Everything To Know About Pfeiffer Beach (The Pink Sand Beach) In Big Sur, California
Planning A Road Trip Through Big Sur, California And Wondering If The Secluded Pink Sand Beach Here Is Worth Stopping At?
On my first trip to Northern California, I made visiting Big Sur a priority because I wanted to see some really beautiful natural areas, although I only had time for a day trip, so I had to narrow down the list of places I wanted to stop, but because of its pink-ish sand and secluded untouched area, I left Pfeiffer Beach on my list and I really enjoyed it.
🏖️ Everything To Know About Visiting The Prettiest Beach in Big Sur, California
Big Sur is full of beautiful coastline, lush green mountains, interesting wildlife, and just incredible untouched natural areas, which is why it is often considered one of the most scenic drives in the US.
Although there is plenty to see in Big Sur on a longer trip, it is also a wonderful one day road trip (especially from somewhere like Montere), but you’ll still have to narrow down the list of places you want to stop and decide if somewhere like Pfeiffer Beach is worth checking out along the way.
Where Is Pfeiffer Beach?
Pfeiffer Beach is located in the more northern portion of Big Sur, California so it is an easier stop to make if you’re coming from somewhere farther north like San Francisco.
If you don’t want to drive all the way through Big Sur, Pfeiffer Beach is really one of the quickest Big Sur sites to get to since it’s only about an hour from the Monterey, Carmel, and Pebble Beach areas.
How To Get To Pfeiffer Beach
Although Pfeiffer Beach seems like a simple place to get to, because cell phones don’t always work great and the entrance is easy to miss, here are a few details and photos to help you out.
First, I suggest getting to Pfeiffer Beach as early as you can because it is a popular place to visit and the park will close off access if it reaches capacity (plus it’s way cooler when hardly anyone else is out here).
If you’re heading North to South (the way I recommend to easily pull off for all those scenic side of the road stops), it’s really easy to pass the Pfeiffer Beach entrance.
I couldn’t get my phone maps to work and ended up passing the entrance and had to turn around, but hopefully a few of these details will help:
- you’re getting closer when you pass the Andrew Molera State Park
- you’ll be driving through a very forested area and start seeing signs for Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park
- over to the left, you’ll pass a sign for “Big Sur Station”
- in your rearview mirror or side mirror you’ll pass another wooden sign over to the left that says “Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park”
- right after you see that sign in your mirror, there will be a street to the right with some mailboxes and then a yellow sign right after that saying there’s a right turn in 250 feet
- that right turn in 250 feet is the Pfeiffer Beach road and it is basically a jackknife right turn into a full and covered forest area (pictured above)
- if you go over a bridge (above land not water), you’ve missed the turn in
- once you do turn down that narrow forested road, it’ll be about 2 miles down to the parking
- also note, that pedestrians, RV’s, and trailers are not allowed on this road
- because the road is so narrow, there is barely room for two cars to pass each other so if others are driving out, you’ll have to scooch over since those going uphill (the ones leaving the beach) have the right of way
- for any blind corners, I suggest tooting your horn to let others know you’re coming and hopefully they’ll let you know too
- since driving down to this beach can be a little difficult/annoying when there’s lots of cars, that’s one other reason why I suggest going as early as possible to avoid the crowds as much as possible
Does Pfeiffer Beach Really Have Pink/Purple Sand?
All of the sand at Pfeiffer Beach isn’t perfectly colored pink or purple, but there are spots throughout where you can definitely see the pink-ish/purple-ish color.
What Can You Do At Pfeiffer Beach?
A lot of beaches in Northern California and in Big Sur in particular are not your typical California beaches where you can lay out in the sun and then get in the water, instead places like Pfeiffer Beach are just for looking, taking photos, and exploring on land.
Although that doesn’t seem like much, I still loved stopping here and definitely recommend going earlier in the morning when there’s hardly anyone else out here (plus if it reaches capacity, they will close off access).
Does It Cost Anything To Visit Pfeiffer Beach?
Pfeiffer Beach does have a cost to enter, which is currently $15 for the day.
Is It Really Worth Visiting Pfeiffer Beach In Big Sur, California?
I only had a day to drive through this part of Northern California, but along with the elephant seal stop towards the end of Big Sur, Pfeiffer Beach was one of my favorite stops because it was such a secluded and untouched piece of nature with beautiful views and colored sand.
I did think the price was a little high since all I was going to do was stop for 30-45 minutes, but since I was only going through Big Sur once, I decided to just pay it and see if this beach was really one of the most beautiful in California.
➡️ Beautiful coastal areas like Pfeiffer Beach are one reason why I think Big Sur is worth visiting, especially over other scenic drives like the nearby 17 mile drive
🔁 Sum Up: Pfeiffer Beach, The Pink Sand Beach In Big Sur, California
Although it can be a very easy turn to miss, the road down is narrow and difficult with lots of traffic, and you have to pay a day price to enter, Pfeiffer Beach is one of the prettiest natural areas in Big Sur, California and I felt like it was worth visiting just to see this secluded and untouched area, the pink-ish/purple-ish sand, some cool wildlife, and to get some nice photos.
