Discover Point Lobos' Cypress Grove: A Coastal Gem
Trail Summary: Experience the ‘crown jewel’ of the California coast on the Cypress Grove Trail in Point Lobos State Natural Preserve, Carmel-by-the-sea.
🥾 Trail: Cypress Grove trail, Point Lobos State Natural Preserve, Carmel-by-the-sea
🅿️ Fee: $10 and Open Daily 8 am–5 pm, last entry at 430 pm. Don’t park outside the gate on rt 1 - the $10 is a well worth-it support for our state parks!
📅 Best times to visit: Year round but the winter is my personal favorite with lower crowds and migrating whales.
📏 Difficulty: Easy. The trail is only 1 mile but can be extended with other loops.
🏔️ Elevation: ~100 ft. but there are some stairs.
👧 👦 ♿️ friendly: Very kid friendly with multiple scenic over looks, trees to explore, and not hard. The trail to the south may be wide enough for assisted wheel chairs but the trails can become too wet to pass after rains.
🦮 Friendly: No dogs allowed here
🤿 A popular scuba/snorkel destination (additional fee required) given the rich & diverse marine life present.
🎒 Gear: wide and short trails make this one with minimal special equipment required! Cell phone signal present throughout. Bring the binoculars to look for otters, seals, and whales!
🕶️ Shade: Mostly shaded with beautiful Cypress tree coverage.
🛂 Tips: Not ideal after rains - large puddles form in the packed sand trails. I absolutely recommend combining this with Garrapata State Park further to the south (trail reviews from here coming soon). Definitely check out Bird Island and China Cove while in the reserve here. The longest trail nearby is a loop around the park, but in my opinion, doing this and Bird Island trail gives you the best bang for the buck.
Always leave no trace and I hope to see you on the trail!