Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park has an active Guided Hikes, Junior Rangers, and Ranger Cubs programs through the summer months. A series of activities for the whole family. Park day use fees apply for Nature Walks and daytime activities.

Be sure to check out the Calendar of Events for other music, arts, and activities going on in Big Sur. In addition to what is listed on this website, other websites list their own music and calendar of events. So be sure to check around on the web or while you're in Big Sur for entertainment that suits your fancy.

Kids programs happen six days a week now through August:
Saturday, Sunday, Monday-Thursday.

10 AM Junior Rangers (Ages 7-12 only) Join park staff for a fun one hour program and learn about the park. New topics daily from Geology, Energy, and Plant life to Recycling and California Condors. Earn awards by coming to multiple programs. Come early program size may be limited. Meet at the Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park Campground Kiosk.

11:30 AM Ranger Cubs: (Ages 6 and Under with parents) Join us for a half hour of story telling, games, activities and art projects. Meet at the Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park Campground Kiosk.

Park Day use fees apply for nature walks and activities.

Sunday, August 29th
11:00 a.m. Children's Nature Walk: "Flower Power- The plants of Big Sur"- Join Sara for an hour of fun games, and a little walking. Discover the many plants of Big Sur and how they grow. All ages welcome, meet at the Campground Kiosk.

2:00 p.m. Nature Walk “Discovering Pfeiffer Falls” Meet Park Interpreter Sara for a moderate hike up the Valley View trail to the base of Pfeiffer Falls. This is a ¾ mile one-way walk to the waterfall ~45 minutes. Meet at the Nature Center.

3:00 p.m. Nature Walk “California Condors” Join Ranger Aaron for a short but beautiful walk overlooking McWay Cove. In this 1/4 mile walk discover who used to live here on the Big Sur coast. If we are lucky we will see some soaring condors. Meet in the main parking lot at Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park, 11 miles south of Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park on Highway 1.

Saturday, September 4th
8:00 a.m.-10:00 a.m. "Morning with the Songbirds" Join Ventana Wildlife Society's Big Sur Ornithology Lab and observe a bird banding demonstration, accompany staff on a visit to nets to remove birds. Park vehicles in the Andrew Molera State Park parking lot and walk back out past the kiosk and turn right down the gravel road 150 yards to the brown barn. For more information, call VWS (831) 624-1202.

10:00 a.m. JUNIOR RANGERS– Plant Life (children ages 7-12 only) Come have some fun discovering trees of Big Sur and how they grow. Meet Park Interpreter Sara for one hour of activities at the Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park Campground kiosk.

11:30 a.m. Ranger Cubs (ages 6 and under) Children and parents join us for a half hour of story telling, games and a short walk. Meet Park Interpreter Sara at the Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park Campground kiosk.

8:00 p.m. Night Hike “Creatures of the Night” Join park interpreter Sara for a peek into the night life of Big Sur. Discover how animals adapt to the dark in this one hour program. Wear warm clothes and bring a flashlight for this half mile walk. Bring a red lens flashlight if you have one. Meet at the Pfeiffer Big Sur State park campground kiosk.

Sunday, September 5th
10:00 a.m. Nature Walk: “Gear Shifts: Rapid Changes in Big Sur’s Terrain” Although best known for its beauty and scale, Big Sur offers a great diversity of plants, animals and climates. We will explore how and why Big Sur can feel so different in just a matter of minutes. Meet Park Interpreter Sara for this one and a half hour walk in front of the Big Sur Lodge Restaurant.

2:00 p.m. Nature Walk: "Valleys and Vistas"- Join Sara for a moderate hike to the Valley View overlook and discover the unique habitats of Big Sur. See impacts of the Basin Fire and how the forest is already springing back. Wear sturdy hiking shoes and bring water for this one-hour, two-mile hike. Meet at the Nature Center.

Monday, September 6th
9:00 a.m. Nature Walk “Discovering Pfeiffer Falls” Meet Park Interpreter Sara for a moderate hike up the Valley View trail to the base of Pfeiffer Falls. This is a ¾ mile one-way walk to the waterfall ~45 minutes. Meet at the Nature Center.

1:00 p.m. Nature Walk: “Big Sur through the Ages” Discover how natural and cultural forces have shaped the landscape and the people who have lived here. Visit John Pfeiffer's Homestead cabin, see some of the effects of recent fire activity and look for threatened Steelhead Trout. Wear river shoes if you want to get wet. Meet Park Interpreter Sara at the green fire gate near Day Use Lot #3.

Point Sur Lightstation State Historic Park Tours
“Walking Tour into the Past” Volunteer led, three-hour walking tour on paved road. The walk is less than a mile but with a rise in elevation of 300’. Meet along the West Side of Highway 1, ¼ mile north of Pt. Sur Naval facility. Arrive early. Tour size limited.
Tours- Saturday: 10 a.m., 2 p.m., Sunday: 10 a.m., Wednesday: 10 a.m., 2 p.m., Admission Adult:$10.00; Ages 6-17: $5.00; Age 5 and under: free.

Molera Ranch House Museum
Located south of the entry kiosk at Andrew Molera State Park, the Ranch House is open and free for visitors Thursday-Saturday from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Check it out!

Ernst Ewoldsen Nature Center
Located near the Pfeiffer Falls trailhead is open for visitors Friday through Sunday from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Come discover what lives here!

Thank You for Visiting Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park. Please be patient as we work to re-open areas of the park after the Basin Complex Fire and winter mudflows. Oak Grove and Pfeiffer Falls trails remain closed due to damages. Please stay out of all closed areas and watch for falling rocks and trees in these zones.