Ewoldsen Trail

Ewoldson was such an amazing hiking trail. As I pulled in along with the group I was hiking with, we noticed the parking lot was full and being told by the park rangers that we can also park out in the road if we wanted too at zero cost. So we parked out in the road and walked in, which wasn’t far at all. Befor you start the hike, there are some bathrooms on the left side of the road (no bathrooms out in the hike) the trail starts off with a good chalanging climb. The trail is maintained pretty good but has a couple obstacles to deal with, there were a couple trees down that you had to climb under, around or over.
If your short on time for your hike, I would recommend you go left at the fork to enjoy the ocean views then head back the same way. If you have plenty time, make sure you go all the way around and complete the circle. Bring plenty of water and some snacks. I did not see any dangerous animals during my hike, plus there is plenty of other hikers around during the day. If you plan to hike late in the day, make sure you take a flashlight just incase it gets dark before you make it back to your vehicle. I will gladly come back again. HAPPY HIKING

Tons of blue skies above and below… amazing trail but I suspect that’s a well-​known ‘secret’ already; there were quite a few hikers here on a Wednesday morning in February.
It’s in Julia Pfeiffer Burns SP — not the same as Pfeiffer-​Big Sur SP. Bring $ 10/​car and don’t expect the entry booth to be manned. Or else, if you’re early enough, park on the opposite side of the highway and cross it to get into the park (trailhead is not far).
Also: be prepared to shed layers as you climb from the parking lot to about 1500 ft. Parts of the trail are overlooking the ocean and exposed to the sun, so you will need sunblock. Good shoes can prove quite useful in the spring when the path is a bit more wet and slippery.
Hans Ewoldsen, a former ranch foreman and resident of Big Sur (at least he was in the ‘90s), rebuilt this trail in 1933 from an old logging trail.
I bought a blue spruce sapling from Home Depot over Christmas and replanted it here on the trail. I hope it survives among the huge redwoods. I got the coordinates and will be visiting again in 2 – 3 months. … fingers crossed!

Come here if you want to feel like katniss, the part before she volunteered as a tribute and spent most of her days hunting in the woods.
This hike is no joke. Beware of bringing noobs on this hike because Ewoldsen will work you so hard and so good. In addition to being steep as hell, the trail is also narrow af. You have to basically hug the wall of the mountain to let the opposite traffic go. Sharing is caring! But be very careful because doing that stunt gets even scarier the higher you go up.
The trail starts off only one path in the beginning. Right at the beginning, it’s okay to take it a little bit easy. It’s very chill at this point. And then suddenly, you face this «almost vertical looking» path and you’re thinking to yourself «aw shit. What did I get myself into.» But it’s too late to turn back. I mean, you can but you traveled so far just to conquer this monster Ewoldsen. You might as well finish it and show off what you achieved!
Anyway, somewhere along the trail, a wild fork appears. Which one to take? Left or right? Choose wisely because one leads you to a never ending path! Just kidding. (Although, you may start thinking that about the entire hike). Per advice from people in the opposite traffic, My friends and I chose left. We really should have went right so that we went counter clockwise because then we would be climbing up less. I don’t know if that made sense. We went left. And we ended up going up steep hills so if we had went right, we would be actually going down those hills instead of up. It’s actually a loop so technically it doesn’t matter if you choose left or right. You will end up at the same fork after completing the loop.
The view on the top was stunning. Although, the McWay falls trail produced a prettier picture, you will feel more accomplished once you see the small waterfall from all the way on top of the ewoldsen loop.

I judge difficulty and coolness of hikes on three things. 1) Do I get a good climb? 2) Do I feel, at any point, that I may need a Satphone or compass? 3) Is there a decent reward along the way or at the top/​end?
1) This is a mostly gradual climb up to 1600 feet. There are very few flat parts but there are also very few crazy climbs. The trail itself is is about 4.5−5 miles so about 2 miles uphill was pretty good for me. At times my bum, quads, and calves were burning (if you are doing that «drive through the heel» banging booty move) and I definitely broke a sweat.
2) I am the worst when it comes to planning and am impatient. I got so excited to see the trees, fallen trees, babbling brooks, and bridges that I didn’t quite pay attention to which trail we were on and defaulted to following the trail people. As we continued to ascend, the crowds of trail people thinned. We saw more people coming down on the same trail we were climbing. Is this a loop or just a climb??? We saw some same people twice… I started to worry that my memory failed me and had a bit of a Satphone moment. But, this trail is, indeed a loop! We kept going to…
3) The reward!!! You will see the unobstructed ocean view provided to you by the ridge along Highway 1. For me, the climb and time was totally worth it!
Sometimes a hike can be a bit of a wasted workout for me. Not this one! After about 50 sweaty minutes to get up, 40 minutes to get down, and lots of pics we were happy. After some investigation we found that we took a left when we got to the Ewoldsen Loop sign (I was distracted by the bridge that is on the left of that sign). There were 2 fallen trees on the 1÷3÷15. Nothing that is not manageable but you may need to use one as a «rope» to get around and back on the trail. Don’t be afraid to park along Highway 1 because this park has a small parking lot.
Happy Hiking Ya’ll!

