Bluffing Seals

Hiking and Harbor Seals at Carpinteria Bluffs Nature Preserve

We love aquariums, but there’s something special about viewing adorable, blubbery harbor seals in their natural habitat—namely Carpinteria Bluffs Nature Preserve and Seal Sanctuary. An easy 1-mile (round-trip) out-and-back hike on the Carpinteria Bluffs Trail gets you to an overlook from which you can watch this wild pinniped show. Will they be there? You bet. The seals spend their entire life along the same stretch of coastline and can be found year-round at the preserve.

The short but sweet trail has it all: ocean views, beach access, wildflowers, and a hundred or so adult seals and their pups. From the parking area at the Carpinteria Bluffs Nature Preserve, start on the trail in the center of the parking lot and head northwest. After crossing through meadows full of wild grass, blue dicks, and common yarrow, you’ll run into the railroad tracks. Head right, and hike parallel to the tracks under the shade of towering eucalyptus trees. After a short distance, the trail crosses over the railroad tracks and leads into a small clearing. From there, go straight to the Seal Sanctuary Overlook for a great aerial view. You’ll want your binoculars!

Or take a short, steep trail to your left to get down to the beach. The views from this coastal access trail can’t be beat, and the isolated beach at the bottom provides a great location to relax, or maybe explore the tide pools. Be sure to mind posted signage about possible beach closures. Closed or not, don’t approach the seals from the beach. Don’t worry; they’re happy to pose for telephoto pictures.

Carpinteria Bluffs Nature Preserve and Seal Sanctuary Overlook are located right off US-101 in Carpinteria. Take Exit 85 onto Bailard Ave., and head south (toward the coast) straight to the preserve. Parking and admission are free. The preserve and hiking trails are dog-friendly, but no dogs at the Seal Sanctuary Overlook.

Trending Stories NorCal

View all Stories
  1. Picnic and a Pedal

    West Marin has all the right stuff for an afternoon getaway: bike paths, babbling brooks, canopy forests, and secluded picnic spots. Combine a picnic and a pedal at Samuel P. Taylor State Park by biking the easygoing Cross Marin Trail.

    View
  2. Hike the Oursan Trail alongside Briones Reservoir in the East Bay

    Opt for Oursan

    Hike the trail less traveled in the East Bay's Briones Regional Park. The Oursan Trail is pure serenity on a wide hiking path skirting the northern shores of Briones Reservoir.

    View
  3. Most Peaceful Hike of All

    Is this the most peaceful one-hour hike in the Bay Area? It's got our vote! Lake Lagunitas is the smallest lake in a series of five found on the north side of Mount Tam, so it’s got that tiny but mighty charm. Do a 1.5-mile loop around the lake's shore-hugging trail.

    View
  4. Sebastopol Food & Wine Roll

    One apple farm, three charming towns, multiple wineries, and infinite natural beauty. Savor a perfect autumn day in Sonoma County by biking the West County Regional Trail from Sebastopol to Forestville via Graton. It’s a 17-mile (round-trip) adventure. 

    View

Trending Stories SoCal

View all Stories
  1. Wine Down, Dine Out in Lake Chelan

    The fertile soil around Washington State's Lake Chelan is ripe for more than just the amazing apples. Vineyards here yield high quality grapes, and some of the country’s best less-discovered wineries. Locals know it, and you will too when you start choosing from the more than 30 wineries in the region.

    View
  2. Lace Up for Lacy

    Lacy Park in San Marino is a hidden gem that may very well be the most pristine green space in greater Los Angeles, and a concealed pair of nearby stairways makes it all the more appealing.

    View
  3. Hiker amid trees at Oak Glen Preserve in Yucaipa Southern California

    Apple of Your Eye

    That fall feeling is definitely in the air and on display at the Oak Glen Preserve. Apple orchards and colorful leaves are a bonus, as are the apple cider donuts and slushies you can enjoy post-hike.

    View
  4. Hike San Diego Volcan Mountain Wilderness

    Planet of the Oaks

    Let us count the number of oak tree species in the Volcan Mountain Wilderness Preserve near Julian: coast, scrub, canyon, black, and Engelmann. Five! The preserve’s Five Oaks Trail is a 3.2-mile hike that boasts all five.

    View