If you are planning to go into the water near Pfeiffer Beach, we recommend being extremely careful and preferably wearing a sweatsuit as the water here is extremely cold and is known for dangerous rip currents.
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One of the main highlights of Pfeiffer Beach in Big Sur is the famous purple sand. Erosion of the cliffs above, which contain Manganese garnet rocks, is responsible for the incredible plum-like colors you see here. Little beads of iridescent sand lays atop the lilac hues, creating the most gorgeous effect.
Famous for its purple sand with tiny flecks of garnet tinting the sand purple, Pfeiffer Beach along the Big Sur, PCH Highway 1 Tour is a photographer's paradise with a beautiful rugged coastline, crashing waves and a beautiful rock formation known as Keyhole Sea Arch.
Fees: $15.00 day use fee or you can purchase and display the Parks Management Company (PMC) Annual Pass $50.00. More info at: www.campone.com The Parks Management Company manages Pfeiffer Beach Day Use Area for the Forest Service.
Pfeiffer Beach in Big SurWater from the creek to your left forms a long pool in the sand in front of you, which you can easily walk around (or through). To your left, a crescent-shaped arc of sand is backed by tall sea cliffs.
Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park is named after John Pfeiffer and his family. Several features in Big Sur are named for the descendants of the Pfeiffer family: Pfeiffer Beach, Pfeiffer Falls Trail, Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park, and Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park.
Also known as Mahana Beach, Papakolea Beach possesses one of the rarest sand colors in the world: green. This Hawaiian beach is home to miles of green sands that twinkle under the tropical sun.
The best place to get to McWay Falls is from Falls Trail just past the entrance to Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park. You'll pay a day use fee to park here, but the Falls Trail goes under Pacific Coast Highway via a tunnel, making it a safer option than jockeying for a parking spot along busy Highway 1.