BIG SUR COAST SOUTH - Pacific Valley - Limekiln - Mill Creek - Sand Dollar - Willow Creek
BIG SUR COAST SOUTH Near Pacific Valley
BIG SUR CALIFORNIA Kayak, Canoe and Stand Up Paddle Board (SUP) Guide - Where to kayak in Big Sur California.
The Big Sur Coast near the Pacific Valley has some of California's most spectacular coast still in pristine natural condition. Huge cliffs plunging into the pacific, sea stacks, towering peaks, otters, and an abundance of other wildlife. The sea around here can get wild and treacherous and all the launch spots here are somewhat exposed. However, when the wind is calm and the surf/seas are small to moderate you'll be rewarded with an unforgettable paddle. There are also some wonderful hikes to do in the area when the sea/surf is too rough for paddling or you just want a break from paddling. Scroll down the page and keep reading for detailed launch and paddling information.
Launch spots include:
Limekiln State Park
Mill Creek Picnic Area (We launched here and went south toward the sea stacks offshore from pacific valley)
Sand Dollar Beach
Willow Creek Picnic Area
Dirt Access Road 2 Miles South of Gorda
Scroll down the page and Keep reading for details about launch spots ....
TIDE PREDICTIONS AND MARINE FORECAST for BIG SUR
Go to my BIG SUR COAST SOUTH blog page
Limekiln State Park
Limekiln State Park has a beach entry in a small cove that is somewhat protected. The beach here is quite steep so there can get to be a shore pound if the swell is large. You can park right next to the narrow beach so carting your kayak is very simple here.
The park is located off of Highway 1.
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(I now have a web page for the Mill Creek Picnic area with more pictures and information)
Mill Creek Picnic Area offers a launch spot that is usable even when the surf is moderately large. After launching, you can paddle either north along the steep cliff, or south towards the wonderful sea stacks offshore from Pacific Valley and the towering Plaskett Rocks in the distance. As you paddle south, the sea stacks get closer and more impressive. After about 3 miles, you are amongst them. The next mile as you head toward Sand Dollar Beach, there are many scenic coves and sea stacks. If the surf is small, you can paddle inside on the shoreward side of some of the sea stacks and explore the coves. In the coves and around the points, there are many shallow rocks upon which waves may break if the surf gets a little bigger, so be alert. Off of the tip of the point just beyond the cove by Sand Dollar Beach are several large and impressive rock islands including Plaskett Rocks.
Sea stacks by Pacific Valley:
Mill Creek Picnic Area is located down a short access road off of highway 1 about 2 miles south of Limekiln and 4.5 miles north of the Sand Dollar Picnic Area. Unless you know there is a coastal access here, you could easily miss this spot. You can drive very near to the water here, though you need to carry your kayak over some rocks to get to the small sandy beach to the north of the parking area. The beach may sometimes be submerged at high tide. The north end of the beach has an excellent rip tide channel that allows for easy launching and landing. We were able to make
a perfectly dry launch and landing here even when the swell was breaking a moderatly large 4 to 5 feet on the point at the south end of the beach. On this same crystal clear windless December day we saw 10 sea otters as we paddled the approximately 10 mile round trip from Mill Creek around Plaskett Rocks.
(I now have a web page for the Sand Dollar Picnic Area with more pictures and information)
Sand Dollar Picnic Area has a beach launch spot that is somewhat protected by a sandbar/reef that is popular with board and kayak surfers. One major drawback to this launch spot is the long trail and stairs down the cliff over which you need to carry your kayak in order to reach the beach.
Sand Dollar Beach with small surf- looking North West
The following picture shows Sand Dollar Beach with Plaskett Rocks in the back ground as you look south west. The surf is bigger - I would launch at Mill Creek instead of here on a the day shown in this picture.
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Willow Creek Picnic Area
Willow Creek Picnic Area (about 2 miles south of Sand Dollar Picnic Area) is another access point to the water. You can drive very near to the water here though the entry is quite rocky.
Dirt Access Road
(Not recommended)
Dirt Access Road 2 Miles South of Gorda. There is a small dirt access road about 2 miles South of Gorda that you may be able to drive down if the gate is open--or you can walk down. From the bottom of the dirt road, you must carry your kayak across some moderate sized bolders in order to reach a sandy beach that is usable as a launch spot if the surf is fairly small.
Walks/Hikes:
Pacific Valley along cliff, Sand Dollar Beach, Cove Just South -- (Jade Cove?), Cone Peak. Be careful of poison oak and ticks that carry Lime Disease.
In Pacific Valley between about .2 and .5 miles North of the parking spot for Sand Dollar Beach there are several places where you can walk along the cliff viewing the wonderful sea stacks out on the ocean and the spectacular scenery. There are several sets of entry stairs across the fence on the ocean side of Highway 1 which the forest service has installed to provide access to the coast. Park next to one of the sets of stairs, cross the field, and then hike along the top of the cliff enjoying the fabulous surroundings. Cattle, including a bull, sometimes still graze in the field here so give them a wide birth.
The trail to Cone Peak provides some spectacular views as you hike up the steep mountain side. You don't need to go all the way to Cone Peak to enjoy this hike. The first .5 miles provides magnificent views as you walk higher and higher up above the coast. The hike starts on the east side of PCH just across from the Kirk Creek Campground which is between the Mill Creek Picnic Area and Limekiln State Park. The drive up (or part way up) Nacimento Road which is just North of Mill Creek also provides similarly breathtaking views.
There are several campgrounds in this area including: Limekiln State Park, Kirk Creek, and Plaskett Creek.
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