Capture California, the Game-2012
Adventure: 008, Hike 059 –
Overlook/Waterfall Hike
Team: Thing One, Thing Two
Date: August 17, 2012
Location: Julia Pfieffer Burns
State Park
Hike Info:
Trail: Overlook/Waterfall Trails
Distance: .5
Duration: 1:00
Elevation Rise: Negligible
Description:Team Thing One, Thing Two had a debate. Is this really a trail? There is a sign, but it is so short. Then we saw the map and how there was actually two named trails-the Overlook Trail and the Waterfall Trail. But John McKinney in his trails of the State Parks just calls this the McWay Falls Trail, so shall we and count it as one trail.
This trail is easy enough to walk—so easy that our 90 year old
parents could do it, at sunset. You start at the day use parking lot
to the east of Highway One. It loops around McWay Creek. You can make
a side trip to the Pelton Generator Building—it is just a building
by the creek which at one time housed water powered generator. The
trail continued through a large culvert pipe, under Highway One, out
to a view of the Pacific Ocean and an emerald bay. This bay is pretty
much only accessible by boat, as you are about 150' up the side of a
very steep slope. As you walk northward around this spectacular bay,
you see more and more of the saddle back area, until McWay Falls
comes into view-more about the falls in a different adventure. We
continue on the trail till we get to the overlook. The overlook
itself is spectacular, looking out onto the emerald bay and the
Pacific Ocean. But even more so, that it is at sunset when the colors
of the sky overlay the greens and and browns of the ground. With the
pines of the overlook and the old house gardens around, the scene is
magnificent. Yes the people who gave the people of California the
land for the state park had a house here. Called the WaterFall
House.The views and the isolation would have been to die for. Do we
recommend this trail? Yes, by all means if you are coming down the
coast, stop here for a few minutes and relax.
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