Even in picturesque California, there are few landscapes as stunning or fragile as Big Sur. The ongoing storms and seismic activities that forged its dramatic cliffs and canyons also made its infrastructure a nightmare.
The main road through the region is the world-famous Highway 1, which is close to the postcard-stylish cliffs of the Pacific Ocean that are higher than the Pacific Ocean. Almost kept being closed by landslidesisolate the community and stay tired travelers.
Local hiking trails won’t perform much better.
The Pfeiffer Falls trail intersects the Valley View Trail, a lovely loop with stunning views of the state park.
(Lisa Winner/Save Redwood League)
So, as if they were just taking a deep breath and crossing their fingers, California State Park officials announced this week that one of the most popular hikes in the area, the Pfeiffer Falls Trail, will eventually reopen after a 2023 storm collapsed in 2023.
The trail is a .75-mile walk across Pfeiffer Great Sur State Park and ends with magnificent views of 60-foot waterfalls, and is one of the parks that attract about 750,000 people each year.
This trail has a long history in such a short walk.
In 2008, a 162,818-acre basin complex fire destroyed most of the route and surrounding forests. A renovation project was completed, which cost $2 million and nearly 13 years – demolishing aged and damaged concrete, re-route and building the bridge – and eventually reopened the hike in June 2021.
About 18 months later, the storm arrived and a towering redwood crashed into the party.
The Pfeiffer Falls Bridge closed the trail in 2023 after a huge redwood fell on part of the structure.
(California State Park)
The tree splits the 15-foot part of the bridge. The crew saved many of the original structures, but replaced the damaged parts with fiber-reinforced polymers in a bid to make the span stronger and more resilient to its ruthless environment.
“Unfortunately, the trail had to close shortly after our initial renovation,” said Matthew Gomez, senior park planning manager at Save Redwoods League, a nonprofit that can help with repairs. “But our close partnership with California State Parks has allowed us to rebuild the bridge better than ever.”
This is a truly spectacular hike. Enjoy it in the process of continuous.
