Pfeiffer Big Sur

https://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=570 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pfeiffer_Big_Sur_State_Park Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park is a state park in Monterey County, California, near the area of Big Sur on the state's Central Coast. The park is centered on the Big Sur River. The Park is named after John Pfeiffer, who lived in a cabin on the property beginning in 1884. He was the son of Michael Pfeiffer and Barbara Laquet. The Pfeiffer family immigrated from France and were among the first European settlers in the area. Many features in Big Sur are named for the descendants of the Pfeiffers. In 1930, John Pfeiffer had the opportunity to sell his land to a Los Angeles developer for $210,000. The developer wanted to build a subdivision on the land. Instead, Pfeiffer sold 700 acres (2.8 km2) to the state of California in 1933.

Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park Our Mission The mission of California State Parks is to provide for the health, inspiration and education of the people of California by helping to preserve the state’s extraordinary biological diversity, protecting its most valued natural and cultural resources, and creating opportunities for high-quality outdoor recreation. Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park is loved for the serenity of its forests and the pristine, fragile beauty of the Big Sur River as it meanders California State Parks supports equal access. Prior to arrival, visitors with disabilities who need assistance should contact the park at (831) 667-2315. If you need this publication in an alternate format, contact interp@parks.ca.gov. through the park. CALIFORNIA STATE PARKS P.O. Box 942896 Sacramento, CA 94296-0001 For information call: (800) 777-0369 (916) 653-6995, outside the U.S. 711, TTY relay service www.parks.ca.gov SaveTheRedwoods.org/csp Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park 47225 Highway 1 Big Sur, CA 93920 (831) 667-2315 • www.parks.ca.gov/pbssp © 2013 California State Parks (Rev. 2015) Big Sur River O n the western slope of the Santa Lucia Mountains, the peaks of Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park tower high above the Big Sur River Gorge. This is a place where the land, the sea, and forests of giant redwoods adjoin in a rugged landscape jigsaw puzzle. In winter, temperatures range from the 20s to the 50s. Summer mornings bring fog, which usually burns off by midday. PARK HISTORY The Esselen and Rumsien People Early archaeological evidence of the Esselen and Rumsien (also known as Costanoan) presence on the Central Coast dates back about 8,000 years. Though physical remnants of these prehistoric Native Americans have not been well documented, a few items discovered in the area  —  projectile points, bedrock mortars, and various shells  —  have been attributed to them. Esselen and Rumsien people still live in the Big Sur area, where they honor and practice the traditions of their ancestors. Big Sur Settlers In 1834, Governor José Figueroa granted acreage to Juan Bautista Alvarado. Alvarado’s El Sur Rancho stretched from the River Chiquito del Sur (in today’s Carmel Valley) to below the Big Sur River. Mexico ceded California to the U.S. in 1848, at the end of the Mexican-American War. Beginning around 1862, the area was settled by people whose names  —  Pfeiffer, Partington, Post, Gamboa  —  are still found on local street signs and businesses. The park’s Manuel Peak was named for a member of the Chumash tribe, Immanuel Innocente, head cattle wrangler at El Sur Rancho. In 1868, Innocente moved his family north from San Buenaventura to the Big Sur area. That year they bought property along the river in what is now the park. Michael and Barbara Pfeiffer arrived here in 1869, settling at the mouth of Sycamore Canyon to ranch, farm, and keep bees. Their son, John, lived along the Big Sur River, near the site of the Homestead cabin. In the early 20th century, a developer offered to buy some of John Pfeiffer’s land, planning to build a subdivision. Pfeiffer refused. Instead, he sold 680 acres  —  which became the nucleus of today’s park  —  to the State of California in 1933. The Civilian Conservation Corps The Great Depression was in full force in the early 1930s. One of President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s first official acts was to create the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC). The CCC employed young men to develop recreational areas and conserve natural resources. From 1933 to 1942, nearly 2.5 million CCC corpsmen built roads, trails, and structures in more than 800 state and federal parks and planted nearly three billion trees. The men here at CCC Camp S.P. 12 built campgrounds, buildings, fences, a footbridge, and trails in this park. Their wood and stone “park rustic” style used redwood lumber and river rocks as building materials. Between construction jobs, they tackled fires and problematic poison oak. Before and after Highway 1: In 1937, the new highway was completed, forever changing the serene ranch lands. Following World War II, the state highway brought travelers enthralled by the beauty of the area to the park. These photos from 1954 show remote Big Sur’s increasing popularity. Interpretive hike Big Sur Lodge Swimming hole at Big Sur River the creeks. On hillsides, manzanita, buckeye, and coast live oak have spread. Scientists are concerned that increased temperatures and decreased fog from climate change threaten the survival of the coast redwoods forest. Basin Complex fire, 2008 NATURAL HISTORY Wildlife  —  Cooper’s hawks, spotted owls, and purple martins perform sky acrobatics. Endangered or threatened animals include California condors and steelhead. On the ground and in the air, ringtails, bobcats, Steller’s jays, gray foxes, and belted kingfishers go about their business. Plants  —  Coast redwoods, near the southern end of their natural range, flourish in creek drainages and along the Big Sur River