[…]the Piedras Blancas elephant seal rookery. We met John Flaherty of Central Coast Cycling near the rookery, where he fitted us with bikes and took us cruising down a small stretch of Highway 1, cutting through fog and grassy hills and borders of microclimates. We ended back at the rookery, […]
[…]Rookery Dedicated to educating visitors about marine wildlife, the Piedras Blancas Elephant Seal Rookery is a stop everyone will love. Right off the highway, the rookery consists of a boardwalk and other viewing areas, putting you less than 100 feet from one of the most beautiful sea creatures around — […]
[…]of Highway 1, the Piedras Blancas Rookery is the only elephant seal rookery in the world that’s free and open to the public all year. Just pull off the highway and into the parking lot, and you’ll immediately see thousands—yes, thousands!—of elephant seals on the beaches near San Simeon.7. Ride a […]
[…]trailhead) or even at the end of the trail, 2 miles north of that. Options other than the main Rookery parking lot will be less crowded. All parking is free in these lots.There are two lookout spots along the Boucher Trail that provide excellent viewing of the Elephant Seals without […]
[…]thousands of Great Northern Elephant Seals make their home at the Piedras Blancas Elephant Seal Rookery in San Simeon. Throughout the year, visitors can witness the life cycle of this majestic creature, including birth, molting, and mating. Enjoy an elevated viewing area with sightlines of all the action, as well […]
[…]Headlands State Park, six miles north of Cayucos. Best Beach for Seal Viewing Piedras Blancas Rookery For the best in free entertainment on Highway 1, you can’t do better than the Piedras Blancas Elephant Seal Rookery, just north of San Simeon. This beach is a natural habitat and mating ground […]
[…]like you’ve never seen it before. The majestic Great Northern Elephant Seal migrates to a rookery just north of San Simeon each year, transforming quiet beaches into live theater. Males brawl, females give birth, and pups squeal — and visitors can watch them from a safe distance on the elevated […]
[…]of the California coast.Elephant SealsThe northern hemisphere’s largest Northern Elephant Seal rookery stands lies along the San Simeon coast near Piedras Blancas Point. Open to the public, the rookery hosts up to 24,000 elephant seals annually, from newborn pups to 2-ton males. From the safety and proximity of the viewing […]
[…]seals come ashore to mate, give birth, molt and rest. One of the most exciting times at the rookery? December, when bulls fight for proximity and attention from females, as well as the end of January when birthing season peaks. Docents with Piedras Blancas Friends of the Elephant Seal are […]
[…]BCU.) Bird watching and whale watching are excellent here, as is the view at the Elephant Seal Rookery on the north end of the park. Here, visitors can witness the lives of Northern Elephant Seals, which migrate here by the hundreds. The seals mate, pup, and molt here, just feet […]
[…]Elephant Seal migrates thousands of miles twice each year, from the open oceans to a land-based rookery, where it breeds, births, molts, and rests between trips. The Piedras Blancas rookery, on HWY 1, north of San Simeon is home to about 15,000 animals. The area is open for viewing every […]
[…]elephant seals migrate thousands of miles twice each year from the open ocean to this land-based rookery for breeding, birthing, molting, and resting between trips. The Piedras Blancas rookery is located on Highway 1 north of San Simeon, and is home to about 15,000 animals. These mammals can grow up […]
[…]Twice a year, thousands of elephant seals migrate hundreds of miles of ocean to this land-based rookery, where the seals breed, give birth, molt, and rest between trips. The Piedras Blancas rookery, on Highway 1, just a few miles north of Cambria, is home to about 15,000 animals—1,600 pups have […]
[…]and the end of the trail include the Piedras Blancas Lighthouse and Piedras Blancas Elephant Seal Rookery. Hearst Castle also stands watch over San Simeon to the east, totally visible on a clear day. Enjoy these sights before pedaling the remaining 10 miles back to Moonstone Beach in Cambria.Green Valley […]
[…]food nor drink is offered on the tour, but water bottles are allowed Piedras Blancas Elephant Seal Rookery and Marine Life The Piedras Blancas State Marine Reserve (SMR) is a no-take zone located between Arroyo De La Cruz at Point Sierra Nevada and Arroyo Laguna, near San Simeon. It is […]
[…]different spectacle lies just west of Hearst Castle at the Piedras Blancas Elephant Seal Rookery. Great Northern Elephant Seals migrate to the beaches along this strip of shoreline to mate, give birth, and molt throughout the year. Watch the drama of life unfold from a front row seat at the […]
[…]the coastal rocks, as well as sea ducks and Harlequin Ducks. Continuing north to the Elephant Seal Rookery, find gulls here in winter, or Glaucous-Winged, Mew, and Herring. Just under a half-mile north of the Rookery, in a parking lot on the west side of Highway 1, find the whitewashed […]
[…]on these beaches, all within full public view. In particular, the Piedras Blancas Elephant Seal Rookery allows close-up views of beached elephant seals by the hundreds during high season. (Visit in late fall or late spring for the least crowded times in the viewing area.) The rookery also offers interpretive […]
[…]ride. All routes include the section of Highway 1 between Cambria and the Elephant Seal Rookery in San Simeon. Hosted by the Lions Club since 2001, the ride ends with a BBQ meal and no-host pub with local wine and beer. All proceeds go to local charitable causes; registration is […]
[…]from the dangerous shoreline. Just south of the lighthouse, the Piedras Blancas Elephant Seal Rookery hosts up to 24,000 Northern Elephant Seals each year. Watch these majestic marine mammals play out their life cycle just steps from the viewing area and Highway 1. Then head to the opulent hilltop home […]
