Hiking and Backpacking Big Sur. Analise Elliot Heid

      Monastery Beach offers views inland that give rise to its name.

      The bluff trail leads up a half dozen stairs to a fork (0.2 mile, 25'). The left spur traverses the east edge of the bluff for views of the marsh and lagoon. This spur then turns south through thickets of coyote brush, sagebrush, and lupine, ascending a small knoll capped by a large wooden cross (0.3 mile, 35'). A plaque explains its significance. In 1769 the Portolá-Crespi expedition traveled overland from Mexico. After waiting in vain for the long-overdue supply ship San Jose, they erected a cross here to signal their early return to San Diego. From here the spur veers west and rejoins the main bluff trail.

      The direct route to the south end of the beach leads from atop the stairs along the west edge of the bluff, blanketed in fragrant coastal chaparral. A half mile south, the trail passes very large, striking homes in the Carmel Meadows subdivision. Farther along you’ll encounter another short, narrow spur that leads down to prominent boulders pounded by surf. Beyond this spur, the main trail curls southeast to emerge at Monastery Beach (0.9 mile).

      WHERE RIVER & SEA COLLIDE

      The opposing forces of the Carmel River and Pacific Ocean form a unique ecosystem at Carmel River State Beach. Longshore currents deposit sand on the beach at the river mouth, forming sandbars that periodically dam its flow. The water that accumulates in the lagoon and surrounding marsh is a mix of freshwater and saltwater, creating a rare habitat. In the 160 miles between San Francisco Bay and Morro Bay, coastal salt marshes occur only at Elkhorn Slough, Pescadero Marsh, and here. It takes heavy rainfall to flood the river and once again break through the sandbars, allowing the lagoon to drain into the ocean.

      Among Monterey County’s prime birding locations, the lagoon and marsh shelter a wide variety of waterfowl and songbirds during their migration along the Pacific Flyway. Pelicans, seagulls, and several duck species bathe in the brackish water, while great blue herons, egrets, sandpipers, and plovers work the shallows for food. Red-winged blackbirds enact courtship displays atop tule reeds at the edge of the marsh. In the evenings, cliff swallows swoop down from nests south of the lagoon to nab flying insects. Also watch for the occasional northern harrier, black-shouldered kite, or red-tailed hawk, which soar over the wetlands in search of prey.

      The river also hosts the southernmost major steelhead trout run in North America. Native steelhead return annually from the ocean to spawn. Strict rules protect this population, as the run dwindled to just a handful of fish in the early 1990s. As of 2002, the Carmel River averaged 123 juvenile steelhead per hundred feet of stream—numbers reflective of well-stocked streams, though this group and other California steelhead populations remain threatened species under the federal Endangered Species Act. Contact the California Department of Fish & Game for current fishing regulations: (831) 649-2870.

      Dramatically different rock formations anchor either end of the beach. On the north end, the trail passes large granitic outcrops laced with veins of blocky white crystals—excellent examples of Hobnail granite. Over the past 65 million years, the Pacific plate carried these ancient rocks hundreds of miles north from their origin in Mexico. In contrast, the south end features a narrow ridge of russet and tan conglomerate, composed of well-cemented stream sediments from a flood plain that was later supplanted by the Santa Lucia Range.

      Monastery Beach is a popular launching spot for divers exploring the nearshore kelp forests. Cold upwelling in the Carmel Submarine Canyon brings nutrient-rich water to the surface, supplying food to abundant marine life. The canyon extends 3.5 miles west before deepening and turning northwest for 12 miles along an active fault to join the Monterey Submarine Canyon, the West Coast’s largest submarine canyon.

      Enjoy the coarse sand between your toes before returning the way you came.

      Point Lobos State Reserve

      THIS EXCEPTIONAL STRETCH of the Big Sur coast has been dubbed “the crown jewel of the California state park system.” Seven hundred of the reserve’s 1250 acres lie underwater, encompassing rocky coves, shallow tide pools, and broad kelp beds. The remaining 550 acres take in 14 trails that crisscross through wind-sculpted pines, across jagged rocky headlands, and along white sand beaches beside cobalt waters. Strolling this dynamic, diverse landscape, you’ll find plenty of opportunities to sightsee, take photos, paint, picnic, and study nature, while water lovers can scuba dive or snorkel.

      In addition to harboring incredibly diverse flora and fauna, unique geology, rare plant life, and spectacular scenery, Point Lobos is also rich in human history. At one time or another over the past 200 years, the point has been home to American Indians, Chinese fishermen, Japanese abalone harvesters, and Portuguese whalers. Throughout the park, historic relics and endangered archaeological sites offer visitors insight into the varied occupations that once thrived here.

      Whether you walk the windswept coastline or head inland through Monterey pine groves and meadows, you’ll hear the raucous barking of sea lions from their nearshore colonies—an enduring reminder of the earlier Spanish name for the reserve: Punta de los Lobos Marinos (Point of the Sea Wolves).