Welcome to Travel Tuesday! The Point Lobos Loop Trail is one of my favorite hikes in California! Carmel-by-the-Sea has been one of my favorite places for the past 1.5-ish decades!
Point Lobos Loop Trail
Distance: 6.7 miles (loop)
Elevation: 741 ft
Difficulty: Easy
Duration: ~3 hours
Trailhead Address: 36.51602, -121.93846
Parking: Lot available ($10 fee)*
*We’ve been here twice and it’s been completely full every time. There are small lots + street parking available if you don’t mind walking an extra 0.5-2+ miles! (It’s worth it–I promise!)
This is one of those “everything in one hike” type of trails — beautiful coastline, sea lions, shorebirds, cypress trees, wildflowers, beaches…
Happy dreams! <3
Point Lobos State Natural Reserve is a stunningly beautiful area — it’s also really close to Monterey so if you have more time, I’d recommend checking out Monterey Bay Aquarium as well!
It was nice getting to be so close to the water — we didn’t see any otters this time around but there were lots of sea lions playing!
I’ve only been there in the summers so far but I have no doubt that it’s beautiful pretty much all year round. It’s perfect for a day trip from the bay area!
There’s a whalers cabin along the trail that’s listed on the National Register of Historic Places! There were some shells + bones! It was built by Chinese fishermen back in the 1850’s and is now a cultural museum!
Most of this trail is pretty flat + any elevation is super super gradual so it’s a good family-friendly hike/walk (if perhaps a bit long depending on the age)!
Although there are lots of cypress trees around, the trail is mostly pretty exposed, so make sure you wear a hat + wear sunscreen!
If you have a pair of binoculars, I’d recommend bringing those with you! I’m not the best at identifying wildlife but there were lots of different shorebirds everywhere!
Some parts of the trail might be closed every here and there for restoration purposes but regardless of where you stop/start the trail, it’s a beautiful one through and through.
Hello, seagull!
If I lived closer to here, I’d probably be here all the time. <3
- Have you ever been to Carmel?
- What’s your favorite type of wildlife to see?
21 comments
Skip to comment form
Ooh this looks like such a beautiful place. I’m loving all the water shots!
I wanna go back — it was so gorgeous over there! <3
What a fun hike! I would love to be able to see the adorable seals and sealions playing! I also like that the hike is decently long, but still pretty easy – sounds perfect for me!
:D! Definitely lots to see and so darn pretty! <3
What a gorgeous hike. I love coastal treks. It’s definitely a lot easier than most hikes I do, but Inever get to see seals!
Kez recently posted…Natural Wonders of British Columbia
I love getting to see all the wildlife! :D
Farrah recently posted…Ultimate Coffee Date: August 2021
This looks like a great hike! Thanks for the comprehensive guide.
It’s one of my favorites! <3
Farrah recently posted…Ultimate Coffee Date: August 2021
What a gorgeous hike! Added this to my list!
Yay! I hope you get to go sometime — it’s so gorgeous!
Farrah recently posted…Ultimate Coffee Date: August 2021
Point Lobos Loop looks like an amazing trail! So much wildlife and natural beauty. It’s beautiful! Our family would love the museum in the old cabin.
Trisha recently posted…Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive – Everything You Need To Know
I loved that there were so many different things to see (+ so much wildlife <3!)! I hope you get to check it out sometime!
Farrah recently posted…Ultimate Coffee Date: August 2021
Your photos are so beautiful… I’m so inspired to visit next time i’m in Ca. It’s just such a beautiful state, I discover more & more beautiful nature each time I visit.
I agree – this is a really lovely place to explore! If I lived near there I’d also be down there a lot! We’ve been there once and thoroughly enjoyed it, seeing all the seals and sea lions. We were lucky enough to see some sea otters too.
Andy recently posted…South Chilcotins, 17-25 Jul 2021
This trail looks like it has everything! I love how much wildlife you got to see, especially for such a family friendly trail. It’s pretty awesome to see those whale bones too.
Josy A recently posted…Canyon Nature Trail – Manning Park
Agreed! I need to go back again one of these days. I loved seeing all the wildlife! :]
Looking through the pictures, I thought I had been here, but I just realized it looked very similar – I think because I have just been to the area, haha. With that said, the area is absolutely gorgeous, so I’d love to go back and see more on this trail!
I need to go back there to explore more of the area — I think there are a lot of other trails I haven’t had a chance to check out yet and it’s so beautiful there. <3
We have been told to add visiting Carmel-by-the-Sea to our bucket list! After reading your article, it looks so awesome. Hiking next to the ocean with all the rocks looks like our kind of adventure. Thanks for sharing. We are saving for our trip to CA someday.
Aww, I hope you get to go sometime! Carmel is one of my favorite places ever! <3
Farrah recently posted…Ultimate Coffee Date: September 2021
What a versatile hike, thank you for introducing it! I love nature trails that showcase some historical sights together with amazing nature destination. Not to mention about beautiful sea views. No wonder this is one your favorites.
Jenni / Out in the Nature recently posted…Walking around beautiful Suurijärvi lake in Savonlinna