Pfeiffer Beach
- Access
- Sycamore Canyon Rd (2.2 mi, single lane)
- Fee
- $15 per vehicle
- Parking
- 65 vehicles
- Facilities
- No restrooms or water
- Dog-friendly
About this beach
Pfeiffer Beach is a Los Padres National Forest day-use beach in Big Sur, reached by Sycamore Canyon Road, a single-lane road about 2.2 miles long off Highway 1. The turnoff is easy to miss; it's between the Big Sur Ranger Station and the post office.
Fees and parking
Day use is $15 per vehicle, and interagency and senior passes aren't accepted. The lot holds 65 vehicles and is usually full on summer and holiday weekends. A road-use restriction through January 29, 2027, bars pedestrians on Sycamore Canyon Road, so you can't park on the highway and walk in. The road can close after winter rain.
Good to know
There are no restrooms and no drinking water, just four picnic tables. It's day use only: no camping and no fires. Swimming is hazardous because of cold water, rocks and rip currents, and June through August is often foggy and cold. Dogs must be on a leash 6 feet or shorter.
Getting there & access
Getting there
Turn off Highway 1 onto Sycamore Canyon Road, between the Big Sur Ranger Station and the post office, and follow it about 2.2 miles.
No walking in
Pedestrians aren't allowed on Sycamore Canyon Road under a restriction through January 29, 2027. Arrive early; the 65-car lot fills on summer and holiday weekends.
- Dogs
- Leashed (6 ft)
- Ranger district
- (831) 385-5434
What's here
Dog-friendly
Leashed dogs allowed on the beach
Rules & official resources
- Day use only: no overnight camping and no firesfs.usda.gov ↗
- Pedestrians barred from Sycamore Canyon Road (road use restriction through January 29, 2027)fs.usda.gov ↗
- Dogs on a leash no longer than 6 feetfs.usda.gov ↗
- Pack out everything you pack infs.usda.gov ↗
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