Garrapata State Park

About Garrapata State Park

The 2,879 hectare park offers a variety of paths that lead from beaches and the sea to thick redwoods. Coastal waters are populated by sea lions, seals and sea otters, and California gray whales pass through the park on their way to and from San Francisco Bay. It also has an excellent coastal promontory, Soberanes Point, and offers scenic views of the Golden Gate Bridge and the Santa Cruz Mountains to the east.

Garrapata State Park offers plenty of Big Sur in a confined space, most of it overlooking and mostly open to the public. The park has a variety of trails with turns and turns, including the Rocky Ridge Trail and Redwood Trail, as well as a number of other trails and trails along the coast. You can spin a big loop around State Park and return to your trailhead at the end of the trail in Redwoods - lined with Soberanes Canyon. It quickly leaves Highway 1 behind and offers scenic views of San Francisco Bay, the Golden Gate Bridge and the Santa Cruz Mountains.

The name Soberanes is associated with the early Spanish exploration of California, and soldier Jose Maria Soeranes marched with his father, Jose Antonio Ezequiel, in the Spanish Civil War. Seven years later, he served in Anza's party, which was advancing north toward San Francisco Bay. Grandson Jose - Antonio Sovernees "Eze Quiel" bought the beautiful hinterland known as "Soberanes Ranch."

The Rocky Ridge Trail is more comfortable for beginners than the Gung Ho hiker, but the trail climbs to its highest point at the foot of the mountain. The path leads up a steep hill before descending down the "Rocky Ridge."

If you're looking for an easy walk, try the Rocky Ridge Trail and stroll down to Soberanes Canyon Trail. The park is located at the top of the Gung Ho Trail, just a few hundred meters above sea level, and we are talking about 20 to 30 percent gradient. The hikers descend an extremely steep half mile to get down the Soberanes Canyon Trail, and then another half mile back up the mountain.