Point Lobos State Reserve: A Gem on the Californian coast

My weekly ramble #33

Mesmerizing Beauty

Last month I rediscovered the glory of Point Lobos State Natural Reserve.

The park is located just four miles South of Carmel-by-the-Sea.

The purpose of a State Natural Reserve is to preserve native ecological relationships, unique animal and plant life, geological features and scenic qualities in an undisturbed condition.

I’ve been here several times before, but it has been a while. But last month I was so lucky to be able to visit Point Lobos twice. In the middle of March, I took my niece, who was visiting from Germany, for a trip to the coast. We parked at the Sea Lion Point lot and walked about 3.5 miles along the South Shore Trail and the Bird Island Trail and back.

The picture of China Cove is so unrealistically beautiful, it has postcard potential I think ;-).

: This is the Hidden Beach.

: View of China Cove

: cool kelp formations

Flowers and Sea Life

The weather was glorious and the volunteer docent drew our attention to the whale spouts out on the Pacific Ocean. We saw many more whales this day. It made me so happy, because I’ve never seen one in California ever before! You can find several tide pools in the Reserve, such as on Weston Beach. We looked at tiny hermit crabs and fish for quite a while.

: Do you see the spout in the distance?

: Harbor Seals in Sea Lion Cove

In the last week of March I got to visit Point Lobos again! It was my spring break and I went to Pacific Grove for a mini getaway all by myself. Highly recommended! After riding my bike down and back up Highway 1 on Monday, I went for a beautiful walk in Point Lobos on Tuesday morning. This time I parked in the Piney Woods parking lot and used the Lace Lichen and Whalers Knoll trail to get to the North Shore of Point Lobos. This part of the reserve is way more woody, hence shadier and a bit cooler. For some reason I enjoyed it almost a bit more than the open South Shore. Lots of dead, funky-looking cypress trees, flowers, amazing rock formations to admire and a few benches to rest. Can you spot the harbor seal that is swimming underneath the kelp?

Anywhere you go in this park, the views are just breathtakingly beautiful. Both times, I left the park being incredibly happy, humbled and full of gratitude.

Points, Coves and Trails

There are a bit more than a dozen trails in Point Lobos. Some are inside the park (Pine Ridge, Lace Lichen, Mound Meadow, South Plateau and Whalers Knoll Trail), but most trails lead you along all the coves and points like Moss, Whalers, Cypress, Sand Hill, Sea Lion or China Cove (Moss, Granite Point, North Shore, Cypress Grove, Sea Lion Point, Sand Hill, South Shore and Bird Island Trail).

: Headland Cove

: Bluefish Cove

: Cypress Cove

Useful to Know

Point Lobos State Natural Reserve is open for day use from 8am to 7pm with the last entry at 6.30pm. Entrance fee is $10 for a vehicle, bicycles are free. Parking is limited and entry is limited to approximately 150 vehicles at a time. You can also park on Highway 1 and walk into the park. It only adds about half a mile to your walk.

My advice is to either come early before 10am or a bit after lunch time. That’s when many people start leaving the park again. If you feel it is already crowded, go to the Piney Woods parking lot straight away. It’s the least busy one, since it doesn’t have a view of the ocean. And don’t forget to bring a lunch or snack and sit down at the picnic tables, located at Whalers Cove, Piney Woods or Bird Island Parking lots.

The Point Lobos Reservation Foundation is a non-profit organization that supports the docent activities. It also publishes and distributes interpretive materials, and develops and maintains interpretive displays in the park. The Park offers Junior Ranger Programs from starting Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day weekend and a summer adventure program.