Año Nuevo State Park
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Same-day elephant seal tours are available on a first-come, first-served basis. Show up before 10 a.m. on weekends and holidays for a walk-up ticket; come by noon on weekdays

About

Año Nuevo State Park in San Mateo County preserves and protects the scenic, biological, ecological and cultural values of the central California coastline, including Año Nuevo Island and properties on the western slope of the coast range inland from Año Nuevo Point. It also contains sensitive native dunes and coastal terrace prairie habitats, and a diversity of inland plant communities, including old-growth forest, freshwater marsh, red alder riparian forest and knobcone pine forest.

Año Nuevo State Park is the site of the largest mainland breeding colony in the world for the northern elephant seal, and the interpretive program has attracted increasing interest every winter for the past two decades. People who hope to see the seals during the winter breeding season are urged to get their reservations early. The males battle for mates on the beaches and the females give birth to their pups on the dunes.

Learn more in the California State Parks brochure.


Operating Hours

Guided Elephant Seal Tours (December-March)

Elephant seal tours are happening! Space is limited to 15 people per tour. Make reservations through Reserve California to guarantee a spot. Cost is $10.99 ($7 tour fee plus a $3.99 reservation fee).

Walk-up spots may be available but are not guaranteed. Cost without a reservation is $7.

Parking is $10 and supports the park.

Open Walk season (April-November)
8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily

Admittance to the reserve for your self-guided walk requires a free permit that can be obtained at the entrance station or the Marine Education Center. Call the park for more information.


For all tours, layered clothing, closed-toed shoes, and rain/wind gear are strongly advised. Umbrellas and strollers are not permitted inside the dune area. Pets and drones are not allowed in the park.


Directions

The park is at 1 News Years Creek Road in Pescadero, about 20 miles north of Santa Cruz on the west side of Highway 1.


Things to do

Self-Guided Tours

Stroll over sand dunes, enjoy beautiful ocean views, and gain a unique opportunity to view Northern elephant seals on this 3-mile, 2.5-hour self-guided trail! Layered clothing, closed-toed shoes, and rain/wind gear are strongly advised. Bring water. Food, umbrellas, and strollers are not permitted inside the preserve. No pets are allowed in the park.

Equal Access Seal Tours

Contact the park at 650-879-2025 or email Ano.EqualAccess@parks.ca.gov to make reservations for equal access tours. Docent-led equal access tours of the elephant seals are available for those who need mobility assistance. These tours include ride in an accessible van to park’s wheelchair-accessible boardwalk. The docent(s) accompany visitors to the two seal-viewing decks, explain the Northern elephant seal natural history, the history of the park and answer questions.

Trails

The physical terrain of Año Nuevo is distinctive, with coastal terrace prairie, wetland marshes, dune fields and coastal scrub hosting a high diversity of plants and animals, including the rare and endangered San Francisco Garter Snake and California Red-legged Frog. A hike out along ocean bluffs brings visitors to Año Nuevo Point, a major bird migratory route and fantastic birding location. Located just offshore sits Año Nuevo Island and the remains of a 19th century lighthouse and fog signal station. The self-guided sea walk trail is 3 miles round trip.

Exhibits and Programs

The park features the Marine Education Center boasting a natural history exhibit, bookstore and theater.

Picnic Areas

Picnic areas are first-come, first-serve.

Beach Areas

Cove Beach, a short walk, offers swimming, surfing and boogie boarding.


Visitor Center

The Marine Education Center features natural history exhibits and a bookstore offering educational items such as books, postcards and posters. The center is open 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Learn more about the Guided Walks here.

Call 1-800-444-4445 or go online to learn more and purchase tickets.


Fees and Passes

Parking fees support the park. Costs are:

  • Regular-size vehicles: $10
  • Seniors (age 62+): $9
  • Bus (10-24 passengers): $50
  • Bus (25+ passengers): $100

Entrance to the reserve for a self-guided walk requires a free permit that can be obtained at the entrance station or the Marine Education Center. Permits are issued from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m


Services

  • Restrooms
  • Picnic Area
  • Mobile assistance for seal tours
  • The park also has a wheelchair accessible boardwalk and provides van transports when necessary. Learn more in the Hilltromper Beach Accessibility Guide.

Field Trips

Registration for field trips is now open. Sign up!


History

Año Nuevo State Park is in the unceded homelands of the Ohlone Tribe known as the Quiroste, who stewarded these lands since time immemorial. Centuries of colonial violence led to the removal and displacement of the Quiroste. Today, their descendants continue their stewardship and presence here, in partnership with State Parks.

Fifty-five miles south of San Francisco and the Golden Gate Bridge, a low, rock, windswept point juts out into the Pacific Ocean. The Spanish maritime explorer Sebastian Vizcaino sailed by this point on Jan. 3, 1603. His diarist and chaplain of the expedition, Father Antonio de la Ascension, named it Punta de Año Nuevo (New Year’s Point) for the day on which they sighted it.

The point remains much as Vizcaino saw it from his passing ship: lonely, undeveloped and wild. Elephant seals, sea lions and other marine mammals come ashore to rest, mate, and give birth in the sand dunes or on the beaches and offshore islands. It is a unique and unforgettable natural spectacle that hundreds of thousands of people come to witness each year.


Regulations

  • Keep your distance. Elephant seals are dangerous wild animals. Never get within 25 feet of an elephant seal, and make sure children don’t either.
  • Umbrellas and strollers are not permitted inside the dune area.
  • Pets are not allowed in the park, including in vehicles.
  • No smoking or fires. Smoking is not permitted in buildings or on guided walks. Fires of all types are prohibited.
  • No bikes on trails. Bikes are prohibited on all trails in the park.
  • No collecting shells, rocks, wood, plants or animals. All features of this park are preserved and protected by law.
  • Food and beverages are not sold at the park.
  • No harassing or disturbing wild animals. This is prohibited by state and federal laws.

Recreate Responsibly

Before you visit, check the Recreate Responsibly page to protect yourself, family, friends and your community by following these measures during your visit.


More Info

650-879-2025

Plan Your Visit

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