Garrapata State Park

By far the best place to see wildflowers I know. Steep trails but well worth it.

Didn’t heed the recommended footwear :(had a few crash & burns! :-) I’ll be back with a vengeance next time. Overall a magnificent hike this wildflower season. I’m mesmerized with the burst of flowers especially up on top. So amazing. Worth my slips & slides hiking up to the top. Wear your shoes that have lots of traction if you wanted to hike this trail.

Great in the evening before sunset, quiet and peaceful, awesome rocky coastline and landscape, make sure to see the Calla Lily Valley!

The Soberanes Creek trail is gorgeous. It’s just 6 or 7 miles south of Carmel’s Rio Road. Between the wildflowers, the creek, cacti, ferns, vultures soaring gracefully through the hills, combinations of sun & shade, occasional views of the Pacific…, you’ve got something for just about everyone on a pretty easy trail.
Down sides: parking (roadside) can be a bit iffy. Restroom facilities = two porta-​potties. The trail is very narrow in places – so narrow sometimes that hikers cannot pass in opposite directions without one party stepping off trail. This wouldn’t be bad, except for the fact that there’s a fair share of poison oak. Also, with all the rains we’ve had this year, the creek is pretty high, and crossing it in multiple places can be tricky if you a) don’t want to get your feet wet or b) don’t have a great sense of balance.
These things said – I’d go back in an instant.

The Calla lily canyon off of gate 18 is gorgeous. A short hike leads to a flight of stairs and there it is ! It wasn’t crowded when we visited the place. The Garapatta state beach is quiet too. I have not seen many people spend time here. The place is perfect for a picnic.

Not 5 stars because the trail is pretty messed up and not talking care of. Other than that fun hike, with an amazing view. Took about 3 hours with a decent pace and a small break at the top to enjoy the view. The ending part near the water and redwoods is gorgeous and very relaxing to walk in. Bring water you’ll need it got windy and warm up top but nice and cool down near the Gulley. A camera would be a plus to some great views to snap some pictures.

This is a review for the Rocky Ridge Loop trail at Garrapata State Park. The park is located on Highway 1 a few miles south of Carmel Highlands in Big Sur. Much of the park is oceanside nature trails and beach access, which are of course incredible and beautiful, but the real gem is the trail up to the top of the park.
Parking, which is not marked, is located right off the highway, and there are always cars there and people hiking and exploring the canyon. The trail starts at a barn you can see from the road, where there are porta-​toilets available. The back part of the trail is closed as it hasn’t been maintained and rains have washed parts of it away making it steep and rocky for much of it.
I always see people here without water, or wearing flip flops among many other things, both of which I would recommend against. The hike to the top is challenging, but doable for anyone with a pair of shoes and some water. It can be chilly on the ocean side when the wind blows and frequently in the summer the whole park will be foggy. The back hike, out of the canyon, is isolated from the ocean breeze, there is no shade, and can be much, much hotter than the oceanside, water and sturdy shoes will be necessary.
The view from the top is more than enough of a reward, and a bit down from the very peak there is a bench to rest and take in the views and take some good photos at.

The three great elemental sounds in nature are the sound of rain, the sound of wind in a primeval wood, and the sound of outer ocean on a beach — Henry Beston
Garrapata State Beach is across Hwy 1 from the Garrapata trails that you take you all the way, through a beautiful redwood forest, to one of the iconic views in Big Sur. A lot of people miss the beach but it is also one of the must stops in Big Sur.
But you have to give it a couple of hours. Don’t just expect to stop and leave. Take in the waves, the rocks, the smells, the coastal vistas. Climb the rocks, stretch out your comfort level a bit, you will be rewarded. The beauty is inspiring.

Hard To find because there are no signs To The Gates. I saw The lilies when we were driving and when we made a U turn, there was a vague sign On that Side of The road: 18. Go down The steps and keep following path To right. Due To the past heat from Febr. some lilies were already passed it’s peak. It’s a little piece of Heaven though, with The waterstream running To The Ocean. 2 sounds at once. Fantastic, Unreal site!
Absolute Glory!

It’s easy to miss this park. I only discovered it last year. When you drive past the area on PCH, you will see a bunch of cars parked in certain areas. This will give you an idea of where the trails are. The rugged coastline in this area is picturesque with rocks jutting and the difficulty of the trails vary. Some are very easy, but you can get a good work out if that’s your desire.
There are several trails in the park, on either side of PCH. Go to the parks website to view them. If you’re in the area, it’s definitely worth visiting.

