Big Sur's Limekiln State Park, located two miles south of Lucia on Highway One, is the southernmost state park in Monterey County. The park is located in the steepest coastal canyon in the continental United States and holds some of Monterey County's oldest redwood groves.
Limekiln State Park History
In the 1870s and 1880s, workers quarried limestone here and smelted it in the wood-fired kilns that give the park its name. This produced powdered lime, a key element in cement. Many buildings still standing in Monterey and San Francisco were constructed with lime from this park. The beach at Limekiln State Park was the harbor from which the lime was shipped.
The campsite at Limekiln State Park was once owned by the Esalen Institute. The rest of the land was once privately owned. Conservationists and the state of California joined together to preserve the ancient redwood groves when a developer sought to cut them down in the 1980s.
Limekiln State Park Camping
Breathtaking views of the Big Sur Coast, the beauty of the redwoods, the rugged coast and the cultural history of limekilns. About a dozen developed campsites sit among the trees near Limekiln Creek. Several ocean-view sites on the beach are perfect for watching seabirds before the sun goes down over the rolling surf. Hot pay showers are nearby. Make camping reservations well in advance at www.parks.ca.gov.
Limekiln State Park Hiking
Limekiln State Park currently offers two short trails, the Limekiln Trail and the Hare Trail. The Limekiln Trail is just over a mile and takes visitors over the junction of Hare and Limekiln Creeks to the historic stone and steel kilns for which the park is named. The Hare Trail follows Hare Creek as it cascades downhill between towering redwoods.
For more information visit the blog: "Tales from the Trail: Limekiln State Park"
Limekiln State Park Beach
Limekiln State Park is one of the only Big Sur parks with beach access. The view from the beach up toward the towering hilltops is stunning and truly conveys the magnificence of the breathtaking Big Sur landscape.