It is a 15 minute walk from highway 1 parking to the ocean. You are donating the money for a good cause, and the map is indispensible for knowing where to go, and short cuts between sights.
Besides, if you are like me, you will use the map over and over again every time you come back. This is the by far the biggest of the half dozen parking lots in the park.
It is directly west of the entrance, about 0. And if the fog is about to roll in, you want to see the panoramic ocean areas while it is still sunny. Once parked, stay parked, until you are ready to leave the park. If you drive to go to another area of the park, you may not find parking, and will have to wait for a parking spot to open. Sea Lion Point Parking Lot is the closest to the center of the park, and a good starting point to walking anywhere.
If Sea Lion Point Parking lot is filled, then drive south along the ocean until you find a parking lot with an empty spot. The Sea Lion Point area has wheelchair accessible trails. The area between Sea Lion Point and Whalers Cove along the coast is not wheelchair accessible, and has numerous muddy areas and stairs. Check the times for the docent tours and docent walks for the day at the Sea Lion Point Parking lot shack. The tours and walks are very educational, and make the park experience that much more understandable and enjoyable.
No food for sale, but trinkets, postcards, sweatshirts, and other park paraphenelia for sale at the shack. The sweatshirts can come in handy for visitors too scantily clad on windy days- your teenage daughters! Go to the bathroom just before you visit the park. Each of the half dozen parking lots have restrooms and water fountains. However, I try to minimize my visits, as these restroom toilets can be the nonflushing kind found in porta potties, requiring the user to hold his breath.
I have often found overflowing waste baskets of paper towels, and bathroom floors not in the cleanest condition. Walk straight south if you want to see the wide open beaches around the southwestern portion of the park. This area has a lot of shallow pools of water among the rocks where children can check out starfish and other creatures of the sea. Needless to say take nothing from the Park. Green patches of ocean around China Cove, with startling shades of colored vegetation among the coastal enclaves.
Bird Island at times has thousands of black birds completely covering the island. Head directly west to Sea Lion Point to see open areas with smooth rocky crags, and Sea lion's Rocks directly across the Devils' Cauldron, filled with sea lions. Often there will be a docent with a spotting scope on a tripod set up on the nearby vantage point to view loudly barking sealions and harbor seals.
Panoramic ocean views with crashing waves against the rocky shores. Come at the right time of year, and you may see whales in the far distance on their annual migrations.
Head north into Cypress Cove with forests of cypress woods intersected by steep rocky inlets of crashing waves. This is an uphill area, where you are most likely to encounter deer. Farther inland you will find spanish moss and vast pine forests. Head toward Whalers Cove along the coast line. This is about a 45 minute walk Sea Lion Point. Whalers Cove is where you will see divers, and along the coastal crags you will see masses of kelp. If you are lucky you may see sea otters resting on their backs eating abalone on their stomachs!
This is where the tripod and spotting scope become useful. Visit the Whalers Cottage with its tiny one room museum. Check out the historic pictures of local 19th century coal and oil burning ships, abalone harvesting, and the Chinese community around Point Lobos. There's even a real antiquated diving outfit. Lots of tethered abalone shells just outside.
Walk inland through the pine forests eastward back to the reserve entrance, or westward inland to Sea Lions parking lot. The inland trails are shortcuts to the parking lots or reserve entrance, bypassing the coastal trails. Gypsy Footprints - Mary World 32 contributions.
Rugged California Coast with amazing views! This place is beautiful! There are hikes with beautiful vistas of the ocean. There is an elephant seal breeding colony that resides on some rocks in the ocean, off of one of these hikes. You can hear them playing. It's a short walk from the main parking area, which is small, but there are other areas to park and hike as well. If you are looking for extraordinary views of the Pacific Ocean, nestled by fragrant cypress and pine trees, while exploring amazing tide-pools, this is the place.
There are no words to describe this incredible meeting of earth, sky and water, in addition to the multitude of sea creatures within the tidepools. We did not want to leave and most definitely will return!
Andrew E Berkshire, UK contributions. We spent 2 or 3 hours here on the way from Monterey to Cambria in mid-September , but could easily have spent longer. After the heavily built-up and busy 17 Mile Drive in Monterey where you often couldn't reach the sea at all, due to fences and private houses , Point Lobos was a real treat - unspoilt beaches, cliffs, woodland - really atmospheric. Take a picnic - no cafes on site, but restrooms and picnic areas. The best time to visit is Fall or Spring.
Winter is too wet and cold, and summer has the marine layer. What do RVs, motorcycles, dogs, and credit cards have in common? I saw one lady smuggle a Taco Bell dog into the Park — the citation will be 20 fold the cost of eating at Taco Bell! Bring a picnic lunch - no food sold on the premises.
There are 12 picnic tables at the China Cove in the south, and a 3 picnic tables at Wailers Cove in the extreme north. The nearest food outlet is Subways in the shopping center off of Carmel Valley Road, 3 miles north. Bring camera with a very high zoom lens rating. Animals are too far away for cell phone pictures. Use binoculars for these and for bird watching -lots of hawks, seagulls in the sky, and pelicans and egrits along the mudflats.
We got there at am Sunday morning to get one of the parking spots. If there is a line of cars waiting at the gate, park outside the park. No parking on the park side of highway 1 within feet of the entrance. Do not leave your dog in the car, as break ins have occurred! Have a back-up plan in case your destination is crowded.
Stay home if you are sick Plan Ahead — Some restrooms will be temporarily closed to keep up with cleaning schedules. Play It Safe — Find out what precautions you should take when exploring the outdoors, especially if this is your first time visiting the State Park System. Learn more at parks. For indoor public settings, such as museums and visitor centers, all vaccinated individuals are to self-attest that they are in compliance prior to entry.
Unvaccinated Persons : Face coverings are required in indoor public settings such as museums and visitor centers. Leave No Trace — Leave areas better than how you found them by staying on designated trails and packing out all trash. Do not disturb wildlife or plants. Dogs Allowed? The entrance is located three miles south of Carmel on Highway 1. View on Map. Online reservations are not available for this park.
No online brochures available for this park. Upcoming Park Events No events scheduled at this moment. No Alcohol Alcohol consumption is not allowed anywhere within the reserve. Some of the points of interest include:. The starting point of this trail is from the same parking lot where the Cypress Grove Trail begins. As you can guess from the name of this trail, you will arrive to a section of the coast with a big population of sea lions.
By walking down some quite steep and uneven steps, you can go down until you reach a small beach. However, access to this area is sometimes forbidden to visitors, especially on days with strong winds. You can still admire from a distance the waves crashing along the rock formations called Sea Lion Rocks. Along the way, you will be able to admire two white sandy beaches among the numerous inlets of the coast.
We are talking about China Cove particularly famous for the emerald color of its water and Gibson Beach. Visitors can freely access both of them. Swimming is also allowed, but I want to warn you, because the ocean water is particularly cold even in late summer.
Once you arrive at Pelican Point , you can see Bird Island in the distance. Parking in the Reserve is currently limited to 75 vehicles. Please do not stop in the traffic lane of Highway 1. You may park on the shoulder of the highway and walk in.
You are more likely to be able to drive in if you arrive early before or enter later in the day after when others have left. This website contains a wealth of information to help you plan your visit. See Where to Get Help to find out where to get assistance when you are in the Reserve. Point Lobos delivers a Mediterranean climate and experiences moderate weather all year long, with temperatures ranging from 57 — 65 degrees. Known as the secret season, fall's sunny mornings and warm afternoons are cooled by ocean breezes in the evening, giving way to cool clear nights.
Winter, though mild, offers an occasional shower.
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