Breathtakingly beautiful.
This trail was everything I expected, and more. I’m still a bit doubtful on the total length of the trail because online it says that it is a 4.5 mile hike, round trip. However, it definitely felt a lot longer than 4.5 miles.
The trail is described as moderate to difficult, I’d like to just point on that it’s straight up difficult. As soon as the trail starts, you’re hitting inclines that just seem never ending. However, it’s the surroundings that make this trail worth the hike.
Imagine yourself in a forest, with tall redwoods looming overhead. That’s exactly the ambiance of this hike. There are a lot of fallen redwoods on this trail, and it’s so perfectly fallen that it crosses streams and rivers. If you aren’t afraid of heights like I am, then they’re really great photo ops.
There are several bridges made to cross streams of waters on the trail and again, also great photo ops.
It’s a loop, so once you hit a fork in the road, you have the choice of either going left or going right. We overheard a group before us tell us to take a left at the fork, so that’s what we did and much to our surprise, the inclines only got harder. This is definitely not a hike for beginners or elderly folks. No matter which way you go, it’ll take you up to an open peak where you’re able to gaze down below you and see Highway 1, as well as the beautiful and vast ocean. I’d say that the view was worth the pain. You get to see the beautifully blue waters while surrounded by luscious green trees.
Please, if you’re going to try and hike this trail during the winter, plan for enough time before the sun sets, otherwise you’re going to be hiking down in the darkness and it is not safe at all. The trail is ridden with roots, tree branches, stumps, and rocks eroding from the ground. If you can’t see where you’re going, it is very likely that you’ll trip on one of these following things and fall to your death. The trail and walkway is very very VERY narrow, so you definitely want to be cautious while hiking this trail.
Another thing is, if you time it just right, and you finish up your hike just as the sun is starting to set, make your way over to the Mcway Falls trail. It’s about half a mile and totally beautiful. You’ll get to see the small waterfall on the beach, and it’s typically filled with people taking pics of the falls from all different angles. And for the best photo op, catch it while the sun is setting :)
Everyone you meet is super nice, and they’ll greet you with smiles and hellos. So bring your best and just enjoy it. :) Super awesome day hike, and totally worth the drive because there are so many places you can stop at along the way to take photos of the beautiful, blue, ocean. There is absolutely no signal or connection of any sort, so it’s definitely a nice getaway from the distractions of the technological world.
Parking is $ 10 if you can find any inside the park itself. If you can’t, then your best best is trying to park alongside Highway 1. You’ll want to keep your car inside the white lines on the side, because otherwise you’ll get a hefty parking ticket of $ 100 from the park rangers.
We witnessed two cars get ticketed because they were parked right at the stop sign… even though they were pulled in all the way. Just be careful!

Awesome hike through the tall redwood trees and flowing river and meadows! And coming down the loop, you hike along the beautiful shores of big sur. Coming from LA where most of our hikes are usually ugly brown shrubs, dry dirt, and dried up waterbeds, this hike was gorgeous. Come ready for a lot of long switchbacks and hopping over fallen redwood logs and trees along the path, but so worth it!
If you’re hiking in the colder months, I suggest layering because you’ll be sweating while getting up to the top but when the ocean breezes kick in, you’ll need the jacket back on to stay warm coming down.

Love the redwood, it’s calm and refreshing!

