McWay Falls
California · height not recorded · Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park · Last verified 2026-05-15
Right now
This Afternoon
66°F
Sunny
Tonight
54°F
Clear
Today's daylight
Sunrise 5:59 AM · Sunset 8:06 PM · 14h 8m
Snapshot built 2d ago. Sources: NWS MTR.
McWay Falls is a waterfall in Monterey County, California. Height has not been officially recorded. Access details and conditions have not yet been verified in person by Fallspots — the data on this page comes from OpenStreetMap and USGS GNIS.
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.
Compare to nearby falls
If this one isn't the right fit, here's how it stacks up against the closest documented falls. Every column is filterable on the site — not buried in 13,000 reviews.
| Waterfall | Distance | Height | Trail | Dogs | Fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| McWay Falls (this page) | — | — | — | Y | Free |
| Tassajara Creek Falls | 8 mi | — | — | Y | Free |
| Canogas Falls | 9 mi | — | — | — | — |
| Pfeiffer Falls | 9 mi | — | — | — | — |
| Eagle Creek Falls | 9 mi | — | — | — | — |
| Pine Falls | 10 mi | — | — | — | — |
Questions visitors ask about McWay Falls
Answers built from our structured data. If a question isn't here, the fact is unverified — we'd rather omit than guess.
Is McWay Falls in a national or state park?
Yes — McWay Falls is inside Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park. We inferred this from OpenStreetMap protected-area polygons; if you find we got the boundary wrong, please report it. See the park page for fees, hours, and current conditions.
Can I bring my dog to McWay Falls?
Yes — dogs are allowed (Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park permits leashed dogs in most areas). Inferred from park type; check the official site for trail-specific restrictions. Always leash and pack out waste.
Is there a fee to visit McWay Falls?
No entrance fee. Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park is free to access. Some trailheads may charge a parking fee separately.
How far is McWay Falls from a major city?
McWay Falls is 24 miles from Carmel Valley Village (about 34 minutes' drive).
More waterfalls in California
Where it is
36.1578, -121.6724
Sources and live status
Where we got the data, and where to check current conditions before you drive.
Wikipedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/McWay_Falls
Wikidata (Q6802765)
https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q6802765
GeoNames (5371850)
https://www.geonames.org/5371850/
Last verified by Fallspots: 2026-05-15
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