The first European immigrants to settle permanently in Big Sur were Michael and Barbara Pfeiffer. Their son John and his wife Florence homesteaded a parcel on the north bank of the Big Sur River. John Pfeiffer built his homesteader cabin in the early 1890s to satisfy the requirements of a homestead entry patent that he filed in 1898. As Big Sur became a popular visitor destination with a need for accommodations, John and Florence, opened Pfeiffer's Ranch Resort on the site of today's Big Sur Lodge. Both of these letterboxes are along the Oak Grove Trail at Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park. The Map says that this trail is approximately 3 miles roundtrip from the Lodge. Ryan and I hiked it in approximately 2 1/2 hours with a side trip to Pfeiffer Falls. We parked at Trailhead parking near the Softball field.
Begin the hike by traveling up the Gorge Trail to the Homestead cabin. Continue past the cabin on the Oak Grove Trail. Go past a large rock in the trail and a dip...after the dip, look for a tree on your left, practically on the trail that is too big to hug. In a knothole on the lefthand side of the tree trunk (about 4 feet high) is the Homestead Letterbox. If you get to the sign directing you to the parking lot, you have gone too far.
To continue on to the Oak Grove Letterbox continue past the parking lot sign (up hill). Go past a large fallen oak to where the trail splits to Mt. Manuel you will continue on the Oak Grove Trail. Go down switchbacks and across a bridge. You will then go up into an open area where you can see HWY 1 and the State Park Buildings along it. Take approximately 100 steps along the trail and into an area of tree cover. (An Oak Grove!) There will be a small side trail to your left. Standing here look 190 degrees to a tree of three. Behind it about 5 steps away is a single tree with a rock at its feet. Look behind the rock at the base of the tree for the Oak Grove Letterbox. If you reach a seasonal streambed, you have gone too far.
From here you can turn around and retrace your steps to your car, OR you can make a loop and continue on to the Pfeiffer Falls trail and the Nature Center walking along the road to return to your car.
Alive and well as of 9/2/08
To email me with comments or questions about a letterbox: samanark@yahoo.com
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