Garrapata State Park
CA-1
Carmel, CA
The quiet, unmarked start of Big Sur, where bluff trails, a spring valley of wild callas, and redwood canyons all sit within a few miles of pull-offs on Highway 1.
Garrapata is the coast doing its best work without any fanfare. There is no grand entrance, just a string of numbered turnouts along Highway 1 south of Carmel, each opening onto something worth stopping for: a headland loop above pounding surf, a beach where otters bob in the kelp, a canyon of redwoods, or in spring a small valley gone white with wild calla lilies.
This is the northern doorway to Big Sur, the place where the gentle Monterey Peninsula tips over into the wild coast to the south. Because it hides in plain sight, it stays quieter than the famous stops down the highway, which is exactly its charm.
What Guests Love
- Bluff and headland trails around Soberanes Point with the surf crashing below
- A hidden valley of wild calla lilies that blooms white in late winter and spring
- Coastal redwoods growing in the canyon just inland from the sea
- Uncrowded pull-offs where locals watch for otters and passing gray whales
Worth Knowing
- The park has no big sign or entrance station; you park along the highway shoulder at numbered turnouts, so watch for the pullouts
- The coast is often foggy and windy, and the bluff edges are steep and unfenced, so keep back and mind children
- The calla lily valley blooms roughly from late winter into spring and can be muddy; the flowers are on private-adjacent land, so stay on the trail
- Highway 1 can close after storms and slides, so check conditions before the drive
Details
Carmel, CA
Learn about Garrapata State Park
Soberanes Point and the bluffs
The park's signature walk loops around Soberanes Point, where trails climb over grassy headlands and rocky knobs with the ocean on three sides. Paths lead out to the point itself and up onto a ridge for a wide view of the coast in both directions.
Below the bluffs, hidden coves and beaches catch the surf, and offshore the kelp forests shelter sea otters that float and groom among the fronds. In winter and spring, gray whales pass close enough to spot their spouts from the headland.
The calla lily valley
Tucked in a damp coastal canyon is one of Garrapata's quiet wonders: a valley where wild calla lilies bloom by the thousand in late winter and spring, filling a small green draw near the beach with white flowers. The callas are not native, having escaped from old plantings, but the display has become a beloved seasonal sight.
The bloom comes and goes with the rains and can be muddy underfoot, and much of the surrounding land is sensitive, so visitors stay on the path and enjoy the flowers where they stand.
Redwoods by the sea
Inland from the highway, Garrapata Creek runs down a canyon shaded by coast redwoods, among the northern edge of Big Sur's redwood country. A trail climbs into the trees, trading the wind and glare of the coast for cool, quiet forest in the space of a short walk.
The nearness of redwood grove and open ocean, sometimes within sight of each other, is one of the special qualities of this coast, made possible by the summer fog the big trees drink in.
The gateway to Big Sur
Garrapata marks the transition from the Monterey Peninsula to the true Big Sur coast, and it pairs naturally with the more famous reserves nearby. Point Lobos, often called the crown jewel of the state park system, is just to the north, and Carmel and its beach are a short drive beyond.
To the south, Highway 1 winds on through the heart of Big Sur, over Bixby Creek Bridge and past headland after headland. Garrapata makes a fine, unhurried first or last stop on that legendary drive.
Closest Boutels
The closest Boutel™ stays, so you can turn this stop into an overnight. Each is an independently owned, editorially selected place to stay.
Carmel Country Inn
BoutelDolores Street at 3rd Avenue, Carmel-by-the-Sea, CA
6 miles away|Learn More ›
Things to Do Near Carmel
Point Lobos State Natural Reserve
About 4 miles north
A famously beautiful reserve of coves, cypress groves, and rich marine life, often called the crown jewel of California's state parks.
Carmel-by-the-Sea
About 7 miles north
A storybook coastal village of cottages, galleries, and a white-sand beach, with a history of resident artists and writers.
Bixby Creek Bridge
About 8 miles south
The iconic arched span that is one of the most photographed landmarks on the Big Sur coast.