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CHAPTER eight

Garrapata State Park & Point Sur State Historic Park

Garrapata State Park

GARRAPATA STATE PARK offers a scenic slice of the beauty and ruggedness we associate with Big Sur, where redwoods burrow deep within the folds of steep mountains that abruptly rise above a rocky shoreline and wave-washed sandy beaches. On the northern edge of the Big Sur coast, the park features 4 miles of coastline and spans 2879 acres between Andrew Molera State Park to the south and Point Lobos to the north. Created in 1983, Garrapata is one of the more recent additions to the state park system along the central California coast. Coastal and inland access and miles of hiking trails promise numerous recreational opportunities.

Do heed tick warnings. In 1830, Spanish explorers were so exasperated by these blood-sucking arachnids, they named the canyon and creek Garrapata (Spanish for “tick”). Despite its unappealing name, the park shelters rich and diverse plant and animal life. The terrain encompasses five vegetation zones: coastal scrub, chaparral, redwood forest, riparian woodland, and mixed evergreen forest. From late December through January and March through April, gray whales migrate along the coast—south for the winter to Baja, then back north to arctic waters in spring, marking the longest migratory route of any mammal in the world. Near the park’s south end, Soberanes Point offers a good vantage point for whale sightings.