Garrapata State Park

On our drive southbound from Carmel to Big Sur, we randomly stopped by Garrapata State Park on our right hand side down Highway 1. We saw great views of the beach/coastline as we were driving down the highway, so decided to make a pit stop and walk down the trail. Right in front of the Garrapata State Park sigh, you'll find dirt paved trails that take you down some stairs onto the beach. You'll get some nice photos of the coastline along this walk and also at the beach itself. Hooray!

We saw flocks of pelicans flying in the air and resting along the rocks in the ocean. There was hardly anyone around other than 2 fisherman trying to catch some fish in the early morning. Peaceful, barely any tourists. :) While this park is often overlooked, we think it's worth a quick stop if you want to catch another glimpse/perspective of the California coastline.

Visit the beach during spring to find an entire valley filled with calla lilies. A few quick tips:
Search for "Calla Lily Valley" to get the location.
Place is getting pretty popular so it tends to get packed irrespective of rain or shine. Best to visit on a weekday.
There is poison ivy along the pathway so wear full clothing and good shoes.
The flowers are getting trampled upon pretty badly. Try not to step on them further.
Enjoy the view and leave it as you find it for others

This review is for Soberanes Point Trail. I visited during a sunny summer weekday.

The hike itself is about one and half miles of unpaved trail and just under three hundred feet in altitude gain. It's an easy trail for most people. There's zero canopy on entire trail. It is flat along the coast but a bit of an uphill with many steps and loose gravels towards the peak. At the top, Whale Peak, you are rewarded with breathtaking views of the coast...and super strong WINDS, like 50mph! I could barely stand and not straight... it's constant wind. There's a peaceful looking bench but you aren't likely to sit there, since there's no protection from winds.
Loved the views and enjoyed small flowers and shrubbery along the trail.

I do NOT recommend the hike to the peak for anyone with heart condition and kids as it's NOT safe with steep cliffs without barriers and STRONG WINDS. The trail along the coast though is okay for kids.

Recommend sun screen, sunglasses, jacket, long pants, water and a good pair of hikers or trail runners. Clip your cap and tie down your hat. If not, you'll likely lose it to the winds.

There's no markers and no service of any kind.

I'd highly recommend the Garrapata bluff trail which is a 0.6 mile hike with minimal elevation that provides stunning views of the ocean. Parking might be a little tricky as there's space for 4 cars right next to the trail on the left side of the road ( right next to the start of the trail). If you're unable to find parking there, you can potentially drive up a little ahead and walk back.

The trail itself is an easy one but not wheelchair friendly as it involves some amount of minimal stairs. If you're with a group that doesn't need wheel chairs, I'd highly recommend this

A friend of mine who volunteer at Point Lobos state park suggested to me to visit this trail ( We did the Soberanes Point Trails Trailhead Trail) This trail is part of the loop of the Garrapata state Park. When you get at the bottom of the park by the beach on Highway 1 you can have a choice to go the the Soberanes Point Trails Trailhead which is going toward the mountain or go toward the ocean side and go along the cliffs by the ocean which is easier and pretty cold. We did the "Soberanes Point Trails Trailhead" It's about 7 miles hike there and back if you make it to the top of the trail and come back the same way you went up however most people stop and return at the big log at the bottom of the trail where you will be departing from the creek.

From that point the trail get really steep and hot on summer days, the trail to the log is about 1, 5 miles from Highway 1, the trails to the big log is really nice cool, green, different landscape, a lots of mix of vegetations and its basically just goes along the Creek so its mostly very moist but not wait and very easy trails just a few steep steps then goes down but its very beautiful and different from trails you see around most of the time, it was very pleasurable for us , we enjoyed it very much.

After we reached the log, there were a sign said that the trail is close due to poor conditions and it is dangerous but the sign was posted in 2021 so I was curious to check it out anyway and went up a little more and yes there is a short part of the trail is very steep, ruth condition until you get to the beginning of the main trail to go up, but it's doable.

To get to the top of the trail make sure you have water chap sticks and dress light, maybe hiking poles for going down, to be honest I wasn't really prepared for this hike but I was determine that I was going to make it one way or the other, after I passed the steep part I told my husband that wait for me down there I was going to go to the top and I will be back as soon as I can and off I went on my own, in some part I run up and walk and never stopped except when I took photos, each time you get higher the views get better and better and that was my motivation for this hike.

When you get to the top at the rock formation make sure you go down about 100 Yards more down Hill the views are amazing, this was the most amazing hike I have done recently after Yosemite water falls .

The Views were outstanding! Its breath taking and the feeling of the accomplishments was amazing. A Hiker told me that the best time to do the hike is in the spring when the wild flowers are blooming, I will go back again spring next Year with my entire family and will be taking my time going up and down no more running on my way down.

Now if you check the trails there is another way to get down if you prefer to do a loop instead of taking the same trail down, I didn't do the loop because I left my husband down at the log, maybe next time we will do the loop I think its even prettier looking down to the ocean on the way down.

If you have the energy and endurance I recommended to give it a try even just to the log. It beautiful, its something different.

The Soberanes Point / Whales Peak Trail was one of the most beautiful hikes we did in the Big Sur area, and I highly highly recommend to anyone who is passing by Garrapata State Park along Highway 1!

