California's Best Trips 2 - Full PDF eBook

convenient general store

selling cold drinks, ice

cream, snacks, camping

supplies and road trip

souvenirs.

4 p159

The Drive » Just 2 miles

south of Pfeiffer Big Sur State

Park, about half a mile past

ranger-staffed Big Sur Station,

make a sharp right turn off Hwy

1 onto Sycamore Canyon Rd,

marked only by a small yellow

sign saying ‘Narrow Rd.’ Partly

unpaved, this road (RVs and

trailers prohibited) corkscrews

down for over 2 miles to Pfeiffer

Beach.

5 Pfeiffer Beach

Hidden down a side

road to the sea, Pfeiffer

Beach (%831-667-2315;

http://www.fs.fed.us/r5/lospadres;

Sycamore Canyon Rd; per

car $5; h9am-8pm; c#)

is worth the trouble it

takes to reach it. This

phenomenal, crescent-

shaped strand is known

for its huge double rock

formation, through

which waves crash with

life-affirming power. It’s

often windy, and the

surf is too dangerous for

swimming. But dig down

into the wet sand – it’s

purple! That’s because

manganese garnet

TRIP HIGHLIGHT

LARRY DALE GORDON / CORBIS ©

CENTRAL.CALIFORNIA

13

(^) BIG SUR