Accessibility

Visitors with disabilities should contact the Reserve office to inquire about accessible Reserve features to determine if they meet their specific needs.

There are currently two wheel chair accessible trails in the Reserve.  The upper plateau at Sea Lion Point is 90 feet above the water.  Headland Cove and Sand Hill Cove are prominent and spectacular.  There are two wheel chair accessible benches on the trail for relaxation and wildlife viewing.  From this upper plateau our visitors can look for gray whales during the migration, harbor seals hauled out on the rocks below, sea lions on the islands off shore, and sea otters foraging in the kelp beds.  A variety of birds can be observed from this trail.  It is not uncommon to see flights of Brown Pelicans cruising by or the occassional Red-tailed Hawk hovering above looking for a meal. Pelagic Cormorants and Westen Gulls are seen daily.

The Carmelo Meadow Trail begins at the entrance station.  The Granite Point Trail begins in front of the Whalers Cabin Museum.  The two trails intersect at Whalers Cove and continue on to Coal Chute Point.  The views of Whalers Cove and Carmel Bay are outstanding.  During the nesting season Great Blue Herons are seen at Coal Chute Point building their huge nest in the tops of the pine trees.  Look for otters and harbor seals.  Whalers Cove is a major nursery in April and May for harbor seal pupping.  A variety of birds are seen working in the cove including the Osprey that has taken up residence in our area.  Lots of egrets and gulls forage in the cove.

Construction of a major project to build a wheelchair-accessible trail to Bird Island overlook at Point Lobos State Natural Reserve is tentatively scheduled to start in early 2011, with approximately seven months of construction until completion. The Bird Island Trail is six-tenths of a mile, round-trip, passing above China Cove and Gibson Beach.