The forest service campground at Kirk Creek sits on a high coastal terrace, about two hundred feet above the beach. All the sites have views up at the Santa Lucia Mountains, which rise precipitously just across Highway One, and most have distant views north or south along the coast. But only one site is right on the edge, with a bit of grassland extending out to where the clifftop crumbles away. There is a fence to keep you from falling over, but campers have cut a hole in it.

This panorama was made on a brilliant April day, after a late season rain. We took our folding chairs out and set them up as close to the edge as we dared. In addition to the beautiful surf, we saw whales blowing and porpoises leaping, lines of pelicans, and even an osprey.