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Partington Cove ( Monterey County)

Address: 57100 CA-1 Big Sur, Ca. 93920

Partington Cove is a remote inlet with a wooden tunnel, rugged beach, and a dirt trail located in Big Sur, California. The Cove is named after John Parrington who owns a tanbark transporting business in the 19th century. The cove is a conveniently accessible place to load and unload a cargo of Lumbar.

It took us about 2 hours and 45 minutes (151 miles) drive from San Francisco to get to Partington Cove via US 101 South, SR 156, and Highway 1. The drive was very beautiful, scenic, winding, and relaxing once we got to Highway 1 which is also called Pacific Coast Highway (PCH). We arrived at Partington Cove at around 12:30 pm and there were a lot of cars parked on the side of the road. We parked our car a few feet away from the gated entrance along Highway 1 since it’s our only option.

The hike to Partington Cove trail is open from 8 am until sunset about 1.1 miles out and back moderate hike. It took us about 2 hours since we took pictures and explored both the Cove and beach area. You can easily miss the gated entrance to the Cove Trailhead so look to your right when driving downhill coming from the North. A good indicator is when you see a lot of cars parked on the side of the road near a bridge. And if you reached McWay Falls that means you have gone too far. The trailhead is made up of dirt, up and downhill, zig-zag, and short steep uphill climb on your way back. The Partington Cove trail is used for nature trips, hiking and is accessible year-round.

When we reached the bottom of the trail, we then proceeded to the right and saw a “danger” signage stating that wading and swimming are unsafe. If you proceeded to go straight or to the right after the danger signage it will lead you to the beach area. But we made a left, passed through the wooden bridge, a creek, and went through a short wooden tunnel. We came out of the tunnel and were mesmerized by the amazing view of the Cove, the clear blue-green color of the water, and a great view of the Pacific Ocean. At the end of the trail is a wooden bench facing the ocean waters that is a great place for a photo opportunity but be careful as you walk through the rocks.

The other trail leads to the beach area with big rocks, a creek, and small running waterfalls. As a reminder to watch out for strong or sleeper waves for safety. You have to go through some big rocks to navigate your way through and can enjoy the ocean water. It’s also a great place to have a picnic or take great pictures.

Tips: When parking on hwy 1 watch out for oncoming cars as you don’t have enough space on the side of the road and try to park your car properly or correct orientation. It’s easy to get side-swiped when getting out of your car or walking on the side of the road. Bring a hiking or comfortable shoes, hiking poles as needed, drinking water, and sunblock. Be prepared to walk on a short, steep uphill dirt mountain trail. Arrived at the Cove earlier on weekends to avoid the large crowd.

Let me know if you have any questions or what you think about Partington Cove after your visit in the comments below. And kindly subscribe, comment, and share our family travel blog site with your friends and family. Or even include our travel blog website address when you post your pictures on social media. Have fun and stay safe. Thank you.

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Point Lobos State Natural Reserve (Monterey County)

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.

Let me know if you have any questions, comments or what you think about Point Lobos State Natural Reserve Park after your visit in the comments below. And kindly share our family travel blog site with your friends and family. Or even include our travel blog website address when you post your pictures on social media. Have fun and stay safe. Thank you.

Click here to find a hotel close to Point Lobos State Natural Reserve Park.

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Mount Shasta Bunny Flat Trailhead

Address: Everett Memorial Highway McCloud Ca. 96057

Mount Shasta Bunny Flat Trailhead is about 5 hours (296 miles) from San Francisco, California via I-5 North. Bunny Flat Trailhead is one of the busiest multi-use trailheads in Mt. Shasta. It is situated on the Southside of Mt. Shasta and lies at 6,950 feet. The road to Bunny Flat is plowed throughout the year. From Bunny Flat to the top of Mt. Shasta is about 6 miles. Mt. Shasta is about 14,180 feet and a dormant volcano.

We drove for about 20 minutes from Mt. Shasta Resort where we stayed overnight. We arrived at the parking area of Mt. Shasta Bunny Flat Trailhead at 9 am. Our drive up to Mt. Shasta via Everett Memorial Highway was challenging and exciting as we had to go through an uphill ascent with a curvy and winding road. So, we had to drive slower and carefully as we are not familiar with the road. There was a lot of snow on the side of the road as we got closer to the top. We stopped at John Everett Vista Point and took lots of gorgeous pictures of the Valley including Lake Siskiyou. From Vista Point, we drove for another 10 minutes and finally reached the parking area of the Bunny Flat Trailhead.

My daughter’s eyes lit up as she saw lots of snow and kids playing on the trailhead. We also saw a public restroom and a Park Ranger information center available on site. We all enjoyed and threw snowballs at each other with a gorgeous view of the Valley.

Overall, it was a great experience and a first for us to drive up to Mount Shasta. It was well worth the drive up through the winding road. There were a lot of great spots or areas to take pictures or selfies.

Tips: Please wear waterproof hiking shoes and a jacket to prevent you from slipping and keep you warm. Protect your eyes from the sun’s rays by wearing sunglasses. Drive slowly and easy on the brakes as you drive downhill. There were a few turnouts along the way. The hike up to the top of Mt. Shasta from the Bunny Flat Trailhead is about 6-7 miles one way depending on which route do you take.

Let me know if you have any questions or what you think about Mt. Shasta Bunny Flat Trailhead after your visit in the comments below. And kindly subscribe, share our family travel blog site with your friends and family. Or even include our travel blog website address when you post your pictures on social media. Have fun and stay safe. Thank you.