South Shore Trail

The north end of this trail begins with a set of stairs that descend from the south side of the Sand Hill Trail/ Sea Lion Point Trail loop; the southern end is at the Bird Rock parking area. 1 mile, 40 minutes one way. Along cliffs. Access to rocks, pebbly beaches. Accessibility: this trail has occasional stairs and other stretches difficult to negotiate for those with limited mobility. However, it is paralleled by the road for its full length, and there are many parking areas from which short easy walks with stunning views can be taken. A close-up look at Weston Beach, for example, is easily reached from the adjacent parking area.

The South Shore Trail affords superb open ocean vistas. Whale, storm, and surf-watchers, bird-lovers, and plein-air painters frequent this stretch of coast.  The geology here is sedimentary: this is the Carmelo Formation, composed of colorful sandstone, darker mudstone, and "pudding-stone", or conglomerate - all fascinatingly shaped by the restless sea. You may leave the trail at various points between Sand Hill Cove and Weston Beach, where there are no guide wires. But please be aware of your own safety (waves and slippery rocks) and of the fragility of bluff plants and tidepool creatures, and keep to obvious trails and side paths.

Weston Beach is a particular favorite of visitors. Here is the Reserve's best tidepooling: look for seastars, chitons, crabs, turban snails, and a myriad forms and colors of algae. A bit further out, otters can often be seen. Listen for the cry of the oystercatchers, and watch for egrets, pelicans, herons, cormorants, and gulls. You may also see red-shouldered or red-tailed hawks, and white-tailed kites, patrolling the meadow just to the east. And be sure to look closely at the underfoot shoreline rocks to discover their surprisingly patterned beauty.