers. From the cliffs and canyons to the redwood groves and coastal bluffs, this stretch of California coastline is home to an incredible diversity of birdlife. Spot California condors gliding effortlessly on ocean breezes, listen for the melodic call of the Swainson’s thrush in the forests, or scan the shoreline for black oystercatchers darting between tide pools. See the Big Sur Birder’s Checklist here of all the birds known to exist in Big Sur.

Places to explore: