McWay Falls is an 80 foot tall waterfall in central California on the Big Sur Coast. During high tide, the waterfall goes directly into the ocean making it one of only two tidefalls in California.
The best way to see it is by entering Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park and taking a short hike by tunnel under the Pacific Coast Highway to the viewing spot. Due to trail erosion, only part of the trail was open when we went but you can still see the Falls. People also park along the Highway, but that can be dangerous.
The property around the Falls, 1600 acres, was bought in 1924 by Lathrop Brown, a US Congressman, and his wife Helene. They first put a redwood cabin on the site opposite the falls and in 1940 built a modern home named the Waterfall House.
Lathrop died in 1959 and Helene donated the property to the state with the stipulation that it was to be used as a park and named after her good friend Julia Pfeiffer Burns. She also included that the Waterfall House be used as a museum for the display of indigenous Indian relics, nature and History of Big Sur County. If not, the house should be destroyed. Due to lack of funds and access to the site, the home was demolished in 1965 and made an overlook.
