Sea Lion Trail in Point Lobos Natural Reserve
Point Lobos Natural Reserve is a small, fantastic park in the southern part of Carmel along Monterey Bay. It has tons of trails which you can read about here, and in Point Lobos, even the most minor trails are still remarkable places to explore. This trail is short, but it takes you to an overlook for sea lions, is wheelchair accessible, and has excellent coastal views. Here is all the information.
Details
- .5 miles
- 50 feet of elevation
- $10 to enter the park
- Wheelchair accessible
The Trail
This trail starts from the Cypress Grove / Allen Memorial Grove trailhead parking lot, and it takes you up the hill to the left to give you a view of the sea lions that congregate on the rocks out in the water.
The trail is about a half-mile round trip, and it trail climbs slowly up the hill on a paved path.
There are a few benches where you can relax if you get tired.
The views from this section of the trail are beautiful, looking back over to the cypress grove across the water.
The trail ends on the top of a plateau that gives you a great view of the beach below.
I would recommend bringing binoculars or a good zoom lens, as the sea lions are far enough away that it can be hard to get a good view without them.
After returning from this trail, head out on the Allen Memorial Grove trail, leaving the same parking lot.
As you can see, this is a short trail in the park, but it is still worth visiting. I love Point Lobos, and I constantly find new spots to explore. You can read about some of my favorites here.
