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Beaches
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Highway 1 into Northern Big Sur is Now Open
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Destinations
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Monterey
- Hotels
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- Monterey County on a Budget
- Itinerary: Midweek Monterey Getaway
- Monterey Beaches
- Cannery Row
- Old Fisherman's Wharf
- Monterey Bay Aquarium
- WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca
- Monterey Bay Coastal Recreation Trail
- Historic Monterey
- Monterey Wine Tasting Rooms
- Monterey State Beach
- El Estero Park
- Jacks Peak Park
- Veterans Memorial Park
- Guided Tours
- Restaurants
- Shopping
- Travel Like a Monterey Expert
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Big Sur
- Travel Like a Big Sur Expert
- Hotels
- Camping & Hiking
- Big Sur Beaches
- Arts & Culture
- Bixby Bridge
- Big Sur Itinerary
- Big Sur Live Webcam
- Big Sur International Marathon
- Andrew Molera State Park
- Garrapata State Park
- Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park
- McWay Falls
- Limekiln State Park
- Los Padres National Forest
- Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park
- Point Sur Lightstation
- Restaurants
- Spas
- Pebble Beach
- Carmel-by-the-Sea
- Pacific Grove
- Carmel Valley
- Marina
- Seaside
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- Moss Landing
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- South County
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Monterey
- Lodging
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Things to Do
- Free Things to Do in Monterey County
- Attractions
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Itineraries
- Now is the Moment Itineraries
- Highlights Itinerary
- Outdoors Itinerary
- Family Itinerary
- Girlfriend Getaway Itinerary
- Golf Itinerary
- History and Heritage Itinerary
- Road Trip Itinerary
- Romantic Itinerary
- Shopping Itinerary
- Spa Itineraries
- Steinbeck Itinerary
- Wine and Dine Itinerary
- Three Days in Monterey Wine Country
- Outdoor Activities
- Animals and Wildlife
-
Parks
- Top 10 Campsites
- Andrew Molera State Park
- Cachagua Community Park
- El Estero Park
- Elkhorn Slough
- Fort Ord National Monument
- Fremont Peak State Park
- Garland Ranch Regional Park
- Garrapata State Park
- Jacks Peak Park
- Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park
- Laguna Seca Recreation Area
- Lake San Antonio
- Limekiln State Park
- Locke-Paddon Community Park
- Los Padres National Forest
- Monarch Grove Butterfly Sanctuary
- Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary
- Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park
- Pinnacles National Park
- Point Lobos State Reserve
- Point Sur Lightstation
- Royal Oaks Park
- Salinas River National Wildlife Refuge
- San Lorenzo Park
- Toro Park
- Veterans Memorial Park
-
Beaches
- Undiscovered Beaches
- Asilomar State Beach
- Big Sur Beaches
- Carmel Beach
- Carmel River State Beach
- Fort Ord Dunes State Park
- Lovers Point Park and Beach
- Marina State Beach
- Monterey Beaches
- Monterey State Beach
- Moss Landing State Beach
- Pebble Beach Beaches
- Salinas River State Beach
- Zmudowski State Beach
- Arts and Culture
- Family Adventures
- Golf
- Guided Tours
- Literary Sites
- Romance
- Shopping
- Spas
- Nightlife and Entertainment
- Historic Attractions
-
Events
- This Weekend
- Annual Events
- Music Festivals
- Sporting Events
- Food & Drink Events
- Art Festivals
- Community Events
- Holiday Events
- Submit an Event
- Food & Drink
- Resources
Limekiln State Park, Big Sur
Destinations
-
Monterey
- Hotels
- Things to Do
- Monterey County on a Budget
- Itinerary: Midweek Monterey Getaway
- Monterey Beaches
- Cannery Row
- Old Fisherman's Wharf
- Monterey Bay Aquarium
- WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca
- Monterey Bay Coastal Recreation Trail
- Historic Monterey
- Monterey Wine Tasting Rooms
- Monterey State Beach
- El Estero Park
- Jacks Peak Park
- Veterans Memorial Park
- Guided Tours
- Restaurants
- Shopping
- Travel Like a Monterey Expert
-
Big Sur
- Travel Like a Big Sur Expert
- Hotels
- Camping & Hiking
- Big Sur Beaches
- Arts & Culture
- Bixby Bridge
- Big Sur Itinerary
- Big Sur Live Webcam
- Big Sur International Marathon
- Andrew Molera State Park
- Garrapata State Park
- Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park
- McWay Falls
- Limekiln State Park
- Los Padres National Forest
- Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park
- Point Sur Lightstation
- Restaurants
- Spas
- Pebble Beach
- Carmel-by-the-Sea
- Pacific Grove
- Carmel Valley
- Marina
- Seaside
- Salinas
- Moss Landing
- Sand City
- Castroville
- Spreckels
- South County
Lodging
Things to Do
- Free Things to Do in Monterey County
- Attractions
-
Itineraries
- Now is the Moment Itineraries
- Highlights Itinerary
- Outdoors Itinerary
- Family Itinerary
- Girlfriend Getaway Itinerary
- Golf Itinerary
- History and Heritage Itinerary
- Road Trip Itinerary
- Romantic Itinerary
- Shopping Itinerary
- Spa Itineraries
- Steinbeck Itinerary
- Wine and Dine Itinerary
- Three Days in Monterey Wine Country
- Outdoor Activities
- Animals and Wildlife
-
Parks
- Top 10 Campsites
- Andrew Molera State Park
- Cachagua Community Park
- El Estero Park
- Elkhorn Slough
- Fort Ord National Monument
- Fremont Peak State Park
- Garland Ranch Regional Park
- Garrapata State Park
- Jacks Peak Park
- Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park
- Laguna Seca Recreation Area
- Lake San Antonio
- Limekiln State Park
- Locke-Paddon Community Park
- Los Padres National Forest
- Monarch Grove Butterfly Sanctuary
- Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary
- Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park
- Pinnacles National Park
- Point Lobos State Reserve
- Point Sur Lightstation
- Royal Oaks Park
- Salinas River National Wildlife Refuge
- San Lorenzo Park
- Toro Park
- Veterans Memorial Park
-
Beaches
- Undiscovered Beaches
- Asilomar State Beach
- Big Sur Beaches
- Carmel Beach
- Carmel River State Beach
- Fort Ord Dunes State Park
- Lovers Point Park and Beach
- Marina State Beach
- Monterey Beaches
- Monterey State Beach
- Moss Landing State Beach
- Pebble Beach Beaches
- Salinas River State Beach
- Zmudowski State Beach
- Arts and Culture
- Family Adventures
- Golf
- Guided Tours
- Literary Sites
- Romance
- Shopping
- Spas
- Nightlife and Entertainment
- Historic Attractions
Events
- This Weekend
- Annual Events
- Music Festivals
- Sporting Events
- Food & Drink Events
- Art Festivals
- Community Events
- Holiday Events
- Submit an Event
Limekiln State Park
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 sea birds 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.
Limekiln State Park Map
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