Ano Nuevo Point Trail

Dogs No Dogs

Features Birding · Views · Wildflowers

Ano Nuevo Point is one of the few areas along the North American West Coast that is visited every winter by a large colony of elephant seals. During the season, the elephant seals occupy most of the beach and the second half of the trail is closed and can only be done as part of the guided tours that start at the visitor center.

From the parking lot, the trail heads towards the bluffs and the small island of trees. Pass a larger pond on the right and head up the trail through the trees. At 0.8 miles you reach a small hut that has a lot of information about the elephant seal population in the park.

Continue further and the trail will turn into a boardwalk until you reach the sand dunes at 1.2 miles. From here the trail heads up a larger sand dune and then drops down into a flatter beach area with shrubs. The trail continues further along the shore line until it finally reaches the beach.

Elephant seals usually start arriving in Ano Nuevo in December and leave by the end of March. Next to the seals as the main attraction, this trail is also a great place for birders to see plovers, pelicans, terns, and gulls among a series of birds.