Pacific Grove, California

October 18 - November 13, 2025

My favorite thing to do during my time in Pacific Grove, was to head out for a walk after my workday along the Monterey Peninsula coast in search of sea otters.

Weekday Shoutout: I enjoyed many mornings in the pool at Monterey Sports Center, it’s not often that I’m able to find a lap pool on my travels so this was such a treat!

Land Acknowledgement: Pacific Grove is on the ancestral and unceded land of the Ohlone (Costanoan) Rumsen/Rumsien people, a Rumsen-speaking group. Several contemporary nations, including Esselen, call this land home today. The surrounding Monterey Bay region includes lands traditionally inhabited by the Esselen (to the south), Chalon (to the south), Mutsun (to the north), and Salinan (to the east) groups.

Trail Log:

Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park ‍ ‍photos
- Partington Cove Trail — 1.2 miles ; out & back
- Ewoldsen Trail — 5 miles ; out & back
- Tanbark Trail and Tin House Loop — 6.7 miles ; loop
Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park
- Buzzards Roost Trail — 2.9 miles ; loop
- Double Cone Via Ventana Creek — 10.5 miles ; out & back ‍photos
- Manuel Peak Trail — 10.8 miles ; out & back ‍photos
Point Lobos State Natural Reserve
- Point Lobos Loop — 6.3 miles ; loop
Garrapata State Park
- Soberanes Point and Whale Peak — 1.6 miles ; loop
Andrew Molera State Park
- Creamery Meadow, Ridge, Panorama, and Bluffs Trail Loop — 8 miles ; loop
- East Molera Trail to Post Summit — 9.3 miles ; out & back — w/ about 3.9k ft. elevation gain! ‍ ‍photos
Pinnacles National Park ‍ ‍photos
- Condor Gulch Trail to High Peaks Trail Loop — 5.4 miles ; loop
Wilder Ranch State Park
- Wilder Ridge, Baldwin, Ohlone Bluff, and Old Cove Landing Trail — 10.3 miles ; loop

Wildlife I saw: sea otters (one, two, three, four), pacific harbor seals, California sea lions (one, two), Anna’s hummingbird, bobcats, pelicans, and red-tailed hawks.