The reviews on here are… really optimistic and positive about the hike’s course and difficulty. Maybe it’s to validate the view at the end. But after having done the hike, I think they’re somewhat misleading.
A few things to first note:
1) This is not a hike for elderly people who’ve never hiked before; anyone who is wheel-​chair bound or uses a cane; toddlers and babies (I’d hope this was obvious); beginning hikers or those looking for a casual walk. It’s a very steep trail and in fact, you’re essentially going up a narrow, steep incline the entire way. Your legs and especially your butt will get serious workouts, and please keep watching your step!
2) Although the very beginning of the trail is shady, much of the trail is actually not. Especially with direct California September heat (high 80s over Labor Day weekend), you will be sweating and panting and wanting plenty of water.
3) Lots and lots of FLIES. I don’t know if that’s typically the situation here. But flies swarm you all the way from start to finish and rarely ever leave you. The sound of their constant buzzing is the stuff made of nightmares (I thought of the flies in the dystopian game, Limbo). I was warned by a couple coming down that the damn flies never end, even at the top.
The young families that I did see here did not finish the trail (as in, they quit/​stopped not even a third of the way) and headed back. It was apparent that many of the hikers did not anticipate just how steep and tiring the trek up would be. The older people I saw doing the hike all seemed so much more composed than everyone else! I’m guessing it’s because they’re experienced or else they wouldn’t be bothering with this…
I thought I’d have an appetite for lunch at the summit, but by the top I got up there, I absolutely did not have the wherewithal to eat. All I ate were some dried cranberries, which (along with water) kept me sustained, which was a surprise I later realized. Friend ate, well, some flies unfortunately.
The top really is gorgeous though, standing over the blue, blue, blue ocean — so expansive. Might be hard to really take it all in though because the sunlight shines directly on you up there, if it’s not a foggy day. In this case, I’m not sure if the fact that you have to «work for it» helps. Because I think of McWay Falls and how breathtaking gorgeous it is and you really just walk down (not hike) a manmade path there. If that was the view you got after hiking then I’d say the hike is 100% worth it. But here, you do avoid the crowds while enjoying a serene view at the top.

A top-​notch moderate trail. Well-​maintained and clearly marked with a gorgeous variety of views and scenery. You can park in the state park lot for $ 10 if you’re of that persuasion; however, street parking is free! The entrance to the hike is at the far east end of the parking lot, so if you park on the street you’ll want to make your way on foot down the driveway to the main state park entrance (the driveway is just slightly down the road and across from the trail that leads to the famous waterfall overlook). You’ll stay on the main trail for the most part until you get to a fork about a mile in. Going counterclockwise at the fork probably provides the most stunning views — most of your hard uphill part will be in the redwoods while at the top and going downhill you’ll have incredible, expansive coastal views. The hike has beautiful coastal redwoods, oak trees and meadows at the top, and miles of coastal seascapes.
Overall the hike is definitely a solid 5 miles and a bit of a workout given the significant uphill portion; not good for kids unless you want to carry them, out of shape people or people with poor footing, or whiny people. Would love to try this during sunset!

This is a lesser known hike but that makes it the road less traveled. It turned out to be a beautiful hidden gem and I recommend you to tough it out and do the hike on a clear day because the views are amazing. You get to see beautiful ocean views, as well as, mountain/​valley views complemented by towering redwoods. Come prepared bring good hiking shoes and be ready to hike some inclines. Overall it was worth it :)

Such a fantastic hike! We missed the trail at the beginning so we ended up hiking to a random waterfall about ¼ mile into the woods, but it was fantastic. The trail is a little hard to find because it’s sort of hidden up in the hills on the right. It starts out going up, up, and more up. It’s a pretty intense climb to get up there but it’s completely worth the work. *HINT* Get there early (we got there around 9:30−10) as it gets packed around lunch time and park along Highway 1 right across from the entrance and you’ll save yourself $ 10 and it is no more than a couple hundred yards from the entrance so there’s no downside to parking out there. HAVE FUN!

You can park on the west side of the 1 for free and it is a short walk to the trailhead which is clearly marked. Right at the start of the trail there was a disgusting heap of garbage sitting next to some picnic tables, so we started off the hike somewhat skeptical to how natural the trek would be. Before the fork in the loop, most of the hike is uphill and somewhat sandy so I suggest tennis shoes at the very least. There are some awesome fallen and hollowed out trees to explore.
When you come to the fork go to the left! At about the halfway point in the 5ish mile hike there are some awesome views that are worth seeing on the way back as opposed to when you’re not as tired if you get what I’m sayin. There are some lovely views of the coast that are better seen off trail… oops. The second half of the loop is mostly downhill and backtracking before the fork is, too. At around the halfway point there is a scenic overlook which I did not get to experience due to my friend’s fatigue, but the hike was still worth it.
All in all there is a variety of scenery on the relatively short hike including large redwoods, streams with somewhat falling water, bridges, coastal views, and beautiful mountain/​hill views. Definitely worth the discouraging uphill climb for the stunning views on the way back. That being said go to the left first.

