Año Nuevo Point Trail

Año Nuevo State Reserve, California

Spectacular undeveloped coastline, native wildflowers, and unsurpassed viewing of northern elephant seals are among the many reasons to hike this 3.2 mile trail along the California coast. The trailhead is located at the southwest edge of the parking lot—from there take the signed trail a short distance to a T junction, turn right and continue along the Año Nuevo Point Trail. As you hike through the coastal scrub, take note of the blackberry brambles, coyote brush, and grasses—at approximately the 0.1 mile mark, you will pass the remnants of the schooner Point Arena, which was shipwrecked in 1913. Stay to the right once again, following the Año Nuevo Point Trail further into the thicket of scrub bushes—passing a nice pond with good bird viewing—beware of poison oak in this area. Continue hiking through the coastal vegetation until you reach the Staging Area Exhibit at mile 1.0, check out the kiosk and then follow the trail towards the point—the hike is easy and flat but now mainly in sand. During the spring and summer, hikers are treated with towering blooms of yellow bush lupine on both sides of the trail along this section—spectacular! A spur trail on the left leads to an excellent overlook with great views of the cliffs and of Año Nuevo Island—the home of a dilapidated lighthouse, seabirds, and marine mammals—the ruins lending a spooky feel to the landscape. Return to the main trail, pass by a bench on the left, and continue making your way towards the seal viewpoints—now just a short distance away. Make your way up the sand dune until the trail levels out, from this point you can choose to visit either South Point, Bight Beach, or North Point—don’t fret the choices, they all allow for fantastic seal viewing and can be visited in any order. Dar, Pick, and I opted to explore South Point first, where we were treated to views of hundreds of northern elephant seals that had come ashore for their molt. At each viewing area, a docent was on duty to answer questions and provide valuable information about the marine mammals in the area—most even had a spotting scope set up for a closer look at the elephant seals and other wildlife. After viewing the animals, retrace your steps back to the parking lot, keeping a watch for seals that may be sleeping close to the trail—stay as far away as possible from these wild seals (25 feet is recommended).