California has two famous waterfalls that land on a beach, and only one will let you walk up to it

The waterfall everyone photographs in Big Sur is one you are not allowed to walk up to. The other famous one in California makes you earn it with a 13-mile round trip and a tide table.

Both are tidefalls, which just means the water drops off a cliff and lands on a beach instead of in a river. California has two well-known ones, McWay Falls in Big Sur and Alamere Falls in Point Reyes. They could not be more different.

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McWay Falls is the easy one, with a big catch

McWay Falls drops about 80 feet from a granite cliff onto a small cove in Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park, right off Highway 1. The beach below only exists because of a 1983 landslide, which is a wild thing to learn while staring at something that looks like a screensaver.

Here’s the catch: there is no beach or ocean access, ever. California State Parks says the beach, Saddle Rock and the falls area are completely off limits, and trespassing there can mean a citation and arrest.

The short overlook trail that normally gives you the classic view is listed as closed for a retaining wall project, so check the state park page before you drive in. If it’s still shut when you go, a small roadside viewing area along Highway 1 near the park entrance still shows you the falls.

The falls run year-round and get stronger after winter rain, so the wet season is a smart time to go. Parking costs $10 per vehicle, the park is open from 8 a.m. to sunset, and dogs are not allowed.

Alamere Falls makes you earn it

Alamere Falls spills about 40 feet over a bluff onto Wildcat Beach in Point Reyes National Seashore. Unlike McWay, you can walk right up to the base, but only after a long day on your feet.

The National Park Service lists the hike from the Palomarin Trailhead near Bolinas at 13.2 miles round trip and says to allow at least 6.5 hours. Days are short in late fall, so start early. The last 1.1 miles is on the beach, and that stretch is the whole game.

That beach walk only works at low tide. If waves are already reaching the base of the bluffs when you get to Wildcat Beach, the park service says not to try it, and the beach can be impassable at high tide or in high surf.

You’ll see an “Alamere Falls Trail” shortcut mentioned all over the internet. The park service points hikers to the Wildcat Beach route and discourages that unmaintained shortcut down eroding cliffs.

Dogs and drones are not allowed, and the trailhead lots can fill early, especially on weekends. The park service page has the official directions.

So which one should you pick?

If you only get one, pick Alamere, but only if you have a full day and legs for it. Standing at the foot of a waterfall that lands on open sand beats looking at one from a fence, because you’re in the scene instead of watching it.

McWay wins on effort. If the viewing area is open, you can see the falls in a few minutes, and it slots into a Highway 1 drive without a second thought. Our McWay Falls guide covers parking and what else to see nearby, and our Alamere Falls hike post goes deeper on the route.

Want both on one trip? They sit a long drive apart with the Bay Area in between, so give each its own day. Which one are you chasing first, the easy view or the earned one?

Trip tips: grab a rental car to get out here, lock in your hotel before the good rooms are gone, or skip both and book a camper van instead.

Rules and fees change, so always confirm current requirements before you go.