Point Lobos

For Chilean respective Peruvian locations, see Punta de Lobos and Punta Lobos. For the 1936 murder on the S.S. Point Lobos, see Earl King, Ernest Ramsay, and Frank Conner.

Point Lobos State Natural Reserve
IUCN category V (protected landscape/seascape)[1]
Looking north over Whaler's Cove, the largest of a number of coves in Point Lobos, and the location of Whalers Cabin.
Map showing the location of Point Lobos State Natural Reserve
Map showing the location of Point Lobos State Natural Reserve
Map showing the location of Point Lobos State Natural Reserve
Map showing the location of Point Lobos State Natural Reserve
LocationMonterey County, California, United States
Nearest cityCarmel-by-the-Sea
Coordinates36°31′1.56″N 121°56′33.36″W / 36.5171000°N 121.9426000°W / 36.5171000; -121.9426000
Area550 acres (220 ha) onshore;
775 acres (314 ha) offshore
Governing bodyCalifornia Department of Parks and Recreation
Designated1967

Point Lobos and the Point Lobos State Natural Reserve is a state park in California. Adjoining Point Lobos is "one of the richest marine habitats in California."[2] The ocean habitat is protected by two marine protected areas, the Point Lobos State Marine Reserve and Point Lobos State Marine Conservation Area. The sea near Point Lobos is considered one of the best locations for scuba diving on the Monterey Peninsula and along the California coast.[2]

Point Lobos is just south of Carmel-by-the-Sea, California, United States, and at the north end of the Big Sur coast of the Pacific Ocean. Point Lobos features a number of hiking trails, many alongside the ocean, and a smaller number of beaches. The historic Whalers Cabin, built by Chinese fishermen and later used by Japanese and Portuguese fishermen, is now a museum.

Point Lobos nearly became the site of a town. In 1896, the Carmelo Land and Coal Company subdivided the land into 1,000 lots and named the new town "Carmelito". Engineer Alexander Allan purchased the land and over many years bought back the lots that had been sold and erased the subdivision from the county records. As of 2017, more than one million annual visitors from around the world visited Point Lobos, which is restricted by only 150 on-site parking spaces. The majority of visitors must park on the shoulder of Highway 1 and walk into the reserve.[3][4]

  1. ^ "Protected Planet | Point Lobos State". Protected Planet. Retrieved October 16, 2020.
  2. ^ a b "Fantastic Diving | Point Lobos Foundation". pointlobos-org.cftvgy.org. Retrieved May 8, 2019.
  3. ^ With almost one million visitors a year point lobos state park is dealing with the consequences of some of the footprints being left behind. KION. November 19, 2017. Retrieved May 11, 2018.
  4. ^ Guara, Maria. "Point Lobos' natural beauty belies industrial past". SFGate. Retrieved May 10, 2018.