McWay Falls is an 80-foot plunge waterfall in Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park on the Big Sur coast of Monterey County, California, where McWay Creek falls from a granite cliff onto a small beach in McWay Cove.
The falls
McWay Creek flows year-round and leaves the cliff in a single narrow column. Lidar surveys confirm the 80-foot height. At high tide the water lands directly in the ocean, making McWay one of two tidefalls in California. Until 1983 it fell directly into the sea: that winter's record rainfall of 88.85 inches set off landslides along the coast that deposited nearly 3 million cubic yards of material and built the sandy beach now at its foot.
Getting there
The park is on Highway 1, about 37 miles south of Carmel and 12 miles south of Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park. The usual view is from the Waterfall Overlook Trail, a 0.5-mile round trip that starts at stairs near the entrance kiosk, passes under Highway 1 and follows the rim of McWay Cove. Park authorities have closed that trail through 2026 for a retaining wall project. A visitor update from August 2026 describes only a small roadside view from Highway 1 with limited parking while the overlook is closed.
After the Plaskett and Timber fires the park is partially open: day-use areas, restrooms and the Partington Cove trail are open, while all backcountry trails east of Highway 1 remain closed. CAL FIRE reports Highway 1 open from Carmel to Cambria. Day use costs $10 per vehicle, and hours are 8 a.m. to sunset. Check the park's page for current status before driving down.
When to go
The creek runs all year. The park notes that summer mornings are often foggy, with the fog usually burning off by midday.
On site
There is no beach or ocean access at McWay Falls. The beach, Saddle Rock and the cliffs beyond the fences are off limits; rangers issue citations or make arrests for trespassing, as crossing the boundaries has led to complex rescues and deaths. Dogs are not allowed anywhere in the park.
History and name
The McWay and Partington families homesteaded this stretch of coast in the 1870s, and the falls carry the name of Christopher McWay, from whom Congressman Lathrop Brown and his wife Hélène bought what became Saddle Rock Ranch in 1924. In 1932 Hans Ewoldsen installed a Pelton wheel on McWay Creek that produced the first electric power in Big Sur, and in 1940 the Browns built Waterfall House above the cove. The Browns donated the ranch in 1962 for a park honoring Julia Pfeiffer Burns.
Nearby
McWay Creek Falls on the same creek, Canyon Falls and Anderson Canyon Falls are each about 0.5 mile away, and Pfeiffer Falls is about 9.1 miles away.
Distances are straight-line.