Carmelo Meadow Trail

From the entrance station through pine woods to Whalers Cove:  .2 mile (10 minutes).  Note: this trail is fully accessible, and joins up, at the Granite Point Trail junction, with accessible trail to the Pit, and to an overlook of Moss Cove and Carmel Bay.

The Carmelo Meadow Trail starts just beyond the entrance station and makes its way through Monterey pine forest to Whalers Cove. In the first section, notice the thick growth of even-aged trees: this area was the object of a controlled burn not many years ago, and Monterey pines are one of the world's fastest-growing conifers. Look here for a wide variety of mushrooms after the winter rains begin.

Farther along, the trees are larger and more widely spaced. You may be scolded by a squirrel, or see his telltale sign: the fragmented remains of a pine cone. Keep a sharp eye - and ear - out for birds: juncos, chickadees, warblers, and many more. The sounds of the surf become louder; soon you arrive at Whalers Cove. If you head left, you can visit the Whalers Cabin  and Whaling Museums, and learn about the rich cultural life of this area before it became a State Reserve. Or you may turn right and continue on to Coal Chute Point, Granite Point, and the Moss Cove area.

Carmelo Meadow is along the trail to your left, above Whalers Cove. It supports a colorful garden of fragile wildflowers in the spring and summer, along with sturdier, perennial sedges and grasses that provide cover and forage for small birds and mammals.

These are hunted by owls, bobcats and coyotes from vantage points along the meadow's edge at twilight and dawn. The opening and closing hours of the reserve are established to prevent human interference during these important periods.