Garrapata State Park
Garrapata State Park
4.5
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This rocky beach is typical of the beautiful scenery along the Big Sur coastline.
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4.5
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TheLeongOhana
United States7,497 contributions
Jan 2021 • Family
Heading south on Highway 1 there was a short shoulder strip for parking which was easy to turn off but it’s not flat. Do take care merging or making a u-turn back onto the highway as there are no dedicated merging lanes.
From the parking lot, the main trail was well maintained and easy to walk. Dogs were allowed, unlike Point Lobos, so this was one of the main factors for coming here.
The path branches off to the right and eventually dead ends with the highest views of the park. Quite spectacular.
Heading down the main path, we then crossed over a small bridge as we made our way to the part of the cliff extending above the ocean. Here one could see the waves rolling in and crashing high up against the cliffs. The rainy weather definitely contributed to a turbulent ocean that showed its power.
The path continued to snake along the coast line above a small beach and onward. Besides the powerful display by the ocean, the beautiful orange and yellow ground covering blanketed the land making for some excellent photos.
Plan to take your time and enjoy the scenery as the park was definitely worth driving a short distance from Carmel.
From the parking lot, the main trail was well maintained and easy to walk. Dogs were allowed, unlike Point Lobos, so this was one of the main factors for coming here.
The path branches off to the right and eventually dead ends with the highest views of the park. Quite spectacular.
Heading down the main path, we then crossed over a small bridge as we made our way to the part of the cliff extending above the ocean. Here one could see the waves rolling in and crashing high up against the cliffs. The rainy weather definitely contributed to a turbulent ocean that showed its power.
The path continued to snake along the coast line above a small beach and onward. Besides the powerful display by the ocean, the beautiful orange and yellow ground covering blanketed the land making for some excellent photos.
Plan to take your time and enjoy the scenery as the park was definitely worth driving a short distance from Carmel.
Written 9 January 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Pete923
Boca Raton, FL91 contributions
Feb 2020
Wow! My first trip down the coast from Monterey to Big Sur and I was amazed. This park and easy trail was one of my favorite spots. So many great spots for pictures and you could stay there for quite a while just watching the waves crash into the rocky cliffs. This is a must do stop if you are cruising through this stretch of beautiful highway.
Written 27 March 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Curtice Abroad
8 contributions
July 2021
While the walks are curtailed due to fire risk, the park remains open and the walk through the redwoods is peaceful, picturesque and safe. Something of a hidden gem.
Portable toilets are a nightmare, but what do you expect for a public park?
Portable toilets are a nightmare, but what do you expect for a public park?
Written 13 August 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Nikko Gandia
Monterey, CA316 contributions
Feb 2021
i hiked the loop that includes the soberanes canyon trail, rocky ridge trail and the garrapata bluff trail. i posted a video including a vlog, tips and suggestions so that future visitors can see what it's like, you can find the link to my youtube on my profile.
this is a beautiful area with various types of terrain—creeks, redwoods, cacti, wild flowers, green and also rocky hills. hiking the whole loop requires mid to expert level experience but certain parts of the soberanes canyon trail and the garrapata bluff trail can be done by someone with little to no experience, i go into detail about this in my video.
whether you want to spend a half day in this park or just a quick stop before you visit other attractions, this is definitely a spot to go to.
this is a beautiful area with various types of terrain—creeks, redwoods, cacti, wild flowers, green and also rocky hills. hiking the whole loop requires mid to expert level experience but certain parts of the soberanes canyon trail and the garrapata bluff trail can be done by someone with little to no experience, i go into detail about this in my video.
whether you want to spend a half day in this park or just a quick stop before you visit other attractions, this is definitely a spot to go to.
