Limekiln Falls (Big Sur, California, USA)

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Limekiln Falls

Limekiln Falls is the Big Sur version of a limestone waterfall. While most of the waterfalls in the Big Sur area seem to have a bit of a rough and rugged character to them, this waterfall is graced by moss giving it a more fanned out segmented shape. We think this falls is about 75ft tall, but Ann Marie Brown did say this falls is 100ft (I'm sure we can settle these discrepancies with the rangefinder and clinometer combo to measure the height).

After getting to the car park (see directions below), you'll be greeted by a collection booth which charged us $7 to enter Limekiln State Park (as of 2003). And after finding parking, you get onto the well-maintained 2-mile return hike which involves a handful of stream crossings. Most of them should be pretty straightforward, but I did recall that the last crossing involved climbing over wet and slippery fallen tree.

Also featured in the park are some of the namesake limekilns (about a mile from the trailhead branching off from the waterfall trail). Apparently, these limekilns were used to "kiln" (smelt) limestone quarried from the canyon, which ultimately becomes cement that ended up being used in many buildings that are standing in Monterey and San Francisco.

Directions: The falls is located in the Limekiln State Park not too far south of Lucia on Hwy 1. Look for its signposted turnoff to your right just before you cross the bridge roughly 18 miles north of Salmon Creek Falls if you're headed north. Or, look for the same turnoff to your left just after the bridge about 2 miles south of Lucia.

Update 3/21/2010: Julie and I tried to re-visit this waterfall for better photos and to visit this park more thoroughly. Unfortunately, the park was closed due to fire damage from last year so that redo will have to wait for the next time we return to Big Sur.

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