We stopped at Point Lobos State Natural Reserve in search of spectacular views and photos, but found more than we ever expected.
Point Lobos State Natural Reserve photos
We arrived early at Point Lobos State Natural Reserve. Our route was going to take us down Highway 1 to San Simeon. At 87 miles, it’s a short drive. But those miles are packed with epic views, incredible lookouts, and so much more.
After paying our entrance fee, the ranger explained that one of the favorite trails for first-timers was Cypress Grove Trail. The trail meanders through a variety of landscapes, including coastal scrub, rocky outcroppings, and one of the last Monterey cypress forests in the world.
Monterey cypress makes this trail unique
The Monterey cypress had a much wider range 15,000 years ago. In those days, glaciers were the dominant force. These days, there are only two natural stands of the tree left in the world, making Cypress Grove Trail a unique experience.
Final thoughts
There are so many jaw-dropping sights along the Cypress Grove Trail, which is only .8 miles long. The trail is relatively flat, so it’s a moderately easy trek, but there’s so much to see that it took us about an hour to make the loop. We didn’t see any sea lions or otters during this section of our trip, but we saw plenty of shorebirds. If you’d like to see what birds make this reserve their home, see this Guide to the Birds of Point Lobos.
As we left Point Lobos for photos at the next stop on our trip down Highway 1, we resolved to come back soon. We’d barely scratched the surface of what we could see and are already looking forward to our next trip! If you liked this post, I hope you’ll share it with your friends.
Did you see last week’s entry? If not, why not check out A virtual trip through Point Pinos Lighthouse. Click here to view more Friday Morning Post entries, or you can follow me on Twitter.
