McWay Falls
McWay Falls is a waterfall in California, at a modelled elevation of 2 m. Junipero Serra Peak stands 1,784 m to the east, 14 miles off. The nearest named place is Saddle Rock, a peak less than a tenth of a mile away. Big Sur Coast Highway - Route 1 runs past it.
How to reach it
- On the Big Sur Coast Highway - Route 1, National
Overlooks nearby
- Julia Pfieffer Burns Vista Point · 1 mi
- Sea Otter Refuge View Point · 19 mi
- Hurricane View Point · 19 mi
- Bixby Creek Bridge Viewpoint · 20 mi
Named places within 25 miles
- Saddle Rock: 0.0 mi
- Anderson Peak: 2.3 mi
- Marble Peak: 2.7 mi
- Michaels Hill: 3.3 mi
- Boronda Ridge: 4.6 mi
- Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park: 0.8 mi
- The California Sea Otter State Game Refuge: 2.2 mi
- John Little State Natural Reserve: 3.5 mi
- Big Creek State Marine Conservation Area: 3.8 mi
- Big Creek State Marine Reserve: 5.6 mi
- Cold Spring: 3.8 mi
- Lafler Creek Spring: 4.2 mi
- Redondo Spring: 7.6 mi
- Quail Spring: 9.6 mi
- Jackhammer Spring: 10.3 mi
- Tassajara Creek Falls: 8.3 mi
- Canogas Falls: 9.1 mi
- Pfeiffer Falls: 9.1 mi
- Devil's falls: 9.4 mi
- Eagle Creek Falls: 9.4 mi
- Pelton Wheel: 0.2 mi
- Esalen Institute: 3.0 mi
- Rigdon Drinking Fountain (disused): 8.4 mi
- Devil's Falls: 9.4 mi
- Albino Redwood Tree: 9.8 mi
- Tin House: 1.5 mi
- Tractor: 5.5 mi
- Bill Cotta Memorial: 6.3 mi
- Suzuki-Roshi: 8.4 mi
- Santa Lucia Adobe: 11.2 mi
- Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park Day Use Area: 8.9 mi
- Point Sur State Historic Park: 16.0 mi
- Point Sur Lighthouse Reservation: 16.4 mi
- Cachagua Community Park: 16.6 mi
- Carmel Valley Community Park: 22.7 mi
- Arroyo Seco Day Use: 12.1 mi
- Mill Creek Day Use Area: 15.7 mi
- Sand Dollar Picnic Area and Beach: 19.9 mi
- Willow Creek Picnic Ground: 21.8 mi
- Wreck Beach: 8.8 mi
- Pfeiffer Beach: 9.9 mi
- Sand Dollar Beach: 19.7 mi
- Ventana Wildlife Discovery Center: 12.9 mi
- Mission Soledad Museum: 24.5 mi
- Sykes Hot Spring: 6.5 mi
- Puente Big Creek Bridge: 7.3 mi
- Keyhole Arch: 9.8 mi
- Los Padres Dam Slide: 15.8 mi
- Point Sur Lighthouse: 16.4 mi
Summits around it
The highest named summits within 17.8 miles of McWay Falls. Elevation from each summit’s own record; bearing measured between the two coordinates.
| Summit | Bearing | Elevation | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Junipero Serra Peak | E 93° | 1,784 m | 14.2 mi |
| Pinyon Peak | E 87° | 1,602 m | 16.3 mi |
| Cone Peak | SE 127° | 1,572 m | 12.3 mi |
| Chews Ridge | NNE 29° | 1,549 m | 12.1 mi |
| South Ventana Cone | NNE 14° | 1,517 m | 8.3 mi |
| Black Butte | NE 44° | 1,497 m | 10.5 mi |
| Ventana Double Cone | NNW 346° | 1,477 m | 9.9 mi |
| Twin Peak | SE 128° | 1,468 m | 11.7 mi |
When to go
Light through the year
| Date | Sunrise | Golden hour | Sunset |
|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox | 07:11 | 18:45 | 19:19 |
| June solstice | 05:51 | 19:50 | 20:28 |
| September equinox | 06:55 | 18:31 | 19:05 |
| December solstice | 07:15 | 16:17 | 16:56 |
Local time (America/Los_Angeles).
Climate normals
Months averaging 50–80 °F: year-round.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg °F | 51 | 52 | 54 | 55 | 58 | 61 | 63 | 64 | 64 | 61 | 55 | 51 |
| Precip in | 9.5 | 8.6 | 6.7 | 2.9 | 1.1 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 1.9 | 4.2 | 9.2 |
1991–2020 U.S. Climate Normals, NOAA NCEI — BIG SUR STN, 9 mi away.
Months at or above the year’s average flow: Dec–Apr — fullest in Feb, leanest in Sep.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mean cfs | 239 | 267 | 227 | 143 | 65.9 | 37.4 | 24.0 | 17.8 | 15.4 | 19.4 | 38.5 | 105 |
USGS monthly mean discharge at gauge Big Sur R NR Big Sur CA, 8 mi away — the nearest gauge, which can sit on a different stream.
Where this comes from
Location and category confirmed against OpenStreetMap.
OpenStreetMapWikidataOpenStreetMap element node/713921826
Day trips start here
- Carmel Valley · 23 mi
- Soledad · 27 mi
- Monterey County · 29 mi
Take the scenic way to McWay Falls.
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