The hook
A short redwood loop to a 60-foot fall, the easy leg-stretch inside the park most people only drive through to reach Pfeiffer Beach.
01Why it's worth it
Inside Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park, this is the gentle one: a mile or so up a redwood canyon along a creek to a 60-foot waterfall that's best after winter rain, with a short spur out to Valley View for a quick overlook of the Big Sur valley and the ocean beyond. The trail and its footbridges were rebuilt and reopened after the fire and flood closures that hit this part of the coast. It isn't an epic. It's a shady, kid-friendly walk among big trees, which is exactly what you want as a break from a day of driving the cliffs.
02How to experience it
Start from the trailhead inside Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park; there's a day-use fee. Go after winter rain for the falls to actually run, and tack on the short Valley View spur for the overlook. Figure a couple of hours at most, round trip.