Point Lobos State Reserve Park is one of my favorite places to visit in the Carmel area! Point Lobos is a scenic natural reserve with gorgeous costal views, and is a great spot to spend a day. My family and I used to visit frequently when I was young, and I have fond memories of us playing in the tide pools and searching for sea otters in the bay. If you’re visiting Carmel and Monterey, you must make a stop at Point Lobos! Keep reading for my full guide to visiting Point Lobos.
While Point Lobos used to be somewhat of a secret place amongst locals, it is now a well-known tourist destination. Because of that, it gets very crowded! With that said, it is still a beautiful place and one I definitely recommend visiting. If you are planning to go, make sure you go early! We got there around 8:30am on a Friday and were able to find parking no problem, but there are limited spots and I’ve heard it can be fully parked up by about 10am.
While we were there, although there were certainly plenty of visitors, it did not feel crowded. Point Lobos is a fairly large park with about 7 miles of trails, so even on popular days, you should be able to find spots that are more peaceful.
My personal favorite spots in Point Lobos are on the southwest side of the park, particularly Hidden Beach, Gibson Beach, and China Cove. At least while we were there, this part of the park was not as popular, especially in the morning. I would recommend starting here and then walking along the coast to Whaler’s Cove, which is also a really pretty area. Make sure to keep an eye out for seals, sea otters, and whales along the way! We didn’t see any otters or whales on this trip, but did see some harbor seals lounging on the shore.
Tip: make sure to wear and pack plenty of layers! While we were there, it was sunny but very cold and windy at times, so it was nice to be able to add and remove layers when needed.
There is no food available in the park so plan ahead. I would recommend grabbing breakfast to-go and bringing it to the park and enjoying it at one of the picnic areas. We like the Bagel Bakery for cheap and tasty bagel sandwiches. Alternatively, pack some snacks and then head to downtown Carmel or to Carmel Valley afterwards for lunch.
That’s it for my guide to visiting Point Lobos! It really is a gorgeous spot and well worth a day trip to walk along the many trails and soak in the stunning ocean views. It is a magical place and with some planning you will hopefully have a great experience!
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