We stopped here with my parents and my wife. I didn’t remember this trail that well until we saw the port-​a-​potty. The coastal trail is gorgeous but parking is definitely difficult. I parked immediately after spotting an opening in front of the gate. After wandering up to the bridge, we decided to pursue another park. However, you can definitely make this a whole day event which doesn’t require an entrance fee like Point Lobos State Park. The bathroom situation is a bit annoying so just be sure you are ready to walk across the road up the hill to the ranch for the port-​a-​potty.

Very beautiful. 4.7 mile loop, 2000 feet elevation gain. Steep but rewarding.
If it is sunny, you can see all the way to Pacific Ocean over the green hills.
There is no official parking lot, so you need to park along the highway 1.
There is also a trail on the other side of highway 1 near the beach. Love it!

An absolute beautiful 4.7 mile loop hike through redwood trees and chaparral shrubland — with killer ocean and mountain views. It would be my recommendation to take the south entrance to the loop so that when you hit the top of the hill you are facing the water views. There is more shade on the south side (enter and stay to the right) too.
I give it 5 stars but I do have two complaints. First, why no dogs on the 4.7 mile loop? Makes no sense. Second, the trails are not in great condition but for me personally, that is part of the appeal.

Garrapata Sate Park– where are you?!? No seriously, I had to do so much online research to figure out where to stop the car, what to explore, etc. With Bixby Bridge, Pfeiffer Sur State Park, Andrew Molera, etc., well, this place gets overlooked.
Short story– this park is over a series of road turns (aka «gates»). You park on the side of the highway and do what you want– go on a strenuous hike, climb around rocks, walk down to the beach, etc.
I really enjoyed myself and the variety.
Here’s some tips that I gathered from online research:
Garrapata Beach – gates 18 or 19
Scenic overlook with bench – gate 17
Soberanes Point trails – gates 8, 9 or 10
Back country trails – The trailheads for the Rocky Ridge Trail and the Soberanes Canyon
Trail are on the east side of Highway 1 across from gates 7 and 8 respectively.
And websites for more info:

Went up Rocky Ridge Trail for 2 miles from Highway 1 — moderately steep climb gaining ~1300 feet. No shade at all, but the continuous view of the ocean keeps one going. And a good breeze as one goes higher.

It’s beautiful once you reach the top and see the view of the ocean below but know that the hike up is quite steep and strenuous (well, for me).
— Bring a good pair of hiking shoes to save yourself the pain.
— Plenty of water too.
The sign of this park is quite small and anyone could miss it driving by but if you see a dirt road, plenty of cars parked, and a barn/​shed, then you’re here.
It’s not so bad as well, to drop by the state beach across the park. Ridiculously stunning.
Would love to come back again some day.

The Garrapata Beach is 5 minutes from Bixby Bridge while the actual state park is about 8 minutes from the bridge.
Place can be easily missed but there should be a dirt road for parking.
Great combo of hike and beach with amazing views!
I wanted to see the beach from the top but we ended up not getting to.
Quite interesting, the beaches here in GSP have been used for nude creation!
Overall, Garrapata State Park and the beach are must-​see!

Make sure to bring a good pair of hiking shoes, lots of water, and wear pants for comfort. Although «endurance wise» it’s easier to descend the hill, the climb up the hill is a lot easier on the knees and ankles than the decent. My knees were burning for about two days because I didn’t have good shoes and overcompensated by locking my joints during the descent. I would also recommend going early in the morning to beat the heat if your planning to do the whole 4.7 mile loop, and go up the right side of the trail so that you get shade during the tough climb (there is no shade on the left side of the trail). The views throughout the trail are absolutely stunning and it’s worth the work to get to the top.

Okay, so Carmel — Big Sur — Cambria is probably my favorite location on the entire planet!
Most places in this area are going to garner high marks due to the extreme beauty and awesome vibes the central California coast gives off (I’m a California native and think «my» state is pretty damn great… and this is the best of the best!)
Garrapata State Park — simply unreal.
The beach is incredible, the bluffs overlooking the water are amazing and the hiking trail up very steep terrain to a sweeping view of the coast below blows my mind… and I haven’t even mentioned the gnarly-​steep return trail into Soberanes Canyon and back — insane!
I’m not sure how to continue or end this review, but Garrapata is magical.
5 stars… stars don’t even do it justice.
Logistical notes:
STEEP hikes up/​down — BE CAREFUL!
Poison Oak along the trail — it’s my peanut allergy :(
BRING lot’s of water on a warm/​hot day… any day?
PLEASE be in decent physical condition to hike on the «high» side of the road.
Lock your shit in your hotel room or out of sight — vacant cars along the road are a welcomed opportunity to the scumbag gypsy’s who steal and ruin others’ travels.
Food ain’t a bad idea — on the beach or on a hike.
Don’t be a total dumbass and fall off the cliffs into the ocean below — there will likely be nobody there to save you!
Wear sunscreen?
Take a jacket? It’s the coast — weather is unpredictably chilly.
TAKE PHOTOS — lot’s of ‘em…your relatives in Iowa or Kansas won’t believe how awesome it is along the California coast.
Finally, enjoy the moment — time moves quickly and the beauty of this place can last a lifetime if you let it.
Garrapata State Park, I love you.
:)

