Address: CA-1 Carmel By The Sea Ca. 93923
Point Lobos is a State Park in Monterey County and has often been called the crown jewel of the state park system. Point Lobos was the first U.S. marine reserve in 1960 and later became the nation’s largest maritime sanctuary. It was named “Punta De Los Lobos” or Point of the SeaWolves by the early Spanish explorers due to the fact that dozens of beaches were inhibited or crowded by sea lions. Point Lobos is about 1,315 acres of photogenic, short trail with coves, and turquoise water beaches. Point Lobos is good for people who enjoy sightseeing, photography, picnicking, jogging, scuba diving, painting, and nature study. There’s a lot of different trails to choose from within Point Lobos State Natural Reserve ( top 9 trails to hike) ranging from 0.8 miles to 3.2 miles roundtrip. It is open seven days a week from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. There are only about 150 parking spaces divided into 9 major areas inside the Point Lobos State Natural Reserve.
It took us about 2 hours and 10 minutes drive and 120 miles from San Francisco to Point Lobos State Natural Reserve via US-101 South, CA-156 West, and CA-1 South. The route was very easy and straightaway but can get traffic or congested on CA-156 due to two lanes only. We arrived at the main gate of Point Lobos at around 8:10 a.m. and there were already a few cars ahead of us. We paid the park ranger $10 for the day-use entrance fee and proceeded to the right and followed the main road. We passed the first main parking area and proceed to make a left (look for a sign that says additional parking) that led us to the Bird Island trail parking area which is the end of the road. There were only about 10 parking spots available at the Bird Island Trail.
The Bird Island Trail is beautiful, scenic, easy, and one of the main attractions at Point Lobos It’s about 0.8 miles roundtrip and best visited from April to October. Great for nature trips, bird watching, hiking, and walking. The trail was easy and saw a few spots great for a photo opportunity. While on the trail we passed through a beautiful cove, beaches with turquoise water, and a bridge that will lead you to the Bird Island nesting rocks. China cove is where the sea lion hangs out or stays but was closed. We saw a wide variety of bird species such as Pelicans, Vultures using my wife’s camera zoom lens. We also saw a few sea otters and sea lions.
The best part of our hike is our visit to Gibson Beach which is a secluded beach with turquoise water. We made a left on a trail before the bridge and descended down towards Gibson beach. The wooden stairs that lead to the beach are very steep and have a few unstable wooden steps. The white sand beach and beautiful turquoise water were all well worth the effort. The descent up the stairs was challenging and watch your steps as the wooden handles were slightly loose.
Overall, it was a fun, easy, short, and scenic trail that is great for all ages. There were other hiking trails available that you can explore.
Tips: Watch out when you are driving inside Point Lobos Park as the roads are narrow and two-way streets. Always watch out for oncoming traffic and pay attention to cars coming in and out of the parking space. There are public restrooms and picnic tables onsite by the Bird Island Trail. Try to get there early due to limited parking space inside the park otherwise, you will end up parking your car outside by the main road and walking a few miles. You don’t need to pay the entrance fee if you are walking in but donations are highly recommended to pay for the upkeep of the park. Bring binoculars to see all the different species of birds and wildlife. They will close the main gate once the maximum capacity is reached to prevent overcrowding and safety. Watch out for dangerous cliffs and bring a jacket or sweater as the weather changes.
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