A relatively recent addition to the California state park system, Limekiln State Park provides access to a quieter, less visited side of Big Sur. Compared to Pfeiffer Big Sur and Julia Pfeiffer Burns to the north, Limekiln's ambiance is a more local and low-key.
Limekiln's redwood-lined canyons and clear cascading creeks offer a cool, hospitable microclimate that is a welcome relief on warmer days. The park is home to historic and natural gems waiting to be explored. Highlights include the remnants of four large limekiln furnaces used in the late 1800s to purify lime for cement in the construction of San Francisco’s early buildings, and Limekiln Falls, a 100-foot waterfall found partway up Limekiln Creek. Three hiking trails, the Limekiln Trail, Limekiln Falls Trail, and Hare Creek Trail, explore the west fork of Limekiln Creek, Limekiln Creek Proper and Hare Creek, respectively.
The park is open to both day use and overnight camping, although the park entrance gate closes between sunset and sunrise each night and vehicles cannot get in or out during that time. The campground has 25 sites that are located near the beach; the other half are in the redwoods. Limekiln Creek flows into the ocean at the park’s beach area, formerly known as Rockland Landing, where the lime-filled barrels form the furnaces were loaded onto schooners bound for the cities to the north.
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