Point Lobos Loop Trail
A hidden gem on the Central California Coast
Bay Area born and bred, I am blessed to have lived never more than an hour’s drive from the Pacific Ocean. I’ve always felt a special calling to the sea, its tumultuous chaos and mesmerizing beauty. And so I was surprised and delighted to find this beautiful slice of California coastline to explore.
Point Lobos State Natural Reserve is located in Carmel-by-the-Sea, about a 2 hours drive south from San Francisco, making this adventure a perfect day trip.
Trail Stats
- Miles: 6.7
- Elevation gain: 741 ft
- Alltrails link
- Parking in the reserve costs $10, though there is also free parking outside along Highway 1
I highly recommend arriving at the park early, ideally right when it opens at 8AM. The parking is quite limited and the trails do fill up on the weekends. We had the trail mostly to ourselves for the first hour or so but started seeing larger crowds by the time we left.
The trail itself is very accessible and well-maintained with little elevation gain — it really does not feel like 6.7 miles. This loop is also quite runnable and I would love to come back sometime to give that a shot.
Around each corner is another breathtaking ocean view. It was hard not to constantly stop to take photos.
The loop takes you through a diverse array of coastal landscapes, from waves crashing on jagged rocky cliffs to peaceful groves of Monterey cyprus trees.
We also encountered a bunch of wildlife along the trail. Around four miles in is a small cove with sea lions sunbathing on the beach!
A little ways further is Bird Rock, home to hundreds of sea birds.
The latter half of the trail also featured several rocky beaches with tide pools that were also teeming with sea creatures.
Point Lobos is truly a hidden gem and I’m looking forward to the next time I get the chance to come back.