Written 8 June 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
kayohh7
Monterey, CA140 contributions
Feb 2022 • Friends
Off the beaten path! Drive just south of point lobos and you can park for free with way less people. We put it into google maps and it brought us right to the trail head, but there is also access to the 2 mile loop if you keep driving south. We went early and had no problem finding parking and were basically by ourselves on a holiday weekend. One of my new favorite spots in the area. Pretty safe with my toddler too, not too many drop offs , more of a wide trail.
Written 19 February 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
TravelerCentralFLA
Clermont, FL1,781 contributions
May 2023
My family and I hiked along the coast at Garrapata State Park on our drive down Highway 1. The hike was pretty easy and the views were great. We got some wonderful pictures. I highly recommend you at least stop if you are making your way along Highway 1.
Written 29 May 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Carole0113
Chicago, IL78 contributions
Oct 2021
Although we weren't able to walk too much of this, like everything else in the area, the scenery is beautiful beyond description. The reason I wanted to write a review of this particular park is because it is difficult to find. There is no central entrance like the other parks in the area, and if you put it into a GPS, it seems to have you stop in the middle of nothing, even though it is on the main road. But there are generally cars in the area, and if you look carefully, there are both stairs and pathways that lead to the Ocean. There also appeared to be steps going up, but we were not able to explore that. Whether you have an hour or several hours, it is definitely worth the stop.
Written 6 November 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
roj1281
Houston, TX524 contributions
Mar 2021
This was a great place to stop and enjoy the beach and the views. You must find the small valley with all of the calla lillies in there, its beautiful. I even went back to take pictures during the sunset and it was amazing.
Written 10 July 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
SteelCity13
Austin, TX905 contributions
Apr 2021
Good Park with tons of mountain hikes and ocean view hikes. Cant go wrong stopping here to hike. If you want to climb a mountain this places has it. If you want to do coast beach trails yet its got them. If you want to walk on the cliffs over the ocean and look back at the coast line yet this park has trails for you. Its really fun!
Written 1 May 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
WorldWanderer1020
Raleigh, North Carolina11 contributions
Our family just returned from a fabulous vacation to the San Francisco Bay area, with a side trip down to Carmel/Monterey. Absolutely stunning scenery! Since no one has submitted a review of one little outstanding local gem--being Garrapatta Beach--I did want to provide Trip Advisor patrons with some details, which I trust will be helpful.
We stayed at the Hyatt Highlands, just South of Carmel, and loved it. (The coastline views from the hilltop restaurant there are to die for--don't miss that if you can plan on lunch or dinner!) Since my wife and I will be going to Europe in May and again in August, and knowing that the spas there are usually coed and nude, I thought I'd do something about removing the weird looking white swimsuit band most Americans carry home from beach visits from my 54-year-old body. (You know what I'm talking about--the white patch you see when you take a shower that makes it look like you're wearing a transparent swimsuit! :-)) So I checked out reviews of California clothing optional beaches for Monterey County, California through the San Francisco paper (http://www.sfbg.com/nudebeaches/monterey.html). I was pleasantly surprised to learn that Garrapatta Beach, only 6 miles South of the Hyatt, received the highest "A-Recommended!" rating in the paper. So, on one particularly sunny afternoon, I decided to hop over there to check it out. I'm so glad I did!
Garrapatta Beach is, in a word, gorgeous! It has rock cliffs covered with beautiful Spring wild flowers, a wide sandy beach that's not too tough on the feet, coves and a freshwater creek flowing into the Pacific Ocean, including one little refreshing waterfall toward the North end that's like an oasis all its own. Here are some details:
ACCESS: The best place to find the main pathways to the Beach are beside the generous turnouts on either side of Highway 1, running North and South along the coast South of Carmel. Park at the 63.1 mile marker, which is almost exactly 9 miles South of the intersection of Rio Road and Highway 1 in Carmel. Apparently the California coast in this area was battered by storms recently, because the main path leading to a wooden staircase down to the beach is washed out and virtually impassible when I visited a week ago. But don't let this stop you! There are several other winding paths leading down the cliffs to the beach, one of which comes down right by the creek just north of where you park (as you face the ocean). All that's required then to reach the sand is to take off your sandles and walk a few paces in the cool freshwater creek with smooth stones and you're there.
