Garrapata Beach

Garrapata Beach is located at the Garrapata State Park in Monterey, California and is nestled at the base of the Santa Lucia Range. Parking and trail access for the park is via 19 numbered turnouts along Highway 1, with the beach being gates 18 and 19. The park consists of 3,000 acres including steep mountains, deep redwood canyons and the mile log sandy Garrapata Beach.

This is a great place for wildlife watching with whale watching programs offered in January when the Pacific gray whale can be seen on its migratory path. Along this shoreline visitors may also see various seabirds such as pelicans as well as sea otters and sea lions. The wildlife here and the rolling surf can provide great subjects for visiting photographers.

The beach is the only part of the park where visitors can bring their dogs, but they must be kept on a leash at all times. Due to the nature of the surf here, swimming and scuba diving is not recommended. Whilst at the park, hikers can enjoy several trails including the Rocky Ridge Trail and the Soberanes Canyon Trail, which form a strenuous four and a half mile loop but provide some wonderful views.