Visiting Point Lobos State Natural Reserve In Carmel CA
Point Lobos State Natural Reserve is a beautiful oceanfront state park in Carmel California.
The park spans over 1,300 acres, with coastal hiking trails, cypress and pine forests, and an offshore area with one of the richest underwater habitats in California. If you want to go on a scenic hike by the ocean, this is the place to go.
I spent a few hours hiking at Point Lobos on a day trip to Carmel-by-the-sea, and it was by far the highlight of my trip! This article will cover how to get to Point Lobos, the best hiking trails, updated entrance fees, where to park, and more.
Here is everything you need to know when visiting Point Lobos State Natural Reserve.

How To Get To Point Lobos State Natural Reserve
Point Lobos State Natural Reserve is located in Carmel-by-the-sea, less than a 10 minute drive from downtown.

It’s located right off of Highway 1, and easy to miss the turnoff, so make sure to drive slowly as you get close. Once you arrive, you’ll pass by an entrance station where you can pay the $10/vehicle entry fee, and they’ll provide you with a park map.
The park is open daily from 8am-4:30pm, and does not allow dogs inside of the park.
If you don’t want to pay the entrance fee, you can park alongside the highway, and walk into the park for free. Additionally, they may have you park outside if the parking lots are full within the park.
Keep in mind that it’s around a 20 minute walk (one way) to get to the park’s coastal trails if you park outside. If you want to park right next to the trailheads, it’s definitely worth paying the entrance fee.
Best Hikes In Point Lobos State Natural Reserve
Point Lobos State Natural Reserve has many incredible hiking trails where you can enjoy views of the ocean, learn history, or explore its diversity of plants and animals.
The most popular trails within the park are the Cypress Grove Trail, Sea Lion Point, Bird Island Trail, and Whaler’s Cabin/North Shore Trail.
The Cypress Grove Trail is a short 0.8 mile hike, where you’ll first walk through a cypress forest, and then along the coast, with dramatic views of the ocean and rugged coastline.



The Sea Lion Point is a short 0.4 mile trail to a picturesque cove where you may be able to spot sea lions on the rocks.
If you want the best chance of spotting sea lions, make sure to bring binoculars or a telephoto lens! The Sea Lion Point and Cypress Grove trails share the same parking lot, so you can easily hike both trails in less than an hour.
On the southern end of the peninsula, the Bird Island Trail is one of the most popular and scenic hikes in the park.

It’s a short 0.8 mile hike, to a gorgeous turquoise blue cove, an overlook of the rugged coastline, and a birdwatching lookout point.
The Cabin Trail is a short hike to the Whaler’s Cabin Museum and Whaler’s Cove on the northern side of the park. The Whaler’s Cabin is a historic cabin built in the 1850’s by Chinese fishermen that was used to house fishermen in the whaling industry.
It’s completely free to visit, and has a variety of interesting exhibits on the history of whale fishing. There’s a parking lot by Whaler’s Cove, and it’s just a short walk to the cabin.
The North Shore Trail is a beautiful lesser known hike that winds along the northern coast of the park, with scenic vistas like Blue Fish Cove and Whaler’s Cove.

This hike starts at the Cypress Grove/Sea Lion Point parking lot, and stretches 1.4 miles to the parking lot by Whaler’s Cabin/Cove. If you’re looking to avoid crowds, this is a great option.
Lastly, if you have time for a long hike (2-3 hours), you can do an entire loop around the park using the Alltrails map. This is a 6.4 mile hike that’ll take you past all of the park’s main highlights.
If you plan on doing this hike, make sure to download the offline Alltrails map, as there’s little to no cell service in the park.
Here’s a quick summary of the popular hikes in the park:
- Bird Island Trail: Short 0.8 mile trail to a picturesque cove, scenic coastline overlook, and birdwatching lookout point
- Cypress Grove: Short 0.8 mile trail through Cypress forests to a dramatic view of the coastline and large boulders in the ocean
- Sea Lion Point: Short 0.4 mile trail to a sea lion watching viewpoint (best to bring binoculars or zoom lens)
- Point Lobos Loop: Long 6.4 mile trail that loops around the entire park, with a mix of forest and coastal views
- Whaler’s Cabin Trail: Short <0.3 mile walk to a historic whaling museum
- North Shore Trail: 1.4 mile trail from Sea Lion Point parking lot to Whalers Cabin museum parking lot, with scenic vistas throughout
My Experience Hiking In Point Lobos
I spent around 2 hours hiking at Point Lobos, and hiked the Cypress Grove, Sea Lion Point, and Bird Island Trail. The Cypress Grove Trail/Sea Lion Point parking lot is small, and has restrooms, and a tiny information center.
The Cypress Grove Trail was surrounded by beautiful Monterey Cypress Trees, and just a short walk to multiple scenic vistas.



