Monterey, Naturally, Part VII: Hiking and Lounging in Soberanes Canyon

After living in Monterey for just a little over a month, I’ve been told more than a few times about Garrapata State Park.

There was often a special type of enthusiasm that came with the recommendation, though, as one of my fellow interns here at the Weekly emailed me.

“If you’re into abusive hikes,” he wrote.

But, surprise!

Not every hike in Garrapata is “abusive.” I decided to introduce myself to the landscape gently, taking the Soberanes Canyon Trail as far as I felt like walking. 

I left at 11am and brought a book and sandwich, in case I found a nice spot to read. 

This hike is absolutely gorgeous, and it’s wonderfully painless. The trail follows a creek upstream the whole way, but is mostly flat or very gently uphill.

The trail begins in open air as you enter the canyons. On either side, hikers can see desert brush and cacti. Lots of cacti.

The trail continues, winding deep into a darker, more lush wooded area. Redwoods begin to appear often, and oaks with knotted trunks. Bright green ferns intrude often on the trail. And the creek babbles peacefully below.

It seemed fitting to me that I had brought a fantasy book by Neil Gaimon, called The Ocean at the End of the Lane.

It’s a fiction novel mostly but not entirely for adults, that portrays a 7-year-old’s fantasy world, and the creepy happenings caused by his mistakenly bringing a fantasy creature into the human world.

And as I walked through the Soberanes Canyon, I couldn’t help feeling that I had come across my own Gaimon-esque land.

A mile and a half in, I felt like I had entered a rainforest, and decided to stop to read. I sat down at a small beach near the creek, my own Ocean at the End of the Trail, reading about Gaimon’s Ocean at the End of the Lane. 

Some tips:

1. Bring a book.
2. No public transit stops at Garrapata, unfortunately, but parking on the side of Highway 1 is free there for the day if you have a car.
3. A sign at the entrance lists the trail connecting Soberanes Canyon trail and Rocky Ridge trail as closed. You should choose one or the other.
4. If you’re a fiction fanatic and haven’t read anything by Neil Gaimon, he’s awesome. The Ocean at the End of the Lane was deeply illuminating, delving into explorations of childhood, imagination, adulthood and desire. It was gripping, creepy and highly pleasurable. Also try American Gods.

Don’t worry about becoming lost, perhaps leading to an accidental climb of the Rocky Ridge Trail.

If you start at the popular parking area with the trail sign and the bathrooms, the turnoff to the Soberanes Canyon Trail is marked with a sign.

As a final note, the Rocky Ridge Trail is quite steep, but the view at the top is well worth the challenge.

A Monterey, Naturally about that trail comes next.

Links: Garrapata State Park website, description and trail map, book and author websire: The Ocean at the End of the Lane

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Monterey, Naturally, is a summer blog series by editorial intern Kristen Stipanov. Blog installments will appear about once per week, and will focus on the natural world as a jumping-off point for thoughts on a summer spent in Monterey County. Stipanov is a self declared heavyweight backpacking guru who spends much time with her digital camera, Lucy, and her film camera, Vesper. Her photo adventures and other contributions are made possible by the Rebele Internship Program, sponsored by Stanford University Department of Communications. The program is designed to both encourage aspiring journalists and strengthen community journalism, by enabling undergrads to gain experience at exceptional print newspapers across the country.