McWay Falls drops 80 ft (24 m) as a plunge waterfall in California.
Its water comes from McWay Creek. You'll find it in Monterey, California. It is protected within Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park (California State Parks).
This is a short hike waterfall: reached by a short trail, generally under about a mile each way. The walk to the main viewpoint runs about 0.6 miles round trip. Base a visit out of Big Sur, the closest town.
When to go: Year-round. Like most waterfalls, McWay Falls runs highest after snowmelt or heavy rain and can thin out in late summer, so it's worth checking recent streamflow and the land manager's conditions page before a long drive.
