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Outdoors Carmel Highlands, Monterey & Carmel

Point Lobos State Natural Reserve

An outdoor spot in Carmel Highlands, Monterey & Carmel, budget-friendly ($) and worth about 2 hours. Best time to go: Early morning.

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Point Lobos State Natural Reserve in Carmel Highlands, Monterey & Carmel
Photo: Tim · Google

Why go

Granite coves, cypress groves and sea otters along easy coastal trails.

It is one of 9 curated places we feature in Monterey & Carmel, alongside 3 sights, 2 places to eat and 1 activity. The closest of our other picks is Mission San Carlos Borromeo de Carmelo, 2.2 mi away as the crow flies.

Type
Outdoors · Nature
Neighborhood
Carmel Highlands
Price
$
Time needed
2 hr
Best time
Early morning

Nearby

The 6 closest curated picks in Monterey & Carmel, measured as straight-line distance.

  1. 1
    Mission San Carlos Borromeo de Carmelo

    Restored 1771 mission with a stone basilica, gardens and museum rooms.

    Sight · 2.2 mi straight-line
  2. 2
    Carmel Beach

    White-sand beach at the foot of Ocean Avenue with cypress-framed sunsets.

    Outdoors · 2.4 mi straight-line
  3. 3
    La Bicyclette

    French-Italian bistro in Carmel village with wood-fired dishes.

    Food · 2.8 mi straight-line
  4. 4
    Hog's Breath Inn

    Courtyard pub once owned by Clint Eastwood, with fire pits and murals.

    Drinks · 2.9 mi straight-line
  5. 5
    17-Mile Drive

    Toll road through Pebble Beach past the Lone Cypress, Bird Rock and golf links.

    Activity · 3.8 mi straight-line
  6. 6
    Old Fisherman's Grotto

    Family-run Fisherman's Wharf seafood house known for its clam chowder.

    Food · 6.6 mi straight-line

On these curated routes

Point Lobos State Natural Reserve is a stop on our Pacific Coast Highway route. Open it to see the full day-by-day plan.

More to do in Monterey & Carmel

Point Lobos State Natural Reserve is our only outdoors pick in Monterey & Carmel; here is what else we recommend there. See the full Monterey & Carmel guide.

When to go

Average daily highs in Monterey & Carmel run from 58°F in January to 69°F in September; December is usually the wettest month. For Point Lobos State Natural Reserve itself, we suggest: Early morning.

Modelled monthly averages for Monterey & Carmel from NASA POWER, not a forecast. Full Monterey & Carmel weather by month.

Getting there

Map links open a live search for Point Lobos State Natural Reserve, so hours and directions come straight from the map app.

Address
Carmel-By-The-Sea, CA 93923, USA
Coordinates
36.51777, -121.94468
Destination
Monterey & Carmel, California
Website
pointlobos.org

Point Lobos State Natural Reserve: quick answers

How much time do you need at Point Lobos State Natural Reserve?

Plan on about 2 hours at Point Lobos State Natural Reserve. That is our curated estimate for a typical visit; groups that linger will want more.

When is the best time to visit Point Lobos State Natural Reserve?

Our pick: Early morning. Insider tip: Parking inside fills by 10am; Cypress Grove Trail is the highlight.

Where is Point Lobos State Natural Reserve?

Point Lobos State Natural Reserve is at Carmel-By-The-Sea, CA 93923, USA, in Carmel Highlands. The Google Maps and Apple Maps links on this page open it for directions.

Which TripsCircle routes include Point Lobos State Natural Reserve?

Point Lobos State Natural Reserve appears on Pacific Coast Highway, a curated route you can open on TripsCircle and plan with your group.

Add Point Lobos State Natural Reserve to your crew's plan

Save it to a shared TripsCircle itinerary, settle the timing with a quick poll, and split the costs with everyone going to Monterey & Carmel.

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Also in Monterey & Carmel

Curated recommendation, not live listing data. Confirm hours, prices, bookings and access before you go.