Geology Picture of the Week, July 23-29, 2006: McWay Falls, Big Sur, CA -- Impossibly Photogenic

Michael Brochstein Web site ^ | Michael Brochstein

[cogitator]

If you haven't heard of this place before, join the club. I discovered it while looking for other waterfall pictures. Apparently you will never find a picture of someone frolicking beneath the cascade, because the beach is off-limits. With good reason, I think -- it's astonishing.

Geologically speaking, McWay Falls is the only place on the California coast where a perennial (year-round) waterfall directly enters the ocean. It is located in Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park.

Picture 1: Close-up

Picture 2: The full scene

[cogitator]

I cannot believe Ansel Adams never photographed this place!

I recommend a Google image search for this one; post a favorite. It has many "moods". Here's another one.

[Suzy Quzy]

WOWIE!!! Thanks.

[lucysmom]

If you haven't heard of this place before, join the club.

Even though I've camped at Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park, this is the first I've heard about the falls. Thank you!

[ConorMacNessa]

Beautiful pics, cogitator! Thanks!

[litehaus]

The place we all dream about is real?

[MikeA]

Did you take these? The second picture with the sunset is amazing. Well done! I'm JEALOUS of your photographic skills. I'm just an amateur myself. But VERY impressive stuff.

[cogitator]

Did you take these?

No, I just find good photographic work (by amateurs or professionals) on the Web.

[cogitator]

** PING **

[cogitator]

Even though I've camped at Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park, this is the first I've heard about the falls.

Apparently you hike to an overlook; every picture I've looked at has the same vantage point.

[MikeA]

Ahh, well great find! Thanks for posting those.

[JimSEA]

Great photos, beautiful spot!!

[cogitator]

This Web site has a few trail descriptions:

Big Sur Hiking Trails

Map of the park location:

[SF Republican]

Just got back from this place - it is so nice. We went from San Francisco down the coast to Big Sur, Hearst Castle and on to San Luis Obispo. It was one of the best vacations, the kids caught their first fish and there was nothing but blue skys. On down just a short distance is Nepenthe, if you are ever on Hwy 1 stop for a cocktail and beautiful Big Sur, you can see 40 miles down the coast.

[meowmeow]

Wow - that picture looks like this one of Jungle Island from Riven (computer game)

[Quix]

Much appreciated.

Am adding them to my WEBSHOTS.COM wallpaper and screensaver.

[Lil'freeper]

*sigh*

Purty.

[Famishus]

I thought the same thing, meowmeow. Beware the whark! :)

[xpertskir]

Off Limits???
I fooled around with Christy Brinkley under that waterfall back in 88.

[geezerwheezer]

This is REALLY BEAUTIFUL. Thanks for sending them to us.

[balrog666]

Very,very nice.

[MHGinTN]

Looking at Pic#1, then Pic#2, one is led to believe these are composites, not actual photos. The trees in the foreground of #2, looking past toward the falls in the distance, are not out of focus enough to be aprt of the close up of the falls using any lens I'm familiar with ... though I don't have a huge amount of experience. Judging by the distance to a tree location on a direct line from the perspective of photo#1 transposed to #2, there are no trees close enough to generate this degree of fuzziness of the foreground trees and not a whole lot more. Does that make sense?

[cogitator]

I don't get the impression they are composites; if you do a Google image search on "McWay Falls", because of the vantage point forced by the overlook, most of them look similar. These weren't taken by the same photographer; I think the close-up used a long lens and got some leaves, while the "full scene" was a more standard lens.

[Deguello]

The hydraulic minning of the sand by the waterfall can't exceed the input of the ocean.

[mwyounce]

These are beautiful.....

Thanks, once again, for your Geology photos of the week.... I look forward to every thread!

[Tampa Caver]

We will go here when we tour California again.

[Khurkris]

Wow...I must have been thru and in this park 50 times and never knew this waterfall was there.

Thanks for posting this.

[trashcanbred]

Wow I was thinking the same thing. It has been many years since I played it but I recently got a version for the Pocket PC and had to start playing it again.