McWay Falls
McWay Falls is an 80-foot-tall (24 m) waterfall on the coast of Big Sur in central California that flows year-round from McWay Creek in Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park, about 37 miles (60 km) south of Carmel, into the Pacific Ocean. Find it 24 mi south of Carmel Valley Village. A drive of 0.7 mi reaches Julia Pfeiffer Burns.
A waterfall, 24 mi south of Carmel Valley Village
Plan where you’ll sleep
The nearest town with many places to stay is Carmel Valley Village, 24 miles north. Where to stay ↓
A day trip from San Jose
San Jose is about 79 miles north (straight-line). Where to stay ↓
Best months: Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct and Nov
January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October and November are the mild months, with highs of 63–79°. When to go ↓
Written from NOAA 1991–2020 normals, Overture places to stay, Census town figures and Wikipedia.
Weather through the year
The months below show the weather around McWay Falls.
McWay Falls
McWay Falls is an 80-foot-tall (24 m) waterfall on the coast of Big Sur in central California that flows year-round from McWay Creek in Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park, about 37 miles (60 km) south of Carmel, into the Pacific Ocean. During high tide, it is a tidefall, a waterfall that empties directly into the ocean. The only other tidefall in California is Alamere Falls.
- Type
- Waterfall
- Wikipedia readers
- 15K a year
Places to stay near McWay Falls
Close by, places to stay are in Carmel Valley Village (11) and Greenfield (3), and Monterey has the most rooms in the area (87).
Carmel Valley Village
The closest town with somewhere to stay.
4,785 people
24 mi north of McWay Falls
Monterey
The most places to stay in the area, and a base for a longer trip.
28,953 people
33 mi north of McWay Falls
Compare 6 towns
| Town | From McWay Falls | Drive | Places to stay | People | Typical home | Safety |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carmel Valley Village | 24 mi north | 35 min | 11 4 hotels · 2 inns & B&Bs · 3 lodges & cabins · 2 campgrounds | 4,785 | $1,276K | — |
| Greenfield | 26 mi northeast | 40 min | 3 2 motels · 1 RV park | 21,138 | $531K | C− |
| Fort Hunter Liggett | 27 mi southeast | 40 min | 2 2 hotels | 1,119 | — | — |
| Soledad | 27 mi northeast | 40 min | 2 2 hotels | 26,357 | $596K | B− |
| Gonzales | 27 mi northeast | 40 min | 1 1 motel | 8,313 | $619K | B− |
| Monterey | 33 mi north | 50 min | 87 56 hotels · 14 motels · 11 inns & B&Bs · 4 lodges & cabins · 1 hostel · 1 RV park | 28,953 | $1,076K | C− |
Day trip from
Straight-line miles.
Getting there
Nearest airports with airline service
More near McWay Falls
Pair a visit with these, within 44 miles.
Big draw43 mi State parkHearst Castle
34 mi Zoo & aquariumMonterey Bay Aquarium
33 mi MuseumMonterey Museum of Art
36 mi National ParkPinnacles National Park343K visitors a year
1in town State parkJulia Pfeiffer Burns State Park
2in town Canyon & gorgeAnderson Canyon
328 mi LandmarkFort Hunter Liggett
34 mi Scenic drive17-Mile DrivePhoto credits
Hearst Castle: No machine-readable author provided. Urban~commonswiki assumed (based on copyrig, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Monterey Bay Aquarium: Meij.kobayashi, Public domain · Monterey Museum of Art: Sgerbic, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Pinnacles National Park: Brocken Inaglory, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park: Wordydave, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Anderson Canyon: Wattssw, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Fort Hunter Liggett: Binksternet, Public domain · 17-Mile Drive: Humanoid one, CC BY-SA 3.0
Questions before you go
What town is McWay Falls near?
Carmel Valley Village, CA, about 24 miles north.
When is the best time to visit McWay Falls?
January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October and November, with highs of 63–79°.
How far is McWay Falls from San Jose?
About 79 miles north of San Jose, as the crow flies.
What is the closest airport to McWay Falls?
Monterey Regional (MRY), about 31 miles away. The nearest big hub is Mineta San Jose (SJC), about 84 miles.
Where should I stay near McWay Falls?
Monterey (33 mi, 87 places to stay), Carmel Valley Village (24 mi, 11 places to stay) and Greenfield (26 mi, 3 places to stay).
Word from Carmel Valley Village
Questions and tips go in Carmel Valley Village’s Town Square.
Sources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · NOAA climate normals · U.S. Census.