Elephant Seals

A closer view of Año Nuevo Island. Off limits to visitors, this is as close as you'll get to the deteriorating light keeper's house and other structures.

User: Austin Explorer - 5/31/2014

Location: Año Nuevo State Park

Rating: 4stars

Difficulty: 3stars

Solitude:

Miles Hiked: 4.50 Miles Elapsed Time: 3 hours, 27 minutes

Comments:

Coppertone and I came to Ano Nuevo to see the elephant seals and were happy to find that we got here when the preserve part of the park was open without having to arrange for guided tours.

The were about 400-500 seals on the beaches at three overlooks. Most of them females and juveniles. The seals were molting, so many had some bits of fur hanging on that they'd not yet managed to rub off.

The last mile of the Ano Nuevo Point Trail before the overlooks to view the Elephant Seals becomes very sandy and rather tough going. Definitely not ADA accessible and a bit of a workout.

Log Photos

Trail View

Elephant Seals

Sandy conditions

North Point

Año Nuevo Island

Headed Back

Track File

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