Tequepis Trail begins near the shores of Lake Cachuma and ascends the north side of the Santa Ynez Mountains behind Santa Barbara. The trail up offers views of the lake and valley, and there are broader ocean views from the top. This is an invigorating 8.4-mile round trip hike with 2,300 feet of elevation gain. To reach Tequepis Trail, start at the free parking lot at the entrance of... Read more.

Salmon Creek Trail is a popular track with backpackers venturing deep into the Silver Peak Wilderness in the Monterey District of Los Padres National Forest, but you only need to hike a quarter mile round trip from Highway One to see a beautiful 120-foot waterfall. Unlike the trail overlooking beautiful McWay Falls farther up the Big Sur Coast, this hike brings you up close and person with a... Read more.

Along the bluffs of the Big Sur Coast protected by Los Padres National Forest is a scenic and easy ocean-view hike. Jade Cove and Plaskett Rock Point are just south of Plaskett Creek Campground on the west side of Highway One. Visited together, they form a 1.5-mile hike. This hike has two trailheads. Both are unmarked a somewhat difficult to spot. From Plaskett Creek Campground drive a... Read more.

A great way to explore the dramatic waterfront on the Big Sur coast is to take a hike down the action-packed Partington Cove Trail. Partington Cove is part of Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park begins from Highway One, just north of McWay Falls. Partington Cove Trail The 1.5-mile hike to Partington Cove begins at the top of a gated fire road on the west side of Highway One and descends... Read more.

The overlook trail for McWay Falls is a must-stop for anyone taking the scenic drive up Highway One along the Big Sur Coast. The waterfall is stunning, dropping some 80 feet onto a pristine beach in an enchanting cove. It is a short 0.6-mile round trip hike to a viewpoint for McWay Falls, which can be reached directly from Highway One or from parking areas withing Julia Pfieffer Burns State... Read more.