Introduction:
What? :
Visiting hwy 1 section near San Simon includes few attractions: Hurst Castell, Elephant
Seal Vista Point, Piedras Blancas Light Station and the bay of San Simeon.
Where?
: If you are coming from the south this section of hwy 1 is right before the
starting point of the narrow winding cliff section of the road.
Google Map Link
Due note:
As of Feb. 2021, because of major landslide hwy 1 is completely blocked again for
driving, 4 miles north of Lucia to 14.4 miles south of Big-Sur at Lime Creek Bridge
My
thoughts: Even if I’m not planning to drive up hwy 1 into the Big Sur section or
to Monterey I visit this place to see up close the Elephant Seal. a must stop for anyone driving hwy 1.
Few Related Blog Links:
The
visit:
At this
hwy 1 section, north of Cambria, the road is starching right along the oceanfront. There are many roadside places to stop and enjoy the view or to go down
and explore the sandy beaches.
I will cover
the interesting stopping points from south to north:
Hearst San Simeon State
Park:
The San
Simeon Creek Campground offers 134 campsites for tents or recreational vehicles
and 2 hike-and-bike campsites. This is an excellent place to spend a night near
to all local attractions.
The
park includes the Santa Rosa Creek Natural Preserve, the San Simeon Natural
Preserve and the Pa-nu Cultural Preserve which were established in 1990.
There is
a 3.3-mile trail runs through parts of the San Simeon Natural Preserve and the
Washburn Campground.
https://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=590
William Randolph Hearst
Memorial Beach:
On the opposite
side of Hearst Castle entrance you can find a nice small sandy beach, you can
find here the long San Simeon Pier (built in 1958).
Recreational
activities include picnicking, swimming, fishing, and walking on the long beach.
Hearst Castle:
National
Historic Landmark large castle built in the top of a hill. Build by William
Randolph Hearst, the publishing tycoon, between 1919 and 1947.
The
tour program offers various guided daytime tours and one guided evening tour. The
three daytime tours, the “Grand Rooms Tour,” the “Upstairs Suites Tour,” and
the “Cottages and Kitchen Tour,” are each 60 minutes in length.
Descriptions
of other tours can be found at:
https://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=591
https://hearstcastle.org/
Visitors
are welcome to remain after the tour to enjoy the vistas and to explore the
grounds, including the gardens and the Neptune Pool and Roman Pools until
closing time. Overall plan for overall few hours activity.
After
you decide which guided tours you want to reserve, get the tickets online or
purchased at the Visitor Center upon arrival depending on availability (you can
call 1-800-444-4445). Tours price Adult 25$, Children 12$.
The
Hearst Castle Visitor Center is located at the foot of "The Enchanted
Hill", right off Highway 1. Bus tours depart from the Visitor Center, 15-minute
rides will take you to and from the hilltop.
Elephant Seal Vista Point:
A highly
recommended stop on the road, usually this is my main visiting destination in
this area, is to see the big Elephant Seal at Elephant Seal Vista Point.
I saw Elephant
Seal also in other location in California (Point Reyes) but this is probably the
best place to experiences them so close.
Warning:
there are Elephant Seal in many other coasts, do not approach them or try to touch
them, they are very present and quiet animal but can be danger if provoked.
Up to
17,000 Elephant Seals are populating the beaches below the cliffs. In January
2017 President Barack Obama made this site part of the California Coastal
National Monument.
Five
miles up the coast from Hearst Castle, just off hwy 1 on your left you can find
the Elephant Seal Vista Point parking lot (free access). Just park your car and
hike few meters to the wooden deck on the cliff edge, the Elephant Seal are just
few feet below you.
Elephant
Seals are huge marine mammals, giant bulls can be up to 16 feet length and may wight
more than 4,000 pounds, females are much smaller. Females generally live for
about 19 years, while males only live for about 13 years, their age can be identified
by their nose shape. Mature males have large thick chest area with a red
coloration.
The
large bulls have distinctive roaring bellow that that can be heard from long
distance. The smaller females soak up the sun or tend to their pups.
Peak
season is December through May; smaller numbers of seals may be seen during
other months.
Note about
their habit to cover themselves with sand, Sand flipping helps them keep cool
on land by acting as a sunscreen. In addition, they sometimes can be seen
flipping sand under stressful conditions.
When we
last visit there during early Feb 2021, this was the mating season. The beach
was completely packed with females and their small cabs. Females generally give
birth to one pup each year and nursing their pups for 4 to 6 weeks. The large
bulls were engaging in battles for breeding access to the females, the beach
below was very active.
Piedras Blancas Light
Station:
Piedras
Blancas is an active lighthouse since 1875. the lighthouse was originally 100
feet (30 m) high earthquakes damaged the structure over the years, now it stands
about 70 feet (21 m) tall.
Access
to the light station will temporarily be limited only to the scenic trail.
More Pictures:
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