Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park

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Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park
by James Cassidy, Ph.D.

This is an easy hike which can be enjoyed by the whole family, however no matter what level of hiker you might be this is a must see if you are in the Big Sur area of California. The trail winds around the rim of a cove where remnants of the Pfeiffer homestead still give witness to one of the earliest American settlers of Big Sur. At the end of the one half mile trek, McWay Falls can be seen cascading eighty feet onto the beach and is one of the few waterfalls on the west coast that can be observed as it enters the Pacific. There is no need to describe the views from the trail-- just look at the photographs.

It hard to believe that a family once had the priviledge of living on this incredible site, but that was the case for nearly one hundred years. Michael Pfeiffer first arrived there in the 1850’s and began a ranch. His daughter Julia inherited it after her parents death and she lived a long and fruitful life there with John Burns whom she married in 1915. After her death her decendents donated the land to the State. So, now this little known treasure can be enjoyed by everyone who takes the effort to discover it.

Access to the beach is restricted and there is a modest parking fee.

DIRECTIONS:

The Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park is located on the coast of Central Californa. Drive south from Carmel on highway 1. After having traveled for about twenty five miles, you will enter the village of Big Sur. Continue south for another 12 miles and follow the signs to the park.

Related Links:

Sedona Hikes

Hiking Sedona

James Cassidy, Ph.D. has been an educational therapist/consultant with over twenty years experience in research and practice in which his clients have been the rich and famous of Bel Air, Beverly Hills, Pacific Palisades, Santa Monica and Santa Barbara. He has published numerous professional papers, a geometry textbook, a screenplay, and two novels-- A Paradise Lost and A Little Charity (Through a Glass Darkly Shines). Dr. Cassidy has advocated educational programs that accommodate individualized learning styles for one on one situations as well as in the classroom. His methods were developed during research at UCLA in conjunction with the University Enrichment School on campus and have been used for over ten years to train thousands of tutors at the University. During his four year association with the school in the Education and Psychology departments under the aegis of project C.U.E.S. , he wrote and produced several educational training films which are still being used. Those successful films are the basis for his latest book: A Simple Formula For Smarter Kids.

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