Big Sur's largest state park was named after the area's first European settlers who arrived in 1869. It has hiking trails looping through stately redwood groves; the most popular hike is a 2-mile round trip to 60ft-high Pfeiffer Falls, a delicate cascade hidden in the forest, which usually runs from December to May. The park entrance is on the east side of the highway, about 1.5 miles north of Big Sur village.
The rustic Big Sur Lodge near the turnoff was built in the 1930s by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC).