This is a nice quick walk off of Hwy 1 with a lot of roadside parking available. It's a nice quiet…read morewalk since the highway has very few cars and there's thick vegetation around. My complaint with this waterfall is that we couldn't figure out how to get to it! The signage is bad and they need to point you in the right direction more. We were prepared to climb some rocks, as we'd heard that you have to to get to the falls, but when we couldn't figure out which rocks to climb, we just turned around. We were able to see the waterfall from a distance and heard people splashing around. Definitely not a trail to walk when muddy and definitely be prepared to climb a lot of boulders to get to the waterfall.

June 2025 As a city person, this is not a "normal easy…read moretrail" Fair warning, the trail is everywhere, no signs or one real pathway to the fall I'm not a hiker and end up turning back because I didn't think I can hope over wet boulders and climb pass a ledge to reach the waterfalls I'm sure it was worth it, I hear others swimming and having fun but I'm too old for that trail I hope you guys give this a try but be careful

Beautiful, secluded, and sandwiched between San Simeon and Ragged Point - well worth a stop if…read moreyou're in the area! A true hidden gem - I only found it bc I caught the sweeping views of the creek flowing onto the beach flanked by cliffs with vibrant blue-green waters against rich, deep brown sands while driving along the PCH. It was so breathtaking I just had to stop! And eventually I found the trailhead - there's a gated entrance that almost looks like someone's private property but the hiking trail becomes obvious as you approach. The trail is sandy and mostly flat. It's part of the Los Padres National Forest and also a Snowy Plover nesting site - so be sure to stick to the trails while heading to the beach. The creek flows to a large pool created by a rise in sand on the beach, trapping the creek waters and creating a refuge for shore birds. At low tide and when the creek isn't overflowing, you can easily get onto the beach itself by walking to the end of the creek pool - there's a little dry, sandy spit taking you out onto the beach. But at high tide you may have to wade in the creek a bit bc it sometimes joins up with the ocean waters. The sand is the deepest, richest brown I've ever seen - very unique! And really makes the gorgeous blue-green waters on the Pacific pop! The trail is pretty short - only 1/2 mile to the beach. Flat and easy. It's part of the CCT (California Coastal Trail) so that's always fun. There's a large coastal pine with a makeshift fire pit under it right before you get to the beach - apparently someone was living there at one time lol - but not anymore. The beach is full of beautiful pieces of driftwood- such a lovely place to explore. There are also sea caves but unfortunately I was on a time crunch - wish I could've explored more! There's a small bit of paved parking at the trailhead - maybe room for 1-2 cars. But across the street there's plenty of parking along the side of the street. There aren't any bathrooms or facilities here so plan ahead. The trail is listed on AllTrails - Incredibly beautiful hidden gem that I will definitely leave more time to explore on my next visit - highly recommend!

Another one of San Simeon's secret trails and beaches. The San Carpoforo Beach Trail has amazing…read morescenery and seclusion. The Trailhead is just past the San Carpoforo Creek bridge ( 13 miles north of Hearst Castle) and across the street from a Lime colored house. Park in front of the trailhead or across the street. The walk isn't a long one at less than half a mile, but when you count all the exploring options around the beach and lagoon you will definitely get a lot of steps in. There's a ton a driftwood around this beach and if you hike to the north below the cliff ( if the tide is low) you can find a small secluded beach and a large sea cave. To the south is Ragged point. Note - The sand here is different than the other beaches in the area especially close to the water. It's very porous. There are also unique sand fleas/flies only found at this beach next to water. Tip - Keep a keen eye on the fields on the both sides of the road when driving here (Highway 1). I've seen herds of Elk and various deer.

