Big Sur Hiking for a Romantic Adventure Vacation

The Calm Easy Going Garrapata Bluff Trail

Grab a Garrapata State Park trail map, near the picnic tables near Gate #8 and your fanny pack and maybe pause to decide if you want to linger all day on the sand, or want to take on some bluff hiking as well.

A short 2.5 mile loop Bluff Trail will take you around the bluffs just above the beach and will get your adrenaline pumping. A hat, sunscreen, a little DEET in case your concerned about ticks and your on you way. 

The terrain is mostly level but you will notice a slight elevation climb as you near Whales Peak where you can enjoy some very nice views of crashing waves, sea stacks and the rugged coast. If you are here in spring, the wildflower make this area even more romantic.

The Adventureous Garrapata-Soberantes Redwood And Canyon Loop Trail

If you came here for adventurous and romantic hiking, and have the endurance to climb 1400 feet over 4.7 miles of rugged and steep trail, then take the challenge and venture on to the Rocky Ridge Trail. 

When you arrive near the top, you are in for a treat. Rest for awhile on the nicely placed bench, hold hands for a few minutes, and then kick back and enjoy the magnificent views all up and down the coast. 

When your ready, descend into Soberanes Canyon into the coolness of virgin redwood forests, lush ferns and multicolored moss.

This part of the trail is steep and expect to decend about a thousand feet every mile until you reach the canyon. Hiking shoes are better here for traction especially if there have been recent rains. Hang on to your partner here because it can be incredibly slippery!

This is where acres of the hillsides are blanketed with wildflowers during the early spring months of April and the first weeks of May. Scan the trail for the odd placement of cactus left by the Spanish missionaries as they made their way to the Carmel Mission. 

Also be on the lookout for the California Horned Lizard under the chaparral and coyote brush that is native to this area.

Spotted owls reside here and rarely seen, but would make for a great memory if you were lucky enough to see one.

The best access for this very popular trail are at gates #7 and gates #8.

Be careful of the poison oak and wear long pants on your hike. 

Andrew Molera is a gentle place for Big Sur hiking with over twenty miles of trails, three miles of beaches and a number of camping spots ... and, it's a great place for a picnic after some enthusiastic hiking. Grab your old beach blanket and find a perfect spot for a memorable lunch. Just be sure to bring some chocolate!

This is a nice beach for beach-combing and long strolls in the sand with the person you really care about.

Once a cattle farm where Monterey jack cheese was made, you still see grazing cattle but this is a wide open space where casual walks, the sounds of seabirds and the roar of the ocean waves help to create a romantic attitude.

There are a half dozen trails and spurs  scattered along the bluffs overlooking the edge of the Pacific continent all meandering in and out of meadows and hikes that capture the best view up and down the coast.

Start at the parking lot about twenty miles south of Carmel and head south toward the Big Sur River. Take the fork to the right after about a hundred yards and continue on the Beach Trail until you come to the seasonal bridge that takes you across the Big Sur River.

The water here can get deep, so be careful if the bridge has not been installed for the season.

Look for the campgrounds and the nearby Coopers Cabin that was built in 1861 and that continues to be the oldest structure on the entire Big Sur Coast.

As you are ready to return, take the Creamery Meadow Trail back to your point of origin to finish the loop. 

For a longer and more adventurous hike take the 8.5 mile Bluff Trail along the edge of the bluffs. If time allows take some of the unmarked spur trail down to the beach for a private walk on the sand.

Eventually this trail connects with the Panorama Trail that takes you further south until you come to the park boundary marked buy a bench where you can rest before completing your loop back to your car via the Ridge Trail.

The Big Sur hiking trails are well marked and you can expect a lot of privacy as you meander along the coast.

Andrew Molera State Park

831.667.2315

There are two ways to access the McWay Falls Overlook Trail.

Option one is to simply park along Highway and start down the trail...

Or, you might also pull into Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park just across the road and pay a small $10 fee to park and hike a bit further.

This is a good option if you plan to spend more time in the park and hike the Ewoldsen Trail that heads inland up McWay Creek. To get to overlook trail from the park parking lot, pass through a tunnel beneath Highway 1 to join the trail on the west side of the road.

There is a platform where you can view the beach and a waterfall that has been photographed at least a billion times

If you make the drive to the falls parking here can be limited, so if you can make the hike from Pfeiffer State Park, you have unlimited time to explore.

The $10 is a good investment in the event you visit Andrew Molera State Park, Point Sur Light Station, Garrapata State Beach or Point Lobos State Reserve as you can get into all of them without additional cost, as long as it is on the same day. 

The parking lot at the falls itself is limited and steep. There are restrooms but those needing wheel chair access will likely need some help with the ramp.

There are also a few picnic tables and is a nice spot if the wind is quiet... which is seldom unless you are here early in the morning.

Gray whales can be spotted migrating past this point in December and January and reportedly even sometimes can be seen at the mouth of the cove.

It's A Perfect Day For A Short Hike And A Picnic On The Trail

Pacific Valley Bluff Trail provides broad views of the southern coast just a couple of miles north of Sand Dollar State Beach. The trail begins along highway one. Take the gravel trail from the parking lot until you see the steps that take you up and over the cattle fence (common along the Big Sur coast) and then on to the grassy, worn and somewhat eroded trail that leads out to ocean views.

An overlook spot for beautiful scenes of the entire beach area is just down the path about a mile round trip with very little elevation gain.

The Cone Peak Trail is a hike only for the well prepared romantic couple who's relationship can handle a physical challenge.

If you are bicyclists or well tuned back country  hikers, the assent to Cone Peak is one that will leave you with an unforgettable three hundred and sixty degree panoramic view of Sand Dollar Beach and this part of the coast with some of the most beautiful views anywhere in the Los Padres National Forest.

Consider this warning however. This trail is a very steep and strenuous thirty three degree climb to a ridge near the five thousand five hundred foot peak. Don't hike this trail alone and without the right equipment ... hat, water, map and long pants, as rattlesnakes and poison oak are sometimes near the infrequently hiked trails.

Cone Peak affords the only view in Big Sur from this elevation. It is a lonely trail that is best climbed in the early fall as the access roads are closed from November to May and at other times as well to motorized traffic.

From the Highway and the Jade Cove Beach Recreation sign, your Big Sur hiking adventures begins at the Jade Cove Trail.

Take the very short trail from the parking lot along the steep cliffs and then down to explore Jade Cove.

On your way keep an eye out for passing humpback whales and their offspring that tend to swim very close to shore. 

After you have explored the beach and looked for some jade, climb back up the cliff and then turn north toward the Plaskett Rock Trail which will take you to a westerly point where you can savor even more incredible views.

Return back to the north parking lot where  you will see a grove of trees and then take the trail parallel to the Hi way back to your car at the southern parking lot.

The ocean views are incredibly relaxing. Sounds of crashing waves and seabirds fill your thoughts and as you turn to look north, the Santa Lucia mountain range sweeps up the coastline as far as you can see.

The setting inspires you to cuddle up and linger for awhile, as you think about the rest of your adventure here, and the importance of this time together as a memorable and romantic outing.

A perfect beach AND great Big Sur hiking!