BEACH LAYOUT: The beach is about a half mile long. If you enter where the creek connects with the ocean, you'll be in the central part of the beach. As you face the ocean, to your left (south) is where most of the clothed beachlovers congregate. To your right (north) is where the informal clothing optional beach is located. As a native Floridian (recently transplanted to North Carolina), what I liked best is that this is a beach open to everyone--families, tourists, locals, and beachlovers of all kinds. Everyone seems to be quite friendly, mixing well together. So, if you'd like to get an "all over" tan, head for the north end of the beach. (Sometimes clothed beachgoers--many walking their dogs (and Californians seem to worship their dogs!)--meander north into the clothing optional section, but it doesn't seem to be a problem for anyone.)
AMBIANCE: As a Christian married man who deeply loves the Lord and gratefully appreciates His wondrous creation, it is very important to me that a clothing optional beach not be at all lewd or indecent. From what I saw on the day I visited, Garrapatta Beach qualifies. Everyone was very quiet and respectful, and friendly without at all being imposing. There are a number of little sandy coves along the north end of the beach that provide some semi-privacy while you enjoy the gentle breeze (thanks to the cliffs blocking the wind--which isn't as true along the central part of the beach, resulting in much cooler temperatures in that section).
Although Garrapatta Beach apparently isn't an "official" clothing optional California beach, I asked the locals who come regularly if there had been any complaints or legal enforcement issues. One long-time regular told me he had been coming to the beach for about 15 years and had never even seen a park ranger--much less receive any complaints. So everything seems to be very peaceful and quite enjoyable.
But make no mistake, the folks at the north end are definitely, and completely, nude. So if nudity makes you uncomfortable at all, do stay at the south end of the beach and you'll be fine (although you'll miss out on the freedom and joy of getting a wonderful full-body tan when you lay out starfish style so the Sun and wind caress every inch of your body on the warm beach, and you listen to God's wonderful symphony of nature as the birds call out to each other and huge turqoise waves crash along the shore!).
There are no large crowds here, so the beach will almost be your own private paradise. One of the locals mentioned that there are only about 6 or 7 folks using the north end of the beach on most weekdays, with a slightly greater number coming on weekends. (The day I visited, there were approximately 10 people on the north end.)
So if you love the beach as I do (especially since there's nothing like this beautiful scenery in Florida), do yourself a favor and visit this terrific spot on God's good earth. Nude or not, it has everything you could possibly want!
We stayed at the Hyatt Highlands, just South of Carmel, and loved it. (The coastline views from the hilltop restaurant there are to die for--don't miss that if you can plan on lunch or dinner!) Since my wife and I will be going to Europe in May and again in August, and knowing that the spas there are usually coed and nude, I thought I'd do something about removing the weird looking white swimsuit band most Americans carry home from beach visits from my 54-year-old body. (You know what I'm talking about--the white patch you see when you take a shower that makes it look like you're wearing a transparent swimsuit! :-)) So I checked out reviews of California clothing optional beaches for Monterey County, California through the San Francisco paper (http://www.sfbg.com/nudebeaches/monterey.html). I was pleasantly surprised to learn that Garrapatta Beach, only 6 miles South of the Hyatt, received the highest "A-Recommended!" rating in the paper. So, on one particularly sunny afternoon, I decided to hop over there to check it out. I'm so glad I did!
