Things to do / Travel Guide
Address:Pescadero, California
Located about 50 miles south of San Francisco, the rocky islets, and redwood-forested, rolling-dune shores of Año Nuevo State Park and Reserve Beach are a sight to behold. With nearly 1,500 acres of dramatic San Mateo coastline, Año Nuevo is the quintessential Central California Coast landscape. But Año Nuevo State Park and Reserve Beach is far from the typical seashore experience. For starters, Año Nuevo is a year-round coastal affair. During the winter Ano Nuevo transforms into the world's largest molting and breeding ground for giant, burly elephant seals, many of which weigh close to a ton. Every year, thousands of tourists trek out to Año Nuevo for an unusual walking tour of the birthing, fighting, squealing, nursing sounds of elephant seal family life. The summer brings rugged outdoor folks to Año Nuevo State Park and Reserve Beach when the sandy shores and craggy bluffs become prime territory for sunning, fishing, hiking and birdwatching. Basically any time of the year, Año Nuevo State Park and Reserve Beach is worthy of your precious vacation time.
Spanish explorer, Sebastian Vizcaino, was the first European to identify Año Nuevo point as a unique, windy finger of wooded land pointing out into the ocean. And unique it has remained. A delightful tangle of untamed wilderness, Año Nuevo State Park and Reserve Beach is as adored by elephant seals, sea lions, and other marine mammals as it is by their human observers. Each December 15 through March 31, thousands of these giant creatures "haul up" onto the sandy beaches to court, mate, and give birth. To witness this majestic, natural spectacle, contact Año Nuevo State Park and Reserve Beach to make reservations for a guided walking tour.
The quiet tranquility of untouched nature, returns to Año Nuevo State Park and Reserve Beach during the summer months. Birders with binoculars spot migratory shore birds, cormorants, black oystercatchers, and hawks. Picnickers and sunbathers hang out along the beach area at New Years Creek. Enthusiastic hikers take a rigorous walk north along the shoreline toward Franklin Point, and fishermen cast their lines along the beach to reel in halibut, croaker, and perch.
Access to Año Nuevo State Park and Reserve Beach involves a simple drive along Highway 1 in San Mateo County. Parking is plentiful. The closest eateries are a few miles north, so bring a picnic lunch or snacks(though no food is allowed in the wildlife protection zone). April through November you will need a permit to hike around Año Nuevo (permits are available on-site), and December through March the park is only open for pre-arranged, guided walks.
To enjoy the world's natural,wild side, and feel at home with the birds, the sea and the seals, a trip to Año Nuevo State Park and Reserve Beach will make your year.