A nice trail that's part nature walk, part moderate hike. The distance ranges from 3.5 - 3.8 miles…read moreit's a loop trail that goes around Sam Simeon State park/Campground. If you're staying at the camp ground you can easily get to the trail by following the park map. If you're not visiting the campsite there is a pullout area across the campground entrance on the other side near the beach where you can walk the trail under PCH. Coming from the beach trail around the loop you'll get around 450 feet of elevation gain, the trail is pretty simple to follow but if you're looking for direction to follow online there is a map on All Trails under "San Simeon trail to Washburn Campground Loop"

This kinda beauty is why I live on the central coast. I cannot believe that views like this are in…read moremy neighborhood! This is definitely more of a walk than a hike as the trails weaves in and out of eucalyptus trees and the cliffside. The views are truly out of a picture book. Words almost do not do it justice. The smell of eucalyptus in the air, the big beautiful ocean on the your right and the forest on your left. On a clear day you can see Hearst castle on the hill and aquatic animals swimming in the ocean. I have never not seen at least some marine life whenever I have visited. Whether that is a sea lion lounging on the beach or a pod of dolphins. The marine life is alive and well in this area! Luckily, it is almost completely flat and not too long so you can bring your pup along for the ride! The only warning I have about this amazing walk is that there can be a great deal of rattlesnakes during rattlesnake season. They can be scary, but remember that they rarely attack humans. Just do not go poking them with a stick and watch your puppy so he doesn't go sniffing around one! This walk is absolutely breathtaking and it is flabbergasting more people do not know about it. It is so close to Big Sur, so people must overlook it. Do not do that! Go visit for yourself!

Great trail with an opportunity for an epic view of the coastline…read more With many of the State Parks in the area closing down their hiking trails (Spring 2019) I was lucky to find the Mill Creek trail. This hike exceeded my expectations. The Yelp page directions were spot on and we arrived at the dirt parking lot. The trailhead is right along the road. This is a family-friendly trail, and I think I booked about 3.5 miles total. There are some small ups and downs but overall not too bad.. There was a lot of green during our hike and many tall redwoods.. Tips - My top tip is that after you've hiked just drive up the road from the parking lot for about a mile. There will be amazing views when you get to highest point facing the coastline. - Make sure you have Google maps installed on your phone (for the gps)... just in case you accidentally go off trail. - Tons of poison oak. Long pants required. - If you have kids, there will be a fork in the trail not too far from the trailhead. Right side path goes straight down the steap side of the hill. You can take this and check out the creek if you don't want to do the full hike. - Basic rule is to stay along the main creek trail until you get to a point to cross it.. This is confusing because when you reach the point that the creek is in your way there are multiple paths you can take. The few people we saw on this hike all went different directions from here. We crossed the creek and we were okay.

We decided to do this hike on our way back to the Bay Area. It was amazing and we are so glad we…read moredid. We were the only ones in the parking lot that morning and it felt like we had the whole hike to ourselves. Coming in the spring was great since everything was growing, lush, green, and the water was roaring. So serene.

One of the most beautiful beaches I've ever been to! Located on highway 1 very close to the Kirk…read morecreek campground on the south end of Big Sur! When I tell you the walk down to this beach is breathtaking... my god! It's a ton of stairs so be mindful of what you want to carry because you start on a path from the parking lot and then it turns into stairs.. a lot of stairs! To park in the beach parking lot it's $10! This beach is simply beautiful! My yellow Labrador loved it! They also have this cut out area called jade cove! On the far north side they have a small cave! So cool! Please pick up your trash and be a good human!

Very pretty beach. Plenty of parking spaces. Free. Also free public restrooms. We did not find any…read moreSand Dollars but enjoyed the short easy hike down the stairs to the sand from the parking lot. Found some gorgeous dark green rocks-looks like jade but was probably granite. Worth the stop.

Montana de Oro State Park has so many fun trails I hardly know which to review. Valencia Peak is…read morethe second tallest in the park and a great hike for the views of the surrounding area. This weekend was a warm one and for this hike, that meant an early start as you are exposed nearly the full time. We did a sort of loop though, so we came down through relatively shady trails and had a great time. The sign marking the peak is not at the peak, fyi. If you get that far, the picnic table at the top is just a short bit further.

