Ewoldsen Trail

The Ewoldsen Trail offers the most immersive backcountry experience in Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park, climbing steeply from the canyon floor through old-growth coast redwoods and tanoak woodland to a high ridge with commanding views of the Big Sur coastline and the Pacific Ocean. The trail begins in the shaded canyon along McWay Creek, passing beneath towering redwood canopy before ascending aggressively through chaparral and mixed forest to the park's upper elevations. The ridge viewpoints reveal the full dramatic sweep of the Big Sur coast, with the Santa Lucia Mountains plunging precipitously into the sea in a landscape of extraordinary grandeur. Condors, which have been successfully reintroduced to the Big Sur region, are frequently spotted soaring on thermals along this ridge. The descent returns through the redwood canyon, completing a loop that showcases the remarkable ecological diversity compressed into a short vertical distance on this rugged coastline. Spring brings exceptional wildflower displays along the upper trail, including blue-eyed grass, Indian paintbrush, and Douglas iris. The trail demands good fitness and sure footing on its steeper sections, and hikers should carry water as sources are limited on the upper ridge.