He highlighted the importance of each and suggested the best place to sit on the beach. There was a man at the entrance to the beach in the parking lot that was speaking to everyone to heighten their awareness of social distancing and mask wearing. This lovely small beach is frequented by locals and has a focus on safety and health during the COVID crisis. Tip: A portion of San Carpoforo Beach is protected as a snowy plover nesting site obey signs to stay away from any restricted areas. At the north end, the beach turns rocky and sea caves open out from the looming cliffs. Unlike most Big Sur beaches, the swath of sand at the foot of San Carpoforo Creek is flat and wide, with plenty of room to walk. Once you've parked, you access the beach via a flat, easy trail that passes by a peaceful lagoon which is often a refuge for herons, egrets and other birds. Located on land managed by the Los Padres National Forest that meets the northern end of Hearst San Simeon State Park, you'll find a nondescript pullout on Highway 1 about 8 miles north of the Piedras Blancas Light Station and across the highway from a house with the address 18550 Cabrillo Hwy, San Simeon, CA. Just 1.5 miles south of Ragged Point and the official entrance to Big Sur, San Carpoforo Creek Beach is so hidden, most people drive right by it. San Carpoforo Creek is our pick for best-hidden beach © RandyAndy 101 / Getty Images San Carpoforo Creek Beach A relatively primitive site, Mill Creek is managed by the Los Padres National Forest with faculties limited to toilets and a handful of picnic tables, but what a picnic spot it is, with the pounding surf so close it’s likely to send spray over your sandwich.

Low tide, however, reveals a slender stretch of sand below the bluffs at the northern end. Mill Creek Picnic Area and BeachĪt first glance, Mill Creek appears to be merely a rocky inlet where the so-named creek empties into the ocean. Those traveling with their pups often pull over here as Willow Creek is one of the few Big Sur beaches open to dogs.

Part of the Los Padres National Forest, Willow Creek is relatively undeveloped, with a small parking area and pit toilets. The gently curving sand beach at the north end of Big Sur is accessible only at low tide, when it’s possible to walk around the rocky promontory to the right. Treasure awaits persistent rockhounds, with agates, shells and even the rare piece of jade mixed in among the rocks. Here, Willow Creek empties into the ocean amid a rough jumble of large boulders. One of the most overlooked beaches in Big Sur, Willow Creek is for those who want to contemplate the crashing surf in solitude. However, erosion has made the unmarked trail to the cove quite treacherous and best suited only to those comfortable with rough climbing. Just to the south of Willow Creek, Jade Cove is a well-guarded secret among gem-hunters for the semiprecious stone it’s named for. Most vivid after winter and spring rains, the streaks of fushia, rose and violet occur as a result of manganese and garnet washing down from the cliffs above.Ĭampers from Plaskett Creek Campground across Highway 1 use this beach as well, with sunset-watching a popular pastime for those overnighting there. One of the coolest things about Pfeiffer Beach, known only to rock hounds and the particularly observant, is the purple sand that collects along the edge of the bluff. Other rock formations offshore also feature blowholes and showcase surf spouts.

That doesn’t stop visitors from making their way down the narrow and pothole-plagued road, drawn by the promise of seeing Keyhole Rock, a natural sandstone arch just offshore that perfectly frames the waves washing through. Managed through an unusual partnership between the Los Padres National Forest and the California Coastal Conservancy, Pfeiffer Beach has limited facilities and isn’t easy to find - in fact, there’s no sign marking the turnoff from Highway One. The rock formations at Pfeiffer beach add to the dramatic scenery © haveseen / Getty Images Pfeiffer Beach

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