Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park is a state park

State park

State parks are parks or other protected areas managed at the federated state level within those nations which use "state" as a political subdivision. State parks are typically established by a state to preserve a location on account of its natural beauty, historic interest, or recreational...

 in Monterey County

Monterey County, California

Monterey County is a county located on the Pacific coast of the U.S. state of California, its northwestern section forming the southern half of Monterey Bay. The northern half of the bay is in Santa Cruz County. As of 2010, the population was 415,057. The county seat and largest city is Salinas...

, California

California

California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...

 near the town of Big Sur

Big Sur

Big Sur is a sparsely populated region of the Central Coast of California where the Santa Lucia Mountains rise abruptly from the Pacific Ocean. The name "Big Sur" is derived from the original Spanish-language "el sur grande", meaning "the big south", or from "el país grande del sur", "the big...

 on the state's

U.S. state

A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...

 Central Coast. It covers approximately 1006 acres (4.1 km²) of land. The park is centered around the Big Sur River. It has been nicknamed a "mini Yosemite."

History

Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park is named after John Pfeiffer, who lived in a cabin on the property beginning in 1884. He was the son of Micahel and Barbara Pfeiffer, the first European settlers in the area. Many features in Big Sur are named for the descendants of the Pfeiffers.

In 1930, John Pfeiffer had the opportunity to sell his land to a Los Angeles developer for $210,000. The developer wanted to build a subdivision on the land. Instead, Pfeiffer sold 700 acres (2.8 km²) to the state of California in 1933.

Overnight Stays

Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park has both a hotel (the Big Sur Lodge) and a campground within its boundaries. The campgrounds were closed in the winter of 2008-2009 due to the Basin Complex Fire, but most are open as of May 22, 2009. The campgrounds have coin operated showers, bathrooms and a convenience store. The convenience store also offers WiFi access.

Hiking

Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park is popular for its redwood groves and trail to Pfeiffer Falls. Many of these trails were closed during 2009 due to damage from the Basin Complex Fire, but are now re-opened. See www.hikinginbigsur.com for more information on Local Hikes.

Damage from 2008 fires

Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park was first damaged due to the Basin Fire of June and July 2008, which burned 162818 acres (658.9 km²) in California. Much of the damage was to the outskirts of the park, however, and the campgrounds were able to reopen at the end of July. The Chalk Fire of September and October, which burned an additional 16269 acres (65.8 km²), did serious damage to Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park, which was largely closed from September 2008 to May 2009.

External links

• Official government site