Adventure 102 - McWay Falls

Capture California, the Game-2012

Adventure: 102 - McWay Falls

Team: Thing One, Thing Two

Date:  August 17, 2012

Location: Julia Pfieffer Burns State Park

Description:
In their 90 years of living in California, my parents had never been to McWay Falls. We told them this is one of the prettiest falls in California. Their response? They had seen a lot of falls in California and remained skeptical. But then they walked the short trail to the falls.



McWay Creek falls down a cliff, close to the Saddleback. Now the Falls runs into sand a short distance, maybe 15', from the ocean. Well not quite the ocean. There is a beautiful cove, with emerald waters and a beautiful lonely beach at the base of the falls. In times past, before the 1983 land slide, the creek fell directly into the ocean creating a sight similar to a tropical island water fall. But this is still a picturesque fall, even my parents thought so.



By the way, the 1983 landslide happened about a mile north, wiping out a good stretch of Highway One. Over the years, the dirt from the slide has been deposited down the coast, including the base of McWay Creek.



As an aside, the one place you can camp in the park is on top of the Saddleback. This walk-jn environmental camp sits on top of a point close to the Falls. Unfortunately, you only have a drop-dead gorgeous view of the ocean, the cove and the trees around the camp-but not the Falls. Greedy, ain't I?