Just down the coast from Half Moon Bay and just East of Big Basin State Park is the Ano Nuevo State Reserve. There are many great reasons to visit the Park, and we shall! But a nice add-on to a trip down there can be brunch or lunch at the Costanoa Resort. Maybe you’d like an overnight here as well, but today’s trip just requires one day: an early morning start, a stop for brunch, and a short hike to visit the gathering, mating, and birthing spot of the wonderful Elephant Seals at Ano Nuevo State Park.
Getting There
You can arrive here by many good roads, all of which are fun drives: Highway 1 South out of Half Moon Bay is the most direct, But because I love driving through La Honda (See my other Day’ve Trip option for San Gregorio), I suggest taking Highway 280 to Highway 84 / Woodside Rd and head West through Woodside, Sky Londa, La Honda, and San Gregorio out to Highway 1, where you’ll turn South and go approximately 14 miles to the turnoff for 2001 Rossi Rd at Highway 1 for The Costonoa Lodge (aka Santa Cruz North KOA).
What to Eat
Once you’ve arrived at Costanoa, you’re only 4 miles from Ano Nuevo State Park, so you can plan to have breakfast or lunch here before going to the State Park. They do take reservations at the Cascade Restaurant, so maybe do that and plan an hour to eat before heading to your Sea Elephant tour (more on that below).
The restaurant is charming and the food is very good. I recently had the Croque Madame, because… well, when I see that on a menu I can’t pass it up. And in this case, it was amazing!. But the menu also includes great options for Chicken & Waffles, Salmon & Avocado Toast, Breakfast Burritos, Omelettes and Benedicts.
Leave yourself 10 minutes after brunch to walk around the property and check out the grounds, maybe you’ll want to come back and stay a couple nights!
Ano Nuevo State Park: Elephant Seals
The elephant seals make Ano Nuevo one of their key spots for annual mating, birthing, and feeding their baby calves before they head back out to sea again. Go learn about their fascinating habits and see them up close. If you want to see the males fight for dominance, it’s best to get there early in the season. You need a ticket for the walking tour, which includes an easy trail walk for a couple miles total. Get your tickets months in advance if you want to go during breeding season, which is December 15 through March 31. January seems to be some of the best viewing times and most popular ticket times. Check the Website at Ano Nuevo State Park for ticket information. Start your plan now!
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