Ewoldsen doesn’t have the celebrity status of it’s sister trail, McWay Waterfall Overlook Trail, but this Julia Pfieffer Burns trail offers a first-​rate hiking experience with beautiful scenery, varying microclimates and some great cardio challenges. Pfieffer Burns Park boasts 5 trails (McWay, Canyon, Tan Bark, Partington and Ewoldsen), each offering a pleasurable experience. To get to Ewoldsen, go away from the ocean towards the east side of the park, right after the restrooms.
This hike definitely gets the heart rate going and the gams a workout. Round trip from the parking lot up to the top (via the Waters Trail), around the loop and back to the start is about 5 miles. There are definitely a few challenging rises/​climbs as you ascend toward the top. Be sure to take breaks (if you need) to rest and enjoy all the wonderful scenery.
The hike takes your through a few gurgling creeks, vast groves, towering redwoods, lush green forests, several bridges and giant rock formations. This hike is really nice because the trees provide a lot of cover and create a nice canopy as you make your way up to the top.
If you’re wondering where the peak is, keep climbing until you reach a sign marked Waters Trail. This will take you straight up to the expansive views. Unfortunately, we were met with a thick blanket of fog that shrouded the ocean. Still quite a nice view of the hillsides, trees and canyons. There’s an overlook bench up here to relax and soak in all the surroundings.
Bring some water, light snacks and sunscreen in a small daypack. There are also several picnic areas with bbq pits at the entrance to enjoy a creekside-​picnic.
Check out the Ewoldsen Trail to experience a rewarding and inspiring sampling of Big Sur.

This is a tough hike but so beautiful you almost don’t notice. The views at the top are worth every uphill step! The hike takes about 2 hours and you should try to save time to see the waterfall afterward so plan on 3 hours to enjoy Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park.

very informative site here:
It’s a 5.1mi trail with incline (but it wasn’t too bad hiking back down because of solid footing). Mostly shaded and you get some ocean views and lovely redwood groves. We parked in the lot ($ 10) and were about fourth in line, as the parking lot was on the one in one out policy. It ended up not taking very long to get a spot.
The trailhead is very conveniently close to the parking lot. I’m glad we got a good hike in during our Big Sur weekend — it was a perfect amount of exercise and tranquility before heading off to dinner. We did the waterfall trail first then this one which is the order I’d recommend.
Bathrooms are pretty clean here.

It’s OK to get a little lost in here at the bottom of the trail if you miss the path to the right of the brook leading up to the main trail. It’s cool, quiet, and magical, and there’s another waterfall that we accidentally stumbled upon when we went the wrong way.
Other than that one issue we had with markers (and we weren’t the only ones), it was a well-​marked trail with great ocean views. It can be pretty challenging in places, but the bridges make all that worth it.

4.5 mile loop which took us about 2.5 hours to hike at a very leisurely rate. The hike was easy to challenging as some parts were flat and downhill and other parts of the trail were constant uphills.
START
— From the same parking area as McWay Falls but just head in the opposite direction, away from the ocean.
TRAILS
— We hiked in a counter clock-​wise fashion which meant we were in the shade for a lot of the uphill switchbacks.
— Almost halfway, there’s a point where the trail veers off towards the right and it ends up at a lookout point supposedly, but we didn’t get a chance to check this out.
— The second half of the trail is much more narrow so watch your footing.
— At one point, there is a ridge with a spectacular view of the coast.
TIPS
— Bring water as it can be a challenging hike.
— Be prepared as a dayhiker! We saw plenty of people without water. We also saw families that started the hike right before sunset. Now not sure if they were going to do the whole loop, but the second part of the trail would have been difficult in the dark without a flashlight.
Overall, I enjoyed this hike. It wasn’t too easy or too hard. I also love that it has a variety of terrain ranging from shaded groves, mountain views, creekside trails, and ocean views.

This is a great hike. Redwoods, the flowing stream, stunning ocean views, huge tree trunks that have fallen down to make impromptu bridges?! This hike is right out of a movie.
It starts out fairly basic, just wandering through the trees and stream – bumps up to more of a dirt path that’s a steady windy incline for quite a while – turns into a beautiful top of the mountain, «I can see the ocean and highway1 from here!» hike – then winds past a ton of flowers and back into redwoods.
When we went (May 2014) the last part of this hike (the part that turns it into a loop) was blocked off and we had to turn around and take the same path back. I think they’re clearing off the trails of old dead trees.
It’s a great hike. Challenging but not too rough, hot but not blistering and the views are more than worth it.
As with every hike, bring water, healthy easy snacks and comfortable shoes. ALSO there were quite a few bees so bring an EPI pen if you need it cuz you’re definitely isolated up there in the redwoods.
Happy hiking!