4. Point Lobos State Nature Reserve
62 California 1, Carmel-by-by-sea, CA 93923, map
The corner is often referred to as the “Crown Jewelry” of the California State Parks system. It's as beautiful as Big Sur, but to my surprise it's not that crowded. This coast is part of the Monterey Bay National Marine Reserve, and the tidal pool is a great activity for children and adults.
We have tides on Weston Beach and you usually see crabs, sea urchins, starfish and more. Make sure to check Tide chart And go to the low tide. There are also many hiking trails and attractions. Next time, we want to check out the dive!
Local tips: We went to the lowest tide of the day (-0.3 feet) at 9am and most of them were small and full except Weston Beach. When we left at 11 a.m. (0.5 feet), people were still on the trend.
Wear sturdy shoes If you want to be wet. The rocks were very smooth and we saw some people slipping. We almost answered the phone.
