{"id":2556,"date":"2013-06-27T23:13:06","date_gmt":"2013-06-27T23:13:06","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.backroadswest.com\/blog\/titus-canyon-road-trip-copy\/"},"modified":"2022-09-14T04:32:00","modified_gmt":"2022-09-14T04:32:00","slug":"garrapata","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.backroadswest.com\/blog\/garrapata\/","title":{"rendered":"Garrapata State Park near Monterey"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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If you need a cool escape from the summer heat and want to enjoy some classic California coastline, Garrapata State Park near Big Sur, Carmel and Monterey is a great place to cool off.<\/strong><\/p>

Located along Highway 1, Garrapata State Park is not very well known but offers several great hiking trails and the choice of walking along the rugged coastline or through a Redwood tree-lined canyon.\u00a0 As you\u2019ll see in our virtual video tour below, we chose to do both.<\/p> <\/div>\n<\/div>\n <\/div>\n

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This small state park is on the northern edge of the large region known as Big Sur.\u00a0 This northern edge is reportedly the foggiest section of coastline in Big Sur but when we visited in January, we were lucky with the weather as it was clear and the temperature was pleasant.\u00a0 Typically, the foggiest months are in the summer and the clearest weather are the fall months.<\/p>

Our accompanying virtual tour on YouTube will show you what the approach to the two trailheads looks like and then take you on both hiking choices mentioned above.\u00a0 The coastline hike goes along the cliff-edge of the shore and overlooks the California Sea Otter State Game Refuge, where, you\u2019ve guessed it; you might spot a sea otter or two (we did).\u00a0 But, even if you don\u2019t see an otter, you\u2019ll likely see some other ocean wildlife and you\u2019ll definitely see some outstanding shoreline scenery.\u00a0 The canyon hike takes you into a surprising, hidden dark forest of redwoods.<\/p>

Getting There<\/h3>

Garrapata is located a short distance south of the popular towns of Monterey and Carmel.\u00a0 It\u2019s only 4.5 miles south of well-known Point Lobos State Park.\u00a0 The trailheads for the hikes are located along Highway 1, exactly 7 miles south of the intersection of Hwy 1 and Carmel Valley Road \u2013 a busy intersection outside of Carmel.<\/p>

Garrapata State Park is not very developed.\u00a0 There is no visitor center and its lone facility is an outhouse at the Soberanes Canyon trailhead.\u00a0 There is no parking lot or sign identifying the park so it is easy to miss where to pull off of busy Highway 1 and park.\u00a0 Keep your eyes open as you approach the area and look for cars (mostly locals, we suspect) parked at the trailheads.<\/p>

Coastline Hike<\/h3>

Begin the coastline hike along the mighty Pacific by starting at the trailhead on the western side of the highway.\u00a0 No less than 20 feet from the pavement, there\u2019s a trail junction.\u00a0 Turn left.\u00a0 Turning right is rewarding also, but the trail ends in about a quarter of a mile.\u00a0 After turning left, you\u2019ll be faced with a grove of cypress trees that you\u2019ll need to duck under and walk through.\u00a0 Just follow the trail through the grove and soon you\u2019ll be in the open, heading towards the ocean.\u00a0 The distance of this hike is about 1.3 miles roundtrip.<\/p>

The trail passes by some channels where you\u2019ll see turbulent seawater rush in and out with the waves.\u00a0 You might be tempted to venture onto trails that head to the left, but stay on the one that hugs the short cliffs above the ocean for the best views.<\/p>

More…<\/p>

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Pictures<\/h3>

Below are some pictures of what you will see along the way.<\/p> <\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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