Jade Cove
CA-1
Big Sur, CA
A steep, surf-battered cove on the loneliest stretch of Big Sur, where the sea itself hands up pieces of green jade to anyone willing to look.
Jade Cove is where the ocean turns treasure hunter. Along this wild, lonely stretch of the south Big Sur coast, seams of green nephrite jade run through the rock, and the relentless surf breaks pieces loose and tumbles them up onto a steep, boulder-strewn cove. It is one of the very few places on earth where an ordinary visitor can legally walk a beach and carry home a genuine gemstone.
Getting there is part of the appeal. A short, steep path drops from a pull-off on Highway 1 to a cove of dark stone and crashing waves, far from anything, on a coast that feels like the edge of the world. Most days people come away with a few small green pebbles and, more than that, the feeling of having been somewhere truly remote.
What Guests Love
- Hunting for real jade among the pebbles of a wild pocket cove
- One of the few places in the world where you can legally collect gemstone from a beach
- The dramatic, empty feel of the southern Big Sur coast
- Watching the surf and the sea otters from the bluff above
Worth Knowing
- The trail down is short but steep and can be slick; the cove is rocky, not sandy, and the surf is powerful, so time it for low tide and calm seas
- Collecting is allowed only of jade already loose below the mean high tide line, and prying or digging into the bluffs is not permitted
- There is no water, no services, and little cell signal on this stretch, so come prepared
- Rogue waves are a real danger on this coast; never turn your back on the ocean and keep well clear of the surf line
Details
Big Sur, CA
Learn about Jade Cove
The jade and how to find it
The jade here is nephrite, a tough, deep-green stone formed in the mineral-rich rocks of the coastal mountains and exposed where the sea has cut into them. Wet stones show their color best, so hunters look in the wave-washed gravel at low tide, turning over pebbles and watching for the telltale translucent green.
Some pieces are small tumbled pebbles; rarely, larger masses turn up, and divers have recovered big boulders offshore. Collecting is limited to loose jade found below the mean high tide line, so the rule of thumb is to take only what the ocean has already freed.
A wild and dangerous coast
This is the least developed part of Big Sur, a place of steep bluffs, hidden coves, and few people. The cove itself is rugged, its footing uneven, and the surf can surge without warning. The same power that frees the jade makes the water dangerous, and visitors are urged to keep well back from the waves and never turn their backs on the sea.
The reward for the caution is solitude. On many days you can have the cove nearly to yourself, with only the boom of the surf and the barking of sea lions on the rocks.
Life along the shore
Offshore, kelp forests shelter sea otters that float and feed among the fronds, and harbor seals and sea lions haul out on the rocks. Gray whales pass on their migration in winter and spring, and seabirds wheel along the cliffs.
The bluff-top above the cove offers a fine vantage for watching all of it, a good spot to rest and scan the water whether or not the tide is low enough to hunt.
The south Big Sur run
Jade Cove sits on the stretch of Highway 1 between the Big Sur valley and San Simeon, a run of the coast with few services and long empty views. The broad Sand Dollar Beach and the tiny settlement of Gorda are the nearest landmarks.
Because this section is so remote and prone to landslides, road closures are common, and it pays to check conditions and fuel up before setting out. Those who make the effort are rewarded with some of the emptiest, most elemental coast in California.
Closest Boutels
The closest Boutel™ stays, so you can turn this stop into an overnight. Each is an independently owned, editorially selected place to stay.
Things to Do Near Big Sur
Sand Dollar Beach
About 1 mile north
The largest sandy beach on the south Big Sur coast, a broad crescent below the bluffs and a favorite of surfers and beachcombers.
Ragged Point
About 15 miles south
A clifftop inn and viewpoint marking the scenic southern gateway to Big Sur, with a steep trail down to a black-sand beach.
Hearst Castle
About 25 miles south
William Randolph Hearst's opulent hilltop estate above San Simeon, with its imported art, grand pools, and coastal views.