One of my all-time favorite hikes to do in SLO county! I would consider this medium difficulty and…read moreif you plan to go all the way to the top, the hike in total is right around 4.5 miles, up and back down. Doing this hike in Springtime is my favorite as the weather is absolutely perfect, and there are so many wildflowers on the trail to enjoy as you go up. Most recently I went on this hike with a friend and we spotted a number of orange poppies as well as a large variety of other flowers of all different colors. It was magnificent. When you make it to the top, the views are just breathtaking with obstructed ocean views in front of you! To your right you can see the entire town of Morro Bay and Morro Rock; great for some amazing photos! It is relatively windy once you reach the top but thankfully there's a nice little bench you can sit at. One thing to note is this hike is NOT dog friendly, so unfortunately, I had to leave my fur babies behind. Overall though, one of my favorite hikes - highly recommend!! I will keep coming back again and again!

This post is looong overdue becuase I believe the highway 1 now near this waterfall is closed from…read more2025 to 2026 (but check) I love, love, love waterfalls, and this spot is absolutely gorgeous. McWay Falls feels truly magical, the way the waterfall spills onto the beach and meets the turquoise ocean is breathtaking. This waterfalls combines two of my favorite things (the beach and waterfall so what's there not to love). The views are stunning, peaceful, and unlike anywhere else. An unforgettable stop along the coast and one of the most beautiful natural sights I've ever seen. I wish there was a way to hike down, but there isn't, I guess it's a good thing as it preserves this spots natural beauty

Incredible scenery , can't wait to go back when the construction is done. They had some landslide…read moredamage up and down the Big Sur coast line, they look to be re doing the trail down to the beach as well as the trail to the overlook spot, so we didn't get to see it from close up but Mcway is a must see on your trip to Big Sur!!

Amazing view. Blue ocean, lush green. So pretty…read more Backpacking start: Salmon creek TH end: Backeye TH distance: 19 miles 1st night: Lion Den camp 2nd night: on the top of hill near Backeye camp

I fell I love with this beach many years ago. The drive here is INCREDIBLE! I literally have dreams…read moreabout driving under the bridge! You go under to get to this secluded beach off of Hwy 1. I had no idea that you could choose between 3 different campsites until I decided I HAD to be under the moonlight at the beach on 2.22.22 at 2:22 pm. And the views are BREATH TAKING from the beach campsite. They were also freezing, windy, and WET in February! And all of the trails were closed when we visited due to the fire, but it was like a little slice of Heaven to disconnect and spend 2 nights off the grid with great folks. The rangers who serve this place are BEYOND friendly, and they do an awesome job of keeping the bathrooms clean. I believe they were cleaned 3 times a day. And the campsites were so self contained, you really had no idea there were up to 29 sites there. Camping on the beach meant you heard the crash of waves all night long. It was so very peaceful! And while the view looked almost warm, there was NOTHING warm about being there in February. But if you had a camper, and the right gear, the rain and wind would be worth it just to burn that image eternally into your mind! I hope I can snag this location during the warmer months. I'm just in love with everything about LimeKiln.

Heads up a number of trails are still closed from the fire so it's not possible to access the falls…read moreand other trails as in the past. We had site #6 near the beach. The sites are very close to each other. Our first night before our immediate neighbors arrived was amazing - incredible views of the beach/ocean from the campsite and very peaceful. Restrooms including shower were nearby and cleaned every morning. Next night, we were surrounded by big groups on both sides and it felt like a parking lot tent city and it did not seem like car parking restrictions were enforced. The sites are so close we could hear intense snoring on both sides. Neighboring kids would come and smack/kick at our dogs - they were young but still not cool and I was annoyed their parents stood by and watched. We will try Kirk Creek instead next time to get more space. Pros - we loved the incredible access to the beach. Amenities seemed to work well (until inconsiderate folks started to ignore basic human decency like flushing!). Cons - no access to internet (despite it being available but it is locked), some beach sites are very close together, trails closed.

A short level trail. You enter through a gate into a field, and does not look like much until you…read morewalk towards the ocean. The bluffs drop about 75 ft. and give you sweeping views of the ocean. Such an easy trek right off Hwy 1 for nature's charm.