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All the United States California Big Sur McWay Falls and Waterfall House Ruins

McWay Falls and Waterfall House Ruins

This Big Sur waterfall drops 80 feet directly into the Pacific Ocean, and inspired the hillside house up top.

Big Sur, California

Added By
kjmoore12
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  Robby Ayers / Atlas Obscura User
  Robby Ayers / Atlas Obscura User
  Robby Ayers / Atlas Obscura User
McWay Falls is an 80-foot drop into the Pacific Ocean   cafuego
The ruins, all that is left of Waterfall House   kjmoore12 / Atlas Obscura User
Overlook Trail above McWay Falls   California Department of Parks and Recreation
Big Sur view from Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park   Miguel Hermoso Cuesta
Lathrop Brown, who built the house after buying the property from the McWays   Library of Congress / LC-DIG-ggbain-07424
The bottom terrace of Waterfall House is now a scenice overlook at the end of Overlook Trail   Image capture Jun 2014
Palm trees are not native, but were planted by the Browns   Image capture Jun 2014
Stone steps and concrete foundation of Waterfall House   Image capture Jun 2014
Waterfall House before it was razed   Courtesy of The Franklin Delano Roosevelt Foundation
The house had its own miniature funicular   Courtesy of The Franklin Delano Roosevelt Foundation
The remains of Waterfall House   Image capture Jun 2014
McWay falls as seen from pull off from road above.   Justin Trogdon / Atlas Obscura User
McWay in the shade   mocchiatto / Atlas Obscura User
  tdl4 / Atlas Obscura User
  tdl4 / Atlas Obscura User
McWay Fall   rayreinhard / Atlas Obscura User
  Abstergail / Atlas Obscura User
  karenallen2175 / Atlas Obscura User
McWay Falls.   russellstreet/cc by-sa 2.0
  Robby Ayers / Atlas Obscura User
28 Jan 2024   shaunk82 / Atlas Obscura User
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About

Big Sur’s Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park is renowned for its 80-foot McWay Falls and some of the most breathtaking views anywhere along the California coast. Tucked up in the hillside just north of the falls are the remains of Waterfall House, long-gone but for its imported palm trees, foundations, steps and terraces. With such spectacular views, it’s hard to imagine why anyone would ever leave such a place.

But leave they did. The entire park, including Waterfall House, was given to the state of California by the college roommate and best man of Franklin Delano Roosevelt, an east coaster named Lathrop Brown.

How Brown and his wife Helen came to own such a remarkable piece of property goes back to the story of 19th century homesteading. Huge tracts of California wilderness were deeded to pioneers willing to work it, a big chunk of Big Sur going to Christopher and Rachel McWay, who first homesteaded the land in 1887. They worked the land for decades, finally selling it in 1924 to the Browns, who built themselves a modern (for the time) home called Waterfall House.

Lathrop and Helen used the place as a getaway until 1956, when they packed up and moved to Florida. When Lathrop died a few years later Helen gave the entire property to the state, but with a couple of provisos: First, it would be a park named for one of the old pioneers, her good friend Julia Pfeiffer Burns. Second, Waterfall House was to be turned into a museum dedicated to the history and culture of Big Sur. But she stipulated a time limit on the museum’s creation – if it wasn’t done within five years, the house was to be razed. When five years passed with no museum, the house was taken down.

The remaining terraces and foundations are still there, with the bottom level now a viewing station for McWay Falls and the magnificent coast of Big Sur.

It’s easy to see why this spot had such a pull on the McWays, the Pfeiffers and the Browns. There is more coastal beauty than any picture can capture. All three families are now gone, luckily leaving plenty of room and views for the rest of us.

Related Tags

Waterfalls Parks Ruins Water

Know Before You Go

McWay Falls, Waterfall House and Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park are located in Big Sur, along California Highway 1 between Monterey and Cambria. There are day-use facilities on the east side of the Highway, and 2 campgrounds on the west side along the ocean cliffs. The Park's entry fee is $10 for the day, per car, which gives you access to all California State Parks until sundown. See website at right for information on camping. Overlook Trail leads from the campsites to the ruins of Waterfall House, but the California Parks Department has restricted access to the beach below, and also caution that cell phone use in the area is extremely limited. So don't count on any swimming or texting while you take in the most spectacular views of the California coast.

Note that as of March 27, 2019 the park is closed until further notice due to storm damage to the entrance station and restroom. The falls can still be viewed from pullouts along Highway 1 near the park entrance.

Community Contributors

Added By

kjmoore12

Edited By

redleader, jddarcy, tdl4, rayreinhard...

  • redleader
  • jddarcy
  • tdl4
  • rayreinhard
  • Kerry Wolfe
  • shaunk82
  • Abstergail
  • karenallen2175
  • mocchiatto
  • Robby Ayers
  • Justin Trogdon

Published

August 4, 2016

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Sources
  • http://www.hikinginbigsur.com/hikes_mcwayfalls.html
  • http://loyaltytraveler.boardingarea.com/2013/09/23/the-peoples-mansion-at-julia-pfeiffer-burns-state-park-big-sur-california/
  • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Julia_Pfeiffer_Burns_State_Park
  • http://www.parks.ca.gov/pages/578/files/JuliaPfeifferBurnsCamp041410.pdf
  • https://loyaltytraveler.boardingarea.com/2013/09/23/the-peoples-mansion-at-julia-pfeiffer-burns-state-park-big-sur-california/
McWay Falls and Waterfall House Ruins
Overlook Trail
Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park
Big Sur, California
United States
36.160083, -121.673246
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