Soberanes hike is nice, but be aware it’s a lot of steep vertical up and then down… it offers nice views of the coast and gets your heart rate going… but it’s not a leisurely and rolling style hike… as long as you are up for the vertical it’s fun! Also some slippery spots on the descent so make sure you have some traction on your shoes… trail running shoes a lot better than tennis shoes.

Soberanes is my favorite hike when I visit home. It is a great combination of length, rigor, and spectacular views. It’s about 4 – 5 miles roundtrip, where you can choose to either go up through the forest and descend down the face of the mountain, or vice versa. I usually choose the former, but either option will leave you with spectacular views at the top of the hike.
I would recommend starting fairly early especially on weekends, as cars fill up early. Although, it isn’t too difficult to find parking along the highway nearby either way. It is hit or miss weather-​wise. Sometimes you’ll reach the peak with clear views of the Pacific Ocean, where other times you’ll be completely above the fog line.

It is a little hard to find as it isn’t marked, but definitely worth the stop. There are large dirt turnouts near the three entrances. Marked by small gate numbers, 17, 18 and 19. Using 17 is not recommended so we stopped at #19. There is actually a sign at that entrance. You walk down a dirt path to the stairs that lead to the beach. And oh what a beach!
The beach itself it huge with soft sand. The day we were there the waves were quite large and it was really peaceful watching the waves break and watching them crash into the rocks.
This is a definite stop on the way to Big Sur or just a quick trip from Carmel or Monterey.

This is one of my favorite hiking spots. It’s short, but intense. The views and scenery are amazing and the hike itself is a little tricky. Make sure to wear hiking boots or anything with a good grip because it can get pretty slippery.
My favorite time to go is when it’s not too hot. If you don’t do good in the heat, you might be miserable. There’s only shade at the beginning of the loop (depending on which way you decide to go up, the shaded parts might be towards the end) and the rest of the way, you’ll be in the sun climbing steep hills so be careful and stay hydrated!

WOW! Free parking and beautiful blue water. Make sure you park the car and go down to the beach its a very nice spot.
There are no washroom. what to expect in the end… The water is so blue and the sand was very white and soft creating a pleasant experience on California coast.
This is why you need to drive on Highway 1!

If you love hiking, do this! If you like hiking, skip it. It’s hot and hard! We did the full loop, 5 – 6 miles. The climb up to the top was hard and terrible. (We did not go up the ridge line side but descended that side.) There are no signs anywhere and we got turned around a few times looking for the turn off to the peak-​some young couple hollered at us and asked how we were, which opened us up to admit we were turned around. Once we found the turn off it was a nightmare. You easily need half a gallon of water per person if you do the full loop, thank goodness we had oranges as well. I almost quit about 5 times-​every time someone would pass and assure us that it was worth it but we still had a deal to go. I have no idea how I made it.
One we reached the top, it was nothing special, I just wanted to go back and the view was blah. We went down the ridge line side and the view was Spectacular! Very slippery though. I’d hike up that side to the bench and no farther. Wear good shoes!

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.

Beautiful park, unique hikes. Perhaps the very best in the Monterey Bay area.
Reluctantly sacrificing a star because signage SUCKS. There’s not even a sign for the entrance. Why does the state not bother to mark the trails in the state parks in this area??! Guh! Big Basin and Pt Lobos are fine — everywhere else is so pathetic and there’s no excuse. Can I just donate some signs that I created? Because I’m on the edge of just going to every damn trail in this neglected section of the state and marking them myself.
So here’s where this place is located:
Exactly 4.7 miles south of the main entrance of Point Lobos in Hwy 1, you’ll see a grove of cypress trees lined up on the left-​hand side of the road. This is the parking lot and the entrance is right there. Walk up to the outhouse and bang a left to start on the Soberanes canyon trail, which follows the creek.
Not only are there no signs, but there are NO maps at the entrance either.

