Point Lobos State Reserve
add photosNamed for the sea lions who lie about on offshore rocks, the rocky, forested point
surrounded by a protected marine environment includes several miles of trails, peb-
bled beaches, and one of only two naturally occurring stands of Monterey cypress
(the other is at Pebble Beach). Robert Louis Stevenson called it the “most beautiful
meeting of land and sea on earth.”
From 6 miles of coastline in the park, visitors often see whales, harbor seals,
otters, scuba divers, and pelicans, gulls, and cormorants. In the meadows mule deer
tiptoe through purple needlegrass and wild lilac. Point Lobos is completely protected:
the land, the marine life on the beach and in the tidepools, and underwater. Not a thing
may be removed or disturbed, dogs are not allowed, and visitors are required to stay on
hiking trails or beaches. Kids particularly like Sea Lion Point, accessed by an easy half-
hour walk to Headland Cove, where sea lions bark and you can see the otters. It will take
a half-day to enjoy the sights of Point Lobos, and you are advised to come early on week-
ends. Guided interpretive walks are conducted by park rangers.
5 Reviews for Point Lobos State Reserve
5
11 family found this helpful
"Beautiful reserve"
We almost didn't stop here, but the ranger encouraged us to check it out. We are so glad that we did! It was a beautiful day and not crowded at all (even though I had heard it does get busy during summer). There is a trail that hugs along the cliffs and takes you down to the water. Holding on to our two year old's hand we felt totally fine. There is a lot of wildlife to spot: otters, seals, birds, whale, and dolphins. There is a little museum at Whaler's Cove that is interesting.
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1 family found this helpful
"Scenic Coastal Park, Great Tidepooling and Easy Hiking"
If you're taking a trip down to the Monterey/Carmel area, be sure to carve out at least an hour or two to visit Point Lobos. This is a relatively small but beautiful state park, maybe 15-20 minutes drive south of Monterey. It's a 6 mile loop around the park, but that is far too long for our 2 1/2 year old so we decided to drive from spot to spot to hop around a couple of the parks highlights during our 2 hour visit.
We were greeted by a very friendly and informative ranger at the entrance, who pointed out sights to see and where to go in the park that morning. Be sure to ask when low tide is because there is some great tidepooling. We spent about an hour checking out the little creatures in the pools at low tide near the end of the park at Weston Beach, but there are a number of beach access points where you can climb around the rocky beaches and outcroppings for tidepooling.
We arrived at about 9:30 am and it was relatively empty, but it definitely filled up closer to midday, so try to arrive early if you like avoiding crowds. There are a number of small and secluded beaches as well at various coves. The first parking lot you'll come across is for Whaler's Cove, an access point for snorkelers and divers and the most crowded of sights we saw at the park. A number of harbor seals were lounging at the beach which drew the crowds.
We opted to hike around the very end of the park first, exploring China Cove and Bird Island. We spent about 30 minutes walking around a short but very pleasant loop right along the edge of some beautiful cliffs and overlooking a couple of small beaches. We were able to spot sea otters, cormorants and seals as we strolled along the well maintained paths. Be sure to keep an eye on little ones, though, as the trails are very close the edge of the cliffs and our adventurous son gave us a couple scares running off on his own.
Note: There is a $10 charge to drive into the reserve (which was fine for us with a younger child and we don't mind supporting the state park system), but we noticed a lot of people parking along Highway 1 just outside the entrance and walking in, though there's a $1 charge per person walking in.
0 families found this helpful
"Favorite place for tidepools"
We absolutely love Point Lobos. We love the many trails, and especially the vistas at every turn. We cannot say enough about this beautiful place. Our kids love the tidepools, where crabs, urchins, amemonies, and many shellfish can be easily found. We cannot say enough about this place. Breathtaking. No trip to Big Sur is complete without visiting Point Lobos.
1 family found this helpful
"Beautiful hikes"
You can never get enough of Point Lobos. The views are splendid. Between the ocean and the mountains, every member of the family will be able to find their favorite corner of paradise. I agree with the precedent review about the poison oak, be careful.
1 family found this helpful
"Favorite spot to bring family"
This is one of my favorite spots to show-off the beauty of the Bay Area. From the youngest to the oldest, there are trails of varying difficulty to fit the needs of any family. From barking seals to quiet beaches, your kids will love spending a couple of hours here. Beware of the poison oak especially if you have a toddler. On certain paths, the poison oak grows close to the trail.
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