ano nuevo state reserve

从旧金山沿一号公路南下到洛杉矶 我们一路都在寻找狂野的海滩 当我们在路旁的观景点看到这片被轻雾笼罩的海滩时，我们意识到 这就是我们要找的地方。宽阔的沙滩上有几条溪流入海 无数海浪汹涌地排向海岸 小溪边聚集了一群群海鸟 还有海滩上的遛狗人 真正吸引我们的是远处海边一位在海边起舞的女性 巨大的海浪仿佛是专门为她而奏的交响 她就在海滩上不断的舞蹈 我们被这景象深深的感动，在海边的沙滩上写下：I :) US

This park is absolutely a must see on any trip down the coast, no matter what time of the year. The elephant seals are impressive animals and they are fun to watch and listen to. To get to the beaches where the elephant seals live, you have to hike a bit more than a mile (one way), mostly on a level paved path, but also partly in loose sand (sand dunes). Volunteers guard the beaches and are very happy an willing to tell you all you want to know about these creatures.The beaches are barely fenced; allowing you to get pretty close to the animals: you will only be about 30 feet away from the animals. I have been here more than once and would not mind at all to visit again.

A visit to this park to see the elephant seals is quite a thrill. These huge animals are fun to watch and listen to. Be ready for a 3 mile walk of which about 1/2 is in the sand. They take groups of about 20 at a time for a close up look at these creatures. You are in an unfenced area about 25 to 30 feet away from them. Get there early to reserve you trip time or visit the web for advanced reservations.

I took my son to the Preserve for the guided tour with the Elephant Seals. The drive from the Peninsula was gorgeous on a sunny sixty something degrees winter day. The value at seven dollars a ticket and ten for parking is amazing. To quote a ten year old on my tour: "You should charge at least $8.50!!" I would recommend arriving an hour or more earlier and giving yourself time to hike around and pick up your tickets. The area is lovely and wild. Our volunteer docent Sarah clearly loves what she does and was both enthusiastic and informative. I have lived in the Bay Area since 1986 and cannot believe that I have not done this until now. These animals are amazing and on a sunny day this is just heaven. We saw a mating, a Mother returning to the sea while the males chased her in an attempt for one last mating before she swam off for her first food in months and the fattest baby 'weaners" basking in the sun. Amazing! Book in advance through ReserveAmerica.com

It's always fun to have a visit with the elephant seals. There is a tour at the state reserve which is interesting. Often you are able to see some elephant seal 'outcasts' on the other surrounding beaches.

Elephant seals invade this beach yearly from mid-December to end of March. They are huge and amazing. You must go on a guided tour. It's not expensive and really really cool. Go to the CA state parks page about this park to reserve your tour slot. If you can't get a reservation--just show up 10-11 a.m. and they may be able to squeeze you onto a tour. That worked out well for us. Super cool. Don't miss this if you're in that area during the right part of the year.

If you're travelling through hi-way 1, you have to stop here ! It's a gem of a trail to walk through the pathway to the reserve. Dec to march - you can view the elephant seals with docent led tours but make sure to buy the tickets in advance. No tickets no entry ! Parking is also $10. The whole park is beautiful, there's a side trail down to a beach but you won't see the elephant seals from here unless there's a stray one and you will be told to stay 25 feet away from these animals!

Took the 3 hour guided walk today for the first time and I wish I had known a few things ahead of time. Guided tours are mandatory from December to the end of March, but there is a lot of animal activity in early April and a lot less crowded. Also, July/August is when the bulls go through molting which is supposed to be a sight to see. Our tour today was good - sunny weather, lots of bulls - but the females are not all here yet. Most females are in town in Feb/March and that's when birthing happens. We saw a couple of pups, but wish there was more. They had tours running every 15 minutes so it was a bit of a zoo of people. Next time, if I want to do a tour, I would come early, not mid-day. Bottom line: A beautiful coastal walk, lots of bull elephant seals and worth the time/effort, AND, I'm coming back in July.

We took the tour of the elephant seals. Our docent was fantastic and the rangers we met were helpful and friendly. It's a fascinating place. We were there on a beautiful, blue-sky day, but be prepared for wind, cold, fog and possibly rain, no matter what the weather is like in SF or San Jose.

Visit the breeding ground near the Hurst castle instead. You can avoid the manditory 3 hour hike. Elephant seals are great but the hike through standing water, mud, marshes, and deep sand dunes can be avoided.

Oh my goodness. Support this state park. I was hoping to see some marine life and take a walk. There is something to see near and far. The best stuff is far, you have to walk in sand, but the payoff can be huge. The views are scrubby coastal beautiful. And I got to see A LOT of elephant seals lying on their beach from a distance. The adolescent males were battling each other playfully, while the females paid no attention whatsoever. There are three viewing locations with knowledgeable docents present. If you cannot walk far I would not recommend the sandy paths to the seal viewing but there are other walkable paths with coast views and the occasional sea mammal.

Loved that this exists and is safe for all ages. Relatively easy walk, for kiddos and elderly folks as well. Be prepared for the elements are you are out and about for a while and in an unsheltered area so take/wear a jacket/coat and hat if necessary...perhaps even make a pit stop in advance. Great discovery walk for my youngest to learn about the elephant seals. Not the busiest time of year for them but in order to catch that you need to go when the weather can be cool, windy, and wet sometimes. Make your reservations in advance and visit with griends. Well worth it!

We stopped in at the park last week Wednesday afternoon, wondering if there would be any elephant seals here. We were pleasantly surprised to hear from the ranger at the gate that there were a few hundred of the juveniles here for "Haul Out." This is a very necessary part of the life cycle of the younger juvenile elephant seals, and the docents explained it all to us clearly at each of the viewing areas. Yes, you have a little ways to walk to get to the elephant seals, but the terrain is not difficult at all. We wore our sandals because we knew there was sand half of the way there. After the first viewing station, we heard the seals making lots of noise, and it encourage us on our way. Go to the last two viewing platforms -- wow, you are just above dozens and dozens of the seals on the beach! We got some great shots and really enjoyed spending time marveling about these unique animals! Wonderful place. Superb docents. Awesome experience! Highly recommended.

This was one of our most fun, interesting, stops of our California trip. The park ranger at Redwoods recommended it as a more interesting site than any of the California zoos. She was right. The walk was great and the elephant seals were incredible. The docents were knowledgable and friendly. We spent about 3/4 of a day here and didn't really want to leave when they were closing. What an unexpected gem.

We stopped here are reading various reviews. There is a long walk to get to see the elephant seals and the last half of the walk in on sand and very difficult and tiring. If you are really interested in the seals do your research on when to go. During breeding season you get guided tours due to the proximity of the seals. Outside of breeding season you can just follow the path. There are a couple of places to stop where park rangers are stationed and will answer questions. Allow 2 - 3 hours if you are going to tale the path to the end. Take binoculars!