4. Point Lobos State Natural Reserve
62 California 1, Carmel By The Sea, CA 93923, map
Point Lobos is often called the “crown jewel” of the California State Park system. It’s just as beautiful as Big Sur, but I was pleasantly surprised by how much less crowded it was. This stretch of coast is part of the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary, and tide pooling is a great activity for kids and adults alike.
We were in the tide pools at Weston Beach where you can often see crabs, anemones, sea urchins, sea stars and more. Be sure to check it out Tide Chart And go at low tide. There are also many hiking trails and viewpoints. Next time, we want to try scuba diving!
Local Tips: When we went at 9am it was the lowest tide of the day (-0.3ft) and most parking lots were small and packed except for Weston Beach. When we left at 11am (0.5ft) people were still in the tide pools.
Wear sturdy shoes If you are in a tide pool. The rocks are slippery and we saw a few people slip and fall. We almost fell.
