Big Sur Towering Redwoods & Stunning Wonders

Big Sur wilderness is home to the southernmost range of coastal old redwoods. Experience the magic of Big Sur’s stunning natural wonders  including giant redwoods and breathtaking scenery along California State Route 1,   See soaring California Condors, migrating whales, harbor seals, sea otters, monarch butterflies and giant elephant seals. Hike through the towering redwoods and fern canyons in Big Sur to see wildlife, waterfalls, and amazing tall redwood trees.    

The winding picturesque road offers views of beautiful bridges and coastal cliffs filled with wildflowers, ancient Redwoods, and cypress trees will leave you speechless. There are still a few old groves redwoods in the southernmost naturally occurring groves of redwoods  and they  found right here within the Big Sur wilderness.   

This rugged stretch of California’s coastline between San Simeon (home to Hearst Castle) and Carmel is known as Big Sur Country. This remote wilderness spans over 90 miles where the Santa Lucia Mountains rise abruptly from the Pacific Ocean (over 3,000 feet high) along California State Route 1. This is the most spectacular region along California Coast Highway 1. It is characterized by its spectacular twisting turns, golden beaches, purple sands, magnificent coastline, rich fauna and flora, several national and state parks, towering redwoods known as the Coastal redwoods, which are the world’s tallest trees. These iconic ancient trees thrive along the Big Sur Coast, some topping out at well over 350 feet/107 meters. 

These ancient  redwood trees in Big Sur are the remnant of much larger groves. Many old-growth trees were cut by the Ventana Power Company which operated a sawmill near present-day Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park from the late 1800s through 1906, when its operations were bankrupted by the 1906 San Francisco earthquake. 

 While many trees were harvested, a number of inaccessible locations were never logged. A large grove of trees is found along the north fork of the Little Sur River. William Randolph Hearst was interested in preserving the uncut redwood forest.  

Redwood, also known as Coast Redwood (Sequoia sempervirens), grows in a very narrow strip along the coast of California from the extreme southwestern corner of Oregon to 150 miles south of San Francisco in the Soda Springs drainage of Big Sur. This area is about 500 miles long and rarely more than 20 or 30 miles wide in a region of frequent thick -summer fog, moderate year-round temperature, and considerable winter rainfall. Redwood does not grow naturally beyond the belt affected by this combination.

Hiking in Big Sur Redwood Country:  The Pine Ridge Trail  is the most popular hiking route into the Ventana region but there are amazing trails that run through towering redwoods and waterfalls including:

• Salmon Creek Trail
• Pacific Valley Bluff Trail
• Limekiln Trails
• Tan Bark Trail
• Pfeiffer Falls/ Valley View Trails
• Vicente Flat Trail
• Ragged Point Cliffside Trail
• San Carpoforo Creek Trail

Among other attractions and parks in Big Sur you may checkout as well including:      

• Point Sur and light station.
• Garrapata State Park
• Point Sur State Historic Park
• Andrew Molera State Park
• Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park
• Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park
• John Little State Natural Reserve
• Limekiln State Park
• John Little State Natural Reserve
• Big Creek State Marine Reserve and Marine Conservation Area
• Los Padres National Forest
• Ventana Wilderness
• Silver Peak Wilderness