Hiked this sucker 5 times. Every time, it would kick my butt on the way up. It is a thigh burner fo sho. Coming down is easy and fun, but hard on your knees. Overall, this is a moderate climb for people in shape, about 40% easier than Mission Peak.
I know a gentleman of 56 years old that RUNS this trail daily. I don’t know how he does it — my hats off to you Superman.
The view at the top is quite nice. There are also endangered California condors flying about if you’re lucky enough to spot one. The pros say that they will likely die off in the next decade. So this may be the last time you see them around in their natural habitat.
Also, don’t hoard the bench at the top. There are plenty of people waiting to sit on it on a busy day. Sharing is caring. :)
Only dislike:
I will take a star off for the poorly kept stairs on the main trail. After a rainy day, it is a little bit dangerous.

Many moons ago when I used to go hiking frequently instead of being a lazy bum at home eating bon bons according to mister M.
Garrapata SP is one of my favorite places to go hiking. With breathtaking views of the ocean to the redwood trees to the stream along our trail. Luckily the weather was on our side that day. Cool breeze which made it perfect for our challenging hike.
Make sure to wear your hiking shoes or some kind of shoes with good grip for the steep part of the hike. The elevation was about 1200ft uphill, giving my legs and booty a good workout.
Many thanks to my hiking group for discovering this place. I enjoyed every minute of it. I hope you guys give this hike a try! Cheers!

I have never seen such beautiful blue water in my entire life!
I must admit, the hike up was rather difficult due to how steep it was. If you go in the late fall, it is perfect because it won’t be blazing hot and you will still have some sun. If you go out there on a clear day you will also be able to see Santa Cruz from the peak.
I went on this hike with a group of my friends and after we went back down, we crossed the street to go climb the rocks by the ocean and the water was so clear that we could see jelly fish. As we were hiking down, we noticed something come out of the water and saw that they were whales! So beautiful. It is a very long hike, but as long as you have shoes with traction, water, snacks, sunscreen, and bug repellent, you will absolutely love this!
If you’re in the area, you must take about 3 hours to give this trail a shot! You really won’t regret it.

«Thousands of tired, nerve-​shaken, over-​civilized people are beginning to find out going to the mountains is going home; that wilderness is a necessity…»
― John Muir
This is the hike for those people. A jaw dropping combination of redwood canyon forest and spectacular northern Big Sur vistas make this a must hike in the Monterey area. we did the almost 5 mile Sobranes Canyon to Rocky Ridge Trail but you can bring a backpack and extend farther back for a longer hike.
As others have noted, no signs on road but GPS wil get you here pretty easy. You will see cars parked on the road, pretty hard to miss although I did as I was looking at scenery :)
The grade is pretty steep going up Sobranes Canyon at some points so ascend on this trail if doing loop. Your initial reward is a lovely second growth redwood forest and stream. Stay and explore awhile. I stopped and took many photos most of which were not uploaded. Another woman we saw climbed to a hidden nook and had the stream to herself for contemplation.
You will then begin the climb. Low center of gravity and good shoes will help. You will thank your stars you didn’t come down this way.
Up, up and up you go! You first get great views of the redwood forest you just left.
Then the beautiful vistas of what has been called the greatest meeting of land and water in the world appear. Breathtaking and jaw dropping. Enjoy those views, you earned them… stay awhile. This loop is again almost 5 miles with the largest elevation being 1800 feet. I do not know accumulated elevation.
The descent down the Rocky Ridge Trail is indeed rocky, on a ridge, and mostly a trail. Enjoy it :)
You can then go explore the beach with its beautiful views or go get something to eat. We chose later as food and drink were well earned :)
Highly recommended!

I had intended to go to Garrapata State Beach, but ended up here. This is a gorgeous hike with breathtaking views. This hike is VERY DIFFICULT with steep ascents/​descents, poorly marked trails, and general ruggedness. I had to follow the footprints of fellow hikers to make it out alive. The trails will randomly split off, but most end up rejoining. My legs will be sore tomorrow as well as my arms from pulling myself up rocky slopes. Totally worth it.
If you plan to do the loop trail, I would recommend heading east on the Soberanes Canyon trail, which takes you counterclockwise on the loop. This is tougher ascending once you reach Rocky Ridge Trail, but less scary than descending the 20−30% steep grade. If you doing the counterclockwise loop, you need to take the trail to the left when the trail starts ascending after the Redwood canyon. The trail to the right will lead to a dead-​end. Make sure you read the description of the hike CAREFULLY:

Tips for the novice to this trail:
1. Give yourself at least 3 hours to hike
2. Bring a map or take a picture of the map at the entrance. Map of trails:
.
3. Bring water (must) and wear sun protection. The trail is very rugged and at some parts very hot and sunny
4. Wear good hiking shoes
5. Be able to identify poison oak because there will be A LOT on the trails
Enjoy!