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2021 Map of Partington Ridge

Name: 2021 Topographic Map of Partington Ridge
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 2021
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 2021

About this map

The Santa Lucia Range rises sharply from the Pacific shoreline, dominating this modern survey of the Big Sur coast. Much of the interior landscape is preserved within the Los Padres National Forest, where high elevations like Anderson Peak and Marble Peak provide views over a network of canyons and drainage systems. The Big Sur Wild and Scenic River and its southern fork carve through the northern reaches, while the coastline itself is marked by distinctive formations such as McWay Rocks and the sheltered Partington Cove.

Infrastructure in this area is characterized by high-altitude trails and restricted access roads, reflecting the preservation efforts within the Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park Trails Trl system. The map traces the famous McWay Falls where water drops directly into the ocean at McWay Cove. Named features like Partington Ridge and Grimes Point mark the transition from the steep canyon walls of Lafler Canyon and Grimes Canyon to the sea, illustrating the challenging topography that has historically limited development along this stretch of Monterey County.