Nature
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Pfeiffer Beach, in California’s Big Sur region, is a rare point of easy ocean access along a steep, rugged stretch of the Central Coast within Los Padres National Forest. It is best known for Keyhole Rock, whose offshore arch draws photographers when the setting sun aligns with it on certain days in December and January, while summer often brings the cold coastal fog called June Gloom. The beach is named for the Pfeiffer family, who settled in Sycamore Canyon after arriving in 1869 and remained central to the area’s development, including the Pfeiffer Ranch Resort and land that became Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park. An Esslen midden site nearby points to much older human presence.
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California · United States
