McWay Falls: A First Time Visitor Guide

McWay Falls is one of the most iconic places in the entire US to visit. With tons of photos on social media and people looking to explore it, it’s no wonder why it’s so popular. I’ve been to it several times and there’s good/bad things to know about it which I have included in this 1st time visitor guide to the area.

Quick info:

Name: McWay Falls
Location: Pfeiffer State Park in Big Sur California
What is it? An iconic beach waterfall in California.
Limitations: You can’t swim there and you can’t go down to McWay Falls.
Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

5 things to know:

The exact location of McWay Falls in Big Sur.
4 best ways to see this waterfall (close up).
Why you can’t go down to the beach in McWay Falls (details).
Awesome things to do near McWay Falls.
Where you can see more places like McWay Falls (but can actually go down to the beach).

Location:

The exact location is in a state park called Julia Pfeiffer State Park. It is located within the Big Sur region of the California Coast. I have included a location to McWay Falls. One thing to know is that the cell phone reception in this area is usually very poor so be sure to input it ahead of time before you visit.

Best ways to see the Big Sur waterfall:

Despite it not being legal to go down to the McWay Beach (which is where the waterfall runs down to), there are actually several ways to get pretty close and here they are:

McWay Falls overlook I linked above (this is free to view, as it’s right off Highway 1). You’ll be about a few 100 feet from it.
McWay Falls trail (It’s a short trail in Pfeiffer State Park, costs $10 and it takes you to another overlook that’s very close to the one off Highway 1, but it’s slightly closer to the waterfall). You’ll also be a few 100 feet from it here too.
Kayak or boat near McWay Cove. I have rarely seen this but I have heard that people do it. How close you get here varies. I also don’t know if there’s any tours that go here (it’s most likely people who live around the area taking their boats/kayaks here).
There is also a campground right above he waterfall but it’s difficult to get because of it’s popularity and the reviews are mixed. Also the view of the waterfall from here isn’t that good but the views of the McWay Cove are amazing.

My advice for the best way to see McWay Falls is this:

If you’re just looking to see it from a distance and don’t want to pay, use option 1.
If you are looking to see this waterfall and check out the hikes in Pfeiffer State Park, then use option 2.

Why you can’t go down there:

The reason why it’s literally illegal is because there’s no way to go down without risking you life. I have seen some videos of people doing it (illegally) and having seen what is required, I understand why it’s not allowed (it’s just too dangerous). On top of that, it is enforced as I have often seen police patrol McWay Falls and Big Sur overall, so you risk a big ticket too on top of that.

As tempting as it might be to go down to McWay Falls, I will strongly advise against that and recommend you check out the other recommended spots I’ll talk about in a moment, including other beach waterfalls similar to McWay Falls. One other thing I’ve considered is how packed McWay beach would be if it were possible for people to get down there (It would be tough to visit this place).

Note: There are closings around this area (see details of where you can go).

More things to do nearby:

1) Stay at the Saddle Rock and South Gardens Campground (this is the one that’s right above McWay Falls). Do remember the things I mentioned above about seeing McWay Falls from it.

2) Check out Pfeiffer State Park overall ($10 fee). It’s right next to the waterfall and there are awesome hikes right in the area to see.

3) See more of Big Sur. There are equally amazing sights in the Big Sur area that I liked just as much as the waterfall (China Cove was my top pick). You can easily do a lot in the area for one or more days.

4) If you are traveling north, then I recommend a few amazing coastal spots to see and they are:

Glass Beach California.
Russian Gulch State Park.
Places in California with Redwoods (many are close to this waterfall too).

5) Not far from this area is Pinnacles National Park which is not on the coast but it has awesome hikes and things to see.

More places like Mc way Falls:

So I have a whole post on beach waterfalls to check out and while McWay Falls is on that list (there are more than 10 options), there are also numerous others there where you can go down to the beach easily (sometimes it’s a hike, other times you can just walk there). Here are a few:

Alamere Falls (this is also located in California and you can easily walk up to it from the beach).
The waterfall in Secret Beach too (this is on the Oregon Coast and you can also walk up to it).
Sombrio Beach waterfall and the Mystic Beach waterfall (both on Vancouver Island).

I will admit that McWay Falls is truly stunning on it’s own but considering the limits of seeing it close up, these alternatives I provided will really be awesome ways to have similar experiences, although some of them do require driving far to reach.

Is it worth visiting?

I honestly believe so because even though you not being able to down to McWay Falls, you can still get multiple great views of it to start, there’s many things to in Pfeiffer State Park overall and then you also have the Big Sur area on top of that. For a first time visit to this area, I think seeing this place is necessary!

Furthermore, I also added more than a few options for beach waterfalls above so if you really want to have a fun and safer experience with going down to amazing beach waterfalls, you now have many choices for that and if you have any further questions about this location or the other info I covered here, you can ask me below!