At the end of the trail, you’ll have an amazing view of the rugged coastline, and large rock formations sticking out of the teal blue water.
The Sea Lion Point trail was a short and easy hike to a lookout of the rocky coast, with benches. I heard sea lions barking in the distance, but wasn’t able to spot any, so I highly recommend bringing binoculars or a zoom lens!
After hiking these trails, I parked at the Bird Island trail on the southern section of the park. It has a small parking lot, and a grassy area with picnic tables and restrooms. The trailhead starts up a small set of stairs, and winds along the coast.

The first thing you’ll see along this trail is the China Cove, a gorgeous turquoise blue cove with a sea cave, and a hidden beach. Here you can see the extensive kelp forests in the ocean, and you may be able to spot a seal resting in the cove.

As you continue walking, you’ll reach a boardwalk with an incredible view of the coastline and a sandy beach (Gibson’s beach).


This beach was closed when I visited, but this can change so make sure to check their website for current closures.
At the end of the trail, you’ll reach the Bird Island lookout point, a tiny island with hundreds of sea birds, from cormorants to seagulls.
If you only have time for one hike, I highly recommend the Bird Island Trail. It has scenic views of the ocean, unique rock formations, flowers, and great bird watching opportunities.
Where To Park In Point Lobos
Point Lobos has 150 parking spaces within the park, and relatively small parking lots by each trailhead.
If the parking lots are full, you may have to wait around for a space, or park outside of the park and walk in.
When I visited, I first parked at Cypress Grove/Sea Lion Point, and then at Bird Island Trail on the south end of the park. I’ve pinned the main parking lots available on the map below.
Best Time To Visit Point Lobos
Point Lobos has moderate, warm weather year round so it’s suitable for hiking anytime of year. I visited in the winter (January) and the weather was perfect.
If you want to avoid crowds, I recommend visiting early in the morning or later in the evening, ideally on a weekday. However, I wouldn’t let crowds deter you from visiting, as there’s many different hiking trails available.

Point Lobos State Natural Reserve FAQs
Is Point Lobos dog-friendly?
No, dogs aren’t allowed inside of Point Lobos State Park, with the exception of service animals. They won’t let you enter the park with your dog, even if you’re leaving it in your vehicle.
Can you camp overnight at Point Lobos?
No, Point Lobos is a day-use park that closes at 5pm, and doesn’t have campgrounds or facilities for overnight camping.
Are any hiking trails wheelchair accessible?
There are four wheelchair accessible trails in the park, Sea Lion Point, Bird Island Trail, Granite Point, and Carmelo Meadow Trail.
Sea Lion Point and Bird Island Trail have ADA-accessible parking spots, and are some of the most scenic hikes in the park. If you have limited time, I highly recommend the Bird Island Trail.
The Carmelo Meadow Trail begins by the entrance, and connects to Granite Point Trail, where you can visit Moss Cove, or the Whaler’s Cabin Museum.
For tips on parking at these trails, check out their wheelchair accessible guide.
How do you get to the tide pools at Point Lobos?
The tide pools at Point Lobos are located at Weston Beach on the southern side of the park, which has a designated parking lot.
It’s a short walk to the tide pools, and you can spot everything from starfish to sea urchins when the tide is low.
How do you get to China Cove in Point Lobos?
To get to China Cove, you’ll hike the Bird Island Trail. It’s the first scenic overlook you’ll pass along the trail, and there’s benches in front of it.
How do you get to Sea Lion Point?
To get to Sea Lion Point, you’ll hike the Sea Lion Point Trail. This trailhead is to the left of the Cypress Grove trailhead/information center, and it’s just a short walk to an overlook with benches.
How difficult are the hikes at Point Lobos?
Most of the hikes in the park are very easy and relatively short (~less than a mile), so you can hike multiple in a day.
The trails are mostly flat, on well-paved grounds. If you do the loop trail around the entire park, it can take around 2-3 hours.
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