Garrapata State Park - Garrapata Beach

Garrapata State Park - Garrapata Beach does not have any lifeguards or other amenities, but it allows dogs on leash.

Garrapata State Park - Garrapata Beach offers many fun activities including beachcombing, wildlife watching, sunbathing, and hiking. The water near Garrapata State Park - Garrapata Beach is unsafe for aquatic recreational activities including surfing, swimming, and kayaking because of its extremely cold temperature and dangerous waves. The water near the beach is home to many animals including seals, sea lions, otters, and migrating grey whales (between December and April). The northern and southern ends of the beach are frequently used by clothing-optional visitors. However, if you are planning a clothing-optional visit we recommend being careful as it is punishable by local authorities as an act of indecency. Garrapata State Park is a 3,000-acre state park that offers hiking trails and a bike path for exploring its vivid and beautiful landscape that has a variety of habitats including grasslands, redwood forests, and coastal scrubs that are home to a variety of rare and unique flora and fauna. The park is home to 60 species of mammals and 110 species of birds. In addition, the blufftop areas of the state park offer a marvelous view of the Pacific Ocean and offer a great spot to watch migrating grey whales between December and April. However, when hiking around the state park, we recommend being careful as you can come across a variety of hazards here including ticks (the word "Garrapata" in Spanish means ticks), mountain lions, poison oak, and snakes.

Getting to Garrapata State Park - Garrapata Beach is easy - while there are many rocky access trails leading to the beach present along the Pacific Coast Highway, the safest trail to the beach is close to its southern part near 35500 Cabrillo Highway / Pacific Coast Highway and there are also many free parking lots available nearby. 

There are many attractions near Garrapata State Park - Garrapata Beach. The Center for Photographic Art organizes many interesting photography exhibitions, lectures, discussions, and workshops. The Tor House and the Hawk Tower were built by the poet Robinson Jeffers for his family. The picturesque house and tower has Tudor-style architecture and has been visited by many eminent personalities including Charlie Chaplin and Sinclair Lewis. Robinson Jeffers Tor House Foundation offers docent-led tours of the estate on Fridays and Saturdays. If you want to reserve your spot for a tour, you can contact them at (831) 624-1813. If you are looking for another attraction near Garrapata State Park - Garrapata Beach, Mission Trail Nature Preserve is a 34-acre park that has a vibrant landscape comprising many habitats including a Monterey pine forest, oak woodland, wetlands, and coastal grasslands which can be explored via walking trails.

If you get hungry, there are many great restaurants near Garrapata State Park - Garrapata Beach. California Market at Pacific’s Edge is an upscale restaurant that offers delicious Californian cuisine and has glass panel walls that offer incredible views of the Big Sur coastline. TreeHouse Cafe has a beautiful outdoor dining area that is set on a terrace and serves delicious dishes from Mediterranean, Greek, and Thai cuisines including green curry, Greek salads, and paella. If you are looking for another good and affordable restaurant near Garrapata State Park - Garrapata Beach, the modestly priced r.g. Burgers offer a variety of outstanding burgers that are served in generous portions and also serve excellent hot dogs, salads, sandwiches, soups, and chili.

If you are looking for a hotel near Garrapata State Park - Garrapata Beach, there are many great options. The 4-Star Hyatt Carmel Highlands, Overlooking Big Sur Coast & Highlands Inn, A Hyatt Residence Club offers many amenities including a restaurant, a pool, three hot tubs, and a fitness center that is open 24 hours. A more affordable hotel is the 3-Star Carmel Mission Inn that offers many amenities including a restaurant that offers live music performances on weekends, a pool, a hot tub, and a fitness center. If you are looking for another good and affordable hotel near Garrapata State Park - Garrapata Beach, the modestly priced 2-Star Carmel River Inn offers many amenities including a pool and a garden with walking paths.