Pets allowed
Allowed
Guided tours
No
Backcountry camping
No
Lodging
No
Please respect the outdoors by practicing Leave No Trace. Learn more about how to apply the principles of Leave No Trace on your next outdoor adventure here.

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.

 

Logistics + Planning

Preferable season(s)

Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall

Congestion

Moderate

Parking Pass

State Park Fee

Pros

Historic limekiln furnaces hidden in the redwoods. Beach/ocean access.

Cons

Highway bridge runs over the beach and campground.

Features

Showers
Historically significant
Flushing toilets
Potable water
Picnic tables
Waterfalls
Fishing

Location

Nearby Lodging + Camping

Comments

11/01/2014
We visited Lime Kiln State Park while camping at Kirk Creek nearby. I agree with the Aron that this is a wonderful gem of a park. The beach is spectacular and the creeks are filled with little cascades that are a joy to photograph. The surrounding terrain is so dry and scrubby that the park is a complete surprise for its lushness and green beauty. It also show how quickly Coast Redwoods can grow, as this forest was essentially cut to the ground about 100 years ago and now it is filled with very large trees. I would add that the campground is appropriate for tent campers and truck campers only, trailers and large RVs would have trouble navigating the roads.
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