Garrapatta Beach is, in a word, gorgeous! It has rock cliffs covered with beautiful Spring wild flowers, a wide sandy beach that's not too tough on the feet, coves and a freshwater creek flowing into the Pacific Ocean, including one little refreshing waterfall toward the North end that's like an oasis all its own. Here are some details:
ACCESS: The best place to find the main pathways to the Beach are beside the generous turnouts on either side of Highway 1, running North and South along the coast South of Carmel. Park at the 63.1 mile marker, which is almost exactly 9 miles South of the intersection of Rio Road and Highway 1 in Carmel. Apparently the California coast in this area was battered by storms recently, because the main path leading to a wooden staircase down to the beach is washed out and virtually impassible when I visited a week ago. But don't let this stop you! There are several other winding paths leading down the cliffs to the beach, one of which comes down right by the creek just north of where you park (as you face the ocean). All that's required then to reach the sand is to take off your sandles and walk a few paces in the cool freshwater creek with smooth stones and you're there.
BEACH LAYOUT: The beach is about a half mile long. If you enter where the creek connects with the ocean, you'll be in the central part of the beach. As you face the ocean, to your left (south) is where most of the clothed beachlovers congregate. To your right (north) is where the informal clothing optional beach is located. As a native Floridian (recently transplanted to North Carolina), what I liked best is that this is a beach open to everyone--families, tourists, locals, and beachlovers of all kinds. Everyone seems to be quite friendly, mixing well together. So, if you'd like to get an "all over" tan, head for the north end of the beach. (Sometimes clothed beachgoers--many walking their dogs (and Californians seem to worship their dogs!)--meander north into the clothing optional section, but it doesn't seem to be a problem for anyone.)
AMBIANCE: As a Christian married man who deeply loves the Lord and gratefully appreciates His wondrous creation, it is very important to me that a clothing optional beach not be at all lewd or indecent. From what I saw on the day I visited, Garrapatta Beach qualifies. Everyone was very quiet and respectful, and friendly without at all being imposing. There are a number of little sandy coves along the north end of the beach that provide some semi-privacy while you enjoy the gentle breeze (thanks to the cliffs blocking the wind--which isn't as true along the central part of the beach, resulting in much cooler temperatures in that section).
Although Garrapatta Beach apparently isn't an "official" clothing optional California beach, I asked the locals who come regularly if there had been any complaints or legal enforcement issues. One long-time regular told me he had been coming to the beach for about 15 years and had never even seen a park ranger--much less receive any complaints. So everything seems to be very peaceful and quite enjoyable.
But make no mistake, the folks at the north end are definitely, and completely, nude. So if nudity makes you uncomfortable at all, do stay at the south end of the beach and you'll be fine (although you'll miss out on the freedom and joy of getting a wonderful full-body tan when you lay out starfish style so the Sun and wind caress every inch of your body on the warm beach, and you listen to God's wonderful symphony of nature as the birds call out to each other and huge turqoise waves crash along the shore!).
There are no large crowds here, so the beach will almost be your own private paradise. One of the locals mentioned that there are only about 6 or 7 folks using the north end of the beach on most weekdays, with a slightly greater number coming on weekends. (The day I visited, there were approximately 10 people on the north end.)
So if you love the beach as I do (especially since there's nothing like this beautiful scenery in Florida), do yourself a favor and visit this terrific spot on God's good earth. Nude or not, it has everything you could possibly want!
Written 28 April 2006
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
There are redwoods on the inland portion of the park, not on the coastal bluffs. I don't think dogs are excluded, but best to have on leash unless on the beach. Parking is on the road, and walking into the park is free. I don't know about calla lillies.
Written 13 October 2020
Are there redwoods in this park?
Written 28 June 2019
No, the redwoods are at Big Sur State Park further south.
Written 28 June 2019
Can you tell me if we need a park pass to visit this state park or Carmel State Park?
Written 17 March 2018
No, and it’s easy to miss as you just pull off on the shoulder, no real parking lot.
Written 21 March 2018
2 weeks ago, yes the calla lilies were still in bloom...lots in the gully areas
Written 28 May 2017
Yes, you can drive in and some of it would be handicapped accessible . It is a State Park however and in my memory, only a small part would be easily handicap accessible.
Written 2 May 2017
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