Parking is all along the side of the road as there's no actual parking lot for the Soberanes Point Trail in particular (not sure about other Garrapata trails), but the pro is that you don't have to pay any entrance fee unlike the other state parks in the area. Do make sure to take valuables with you though.

This is a relatively easy hike that takes you right up along the coastline where you're faced with the immense beauty of the water meeting the rocks and cliffs. You are greeted with amazing views pretty much all throughout this hike (no shortage of photo ops for sure!), and we also did the additional trek up to Whales Peak which offers panoramic views up and down the coast. There weren't too many people around when we visited on a Friday afternoon, so it seriously felt like we were in some sort of paradise.

Please take even 30 minutes to an hour to visit this spot as it seems like a hidden gem along Hwy 1; you won't be disappointed especially on a beautiful clear day!

It's a very beautiful and serene place to stroll around. You can enjoy a peaceful nature walk or sit and listen to the waves of the ocean crashing on the beach. If you go at the right time, you can see beautiful calla lillies.

If you're looking for an alternative close to Point Lobos (as it gets crazy crowded), check out this place. You can usually find parking at or nearby the trailheads. There are two distinct hikes. The ocean side and then opposite side of the highway (Northbound hwy1). Take that trail in for about 5min and then go to the right. The single track trail will run you through some beautiful meadows and then keep on going to the redwood forest. There will be a couple streams to cross, but nothing too technical. It's a fairly easy hike. The ocean side hike is super easy and short but beautiful and picturesque. If your adventurous, cross over the boundary ropes and climb down to the rocks. Just be careful you don't get caught or twist an ankle.

Gorgeous area to pullover at. I happened to find this spot after exiting onto Hwy 1 southbound from Los Lobos State Reserve, which is also heavenly but really foggy when I was there at 9 am.

I feel as if Garrapata State Park is a hidden gem in the Carmel/Big Sur area. The park entrance is easy to miss as it is located right along Highway 1 and the only parking available is street parking. If you are driving to fast, you will miss the park entrance.

My husband and I did a trail run/hike on the Soberanes Canyon Trail to the top of Doud Peak. The first half of this trail is pretty easy as it is mostly has no elevation and is well shaded under the trees. However, once you cross the creek is when the real climbing begins. There is a big step up and all of a sudden you are above the trees and trail gets really challenging. From here, it is at least 1-1.5 miles all the way to the peak. According to Strava, some of the sections of this part was a 30% incline, which is very steep; steeper than anything I have previously experienced before. My knees defiantly took a beating. I would defiantly recommend taking your time on this part and bringing plenty of water as it is all exposed trail at this point. Although, this 1 mile climb seems endless, once you reach the peak, it is really beautiful view. Nothing but gorgeous views of the Pacific Ocean and the Big Sur coast. The downhill is just as challenging as going up as it is very easy to slip.

There was a porta potty at the beginning of the trail and is free to enter. I would defiantly recommend this park for anyone looking for a challenging hike with beautiful ocean views and wooded trails.

Something about being on the coast side just makes me all warm and fuzzy inside. It gives me this tingly feeling that I long for all of the time. Staring out into those stunning bluffs will leave you downright speechless, and Garrapata State Park has got me at a total loss for words.

I've been dying to hike here for as long as I can remember. I've driven past this park several times on my way out to Big Sur, but never had a chance to actually stop through to explore. Welp, I finally got that chance. And let me tell you; it was everything that I could have imagined and more. Better than I imagined it to be. You just can't compete with those views... you really can't. You look out and just go numb. It's the craziest feeling.

This park is located right off highway 1. You can literally just pull off to the side of the road, walk down to the many different trailhead entrances, and hike down to the bluffs. The. Views. Are. Insane. INSANE! Like, is this even real?! The bluest waters with white waves just crashing up against the coastline. Tide pools galore. Like what?! I can just live here. Seriously. It's so damn picturesque.

The Bluff Trail is the most popular and also the most stunning as it basically follows the coastline. We love a good coastal trail! There are plenty of spots to stop and take in the views. It's family friendly and pretty flat minus a few gentle inclines on the way back up to the road. There's also the Soberanes Canyon trail that will take you up the mountain top with a gorgeous coastal view.

I did the first 1.5 miles of the Soberanes Trail, but the rest of the trail was closed due to dangerous conditions. Saw a few people still going up there at their own risk. Looked extremely gnarly and narrow, so I didn't want to take my chances. But the short 3 mile stretch that I was able to do was really enjoyable. It starts off exposed and gently inclines through dry hills. And then all of a sudden, you end up in the most random Redwood Grove! I'm a Redwood junky, so this was such a lovely surprise.

There's tons of beautiful plants throughout the trail ranging from wildflowers to cactus. It always amazes me how certain plants can grow even in the most driest conditions. It gets extremely hot during the afternoons on this trail. If you're planning on hiking the Soberanes trail, lather up on the sunscreen and bring a lot of water (especially if you plan to hike the entire loop). There are also said for be lots of ticks on this trail, but thankfully I didn't find any on myself. Might be best to wear long pants and/or socks, and to layer your shirts/sweaters for extra protection.

Parking will be tough if you don't get here early in the morning. There's no real parking lot, and people start parking along the highway early. You could end up parking a mile out if you come in the afternoon. But, don't let this discourage you. With some easy planning, you'll be able to fully enjoy the beauty of Garrapata State Park. And trust; there's lots and lots of beauty to go around here.