Location: County: San Mateo. Nearest City: Pescadero. See map 1.

Campsites, facilities: No campsite. Point of interest to visit while on tour.

Reservations, fees: The price per person is $4.00. Children 3 and under are free and are not included in the group size. There are no refunds for cancellations, no shows, or late arrivals. A parking fee is charged per vehicle at the Reserve: Auto $5.00, bus $20.00 (10 to 24 passengers), or bus $40.00 (25 or more passengers).

Contact: Recorded Information anytime at 1-650-879-0227. Reserve office (Not for Reservations!): 1-650-879-2025 (8:30 am - 3:30 p.m. PT) Web site: www.anonuevo.org

Año Nuevo State Reserve
New Years Creek Road
Pescadero CA 94060

Operating hours, seasons: Call the park for information; Año Nuevo State Reserve is open from 8 am to sunset.

Directions: Año Nuevo State Reserve is located on State Highway 1 between Santa Cruz and Half Moon Bay, about 1.5 hours south of San Francisco. Reserve signs are located on the highway in both directions. (Some people miss the brown signs. Be alert about 27 miles south of Half Moon Bay and 20 miles north of Santa Cruz).

Weather, clothing: The trail is muddy during wet weather. Be prepared for possible wind, rain, and sun. Wear layered clothing and sturdy shoes. Hooded gear is strongly advised. Cameras and binoculars are welcome!

Trip notes: Introduction: Fifty-five miles south of San Francisco and the Golden Gate, a low, rocky, windswept point juts out into the Pacific Ocean. The Spanish maritime explorer Sebastian Vizcaino sailed by the point on January 3, 1603. His diarist and chaplain of the expedition, Father Antonio de la Ascension, named it Punta de Año Nuevo for the day on which they sighted it in 1603. New Year's Point. Today, the point remains much as Vizcaino saw it from his passing ship. Lonely, undeveloped, 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. Año Nuevo State Reserve 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 19 years. 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. During the breeding season, December through March, daily access to the reserve is available via guided walks only. Most of the adult seals are gone by early March, leaving behind the weaned pups who remain through April. The elephant seals return to Año Nuevo's beaches during the spring and summer months to molt and can be observed during this time through a permit system. Visitation: This 4,000 acre Reserve is a major gathering area for northern elephant seals, which may be seen year-around. The males battle for mates on the beaches. The females give birth to their young on the dunes. During the breeding season, December 15 through March 31, daily access to the Reserve is available only via guided walks. Advance reservations are recommended for walks.

Where to go Camping

-A-3-

Miwok Lodge 439