Monterey Bay Trekkers Hikes

February 1st and 2nd

Given Pack 1776 Scouts will be overnight at the Monterey Bay Aquarium on February 1st - 2nd, we thought it would be fun to work on two Monterey Bay Trekkers hikes. As with Trailtrekkers or Highlander, this hiking program is an opportunity for Cub Scouts and their families to explore local hiking trails and parks in Monterey, San Benito and Santa Cruz Counties.

We've selected two hikes. For Saturday, before the start of the Overnight, come join us a 1:00 p.m. for the Pt. Lobos hike. This is a 3.5 mile loop hike that will showcase the ocean, cliffs and marine mammals such as sea lions! We estimate this hike will take 2.5 - 3 hours, so there should be ample time to finish and grab dinner before the 6:30 p.m. check in at the Aquarium. The hike is about 20 minutes from the Aquarium. We intend this to be a group hike, but you can do it on your own.

Sunday's hike is in Aptos. We figured people can leave the Aquarium on their own timetable and should they choose, do the Forest of Nisene Marks hike on the way home. This hike is near Highway 17/Highway 1. The Nisene Marks hike will NOT be a group hike. Each hike earns a patch (below). Scouts that complete both Monterey hikes also earn the Monterey Bay Trekker Center Patch (above). Take a photo during the Nisene Marks hike and forward to [email protected].

Pt. Lobos State Park Monterey Bay Trekkers Hike - Saturday, February 1st

• Date: February 1^st (Saturday)
• Meet: 1:00 p.m. or do on your own.
• Location: Point Lobos State Reserve
• Hike Distance: 3.5 miles round trip
• Time: Allow 2.5 - 3 hours for the hike
• Park Information
• Directions & All Trails Map
• All Trails App Route Link

Park outside the Point Lobos State Reserve on Cabrillo Highway and walk to the meeting point near the intersection of the Lace Lichen trail and Carmelo Meadow trail.  This is just inside the entrance of the park entrance.  We will start of the Lace Lichen trail and hike about a mile to the intersection of the Cypress Grove Trail.  Restrooms are located here.

The Cypress Grove Trail loops around the Allen Memorial Grove and offers beautiful vistas of the Cypress Cove, Pinnacle Cove, and South Point. This loop is .8 miles.   As you finish the loop, go left at the trailhead for the North Shore Trail. Continue for a short distance until you reach the Whaler's Knoll Trail trailhead. Turn right at the trailhead and go up to the top of the Whaler's Knoll - don't worry it's only 180 feet of elevation gain. From there you will see beautiful vistas of the Carmel Bay.

Continue down the Whaler's Knoll trail and bear left back towards the North Shore Trail.

Follow the North Shore Trail until you reach Whaler's Cove. Whaler's Cove is a great place to rest and take a break. There is also a cultural history museum with docents who will tell you about the whaling that used to occur here. Be on the look out for the giant whale bones in front of the Whaler's Cabin.

When you are done at Whaler's Cove, turn around and head back along the North Shore Trail to the Cabin Trail, making a left.  Follow the Cabin trail for about .2 miles and cross over the access road and continue on the trail.  The trail changes names to the Granite Point trail.  Turn right at the intersection of the Carmelo Meadow Trail and follow it to where we started (.4 miles).

The Forest of the Nisene Marks Monterey Bay Trekkers Hike - Sunday, February 2nd

• Date: February 2nd (Sunday)
• Meet: Do this hike on the way back from the Aquarium - on your own timetable
• Location: The Forest of Nisene Marks, Aptos, CA.
• Hike Distance: 3.5 miles round trip
• Time: Allow 2.5 - 3 hours for the hike
• Parking: $8. No credit cards.
• Park Information
• Directions & All Trails Map
• All Trails App Route Info

About the park:

Off the beaten path, The Forest of Nisene Marks’ dense second- and third-growth redwood forest rises from near sea level to steep coastal mountains.  The park’s land has a bittersweet beauty. Almost all of today’s redwood forest was clear-cut in a 40-year logging frenzy from 1883 to 1923. When the loggers left the Aptos Canyon, the forest began to heal itself; now, the scars grow fainter with each passing year. The Forest of Nisene Marks is a monument to forest regeneration and the future—it is a forest in a perpetual state of becoming.

The park's name honors Nisene Marks, the nature-loving mother of the Salinas farm family that bought the land in the 1950s. Her children donated approximately 9,700 acres to the state in 1963 with the provision that the land never be developed. Today, the park showcases a forest in recovery, with rugged canyons and remnants of its once-bustling railroad and logging industry.

Hike Details:

Park at George’s Picnic Area and begin the hike on the dirt road leading through the park, heading north. Immediately as you begin your hike you will cross over the Aptos Creek. Continue north on the dirt road past the Mary Easton Picnic Area and the Porter Family Picnic Area.

As you are hiking, be on the look out for the local inhabitant, the Banana Slug, and a small red and yellow mushroom.

Slightly past the Porter Family Picnic Area you will find a trailhead for the Loma Prieta Grade Trail on your left, follow the Loma Prieta Grade Trail. Hiking along the Loma Prieta Grade Trail you will cross a tributary on a bridge built by the Youth Conservation Corps in the early 1990’s.

As you continue along the Loma Prieta Grade trail be on the lookout for old railroad ties and other historical artifacts left over from the Loma Prieta Logging Company.

Stop and read the interpretive sign detailing the history or the Porter House. At the sign, continue on the trail directly to your right for approximately 20 yards until you see the small ‘Porter House Site’ sign. Look around the site for old bricks and other historical artifacts; however, do not remove anything from its location or from the park!

Continue on the trail that goes down the hill, directly in front of the sign; this is the Mill Pond Trail.

While on the Mill Pond Trail you will cross the Aptos Creek by bridge. When you reach the dirt road, make a right and continue along the road. Not far from here you will find the Loma Prieta Mill Site.

Enjoy the interpretive sign and the old foundation and archaeology of the mill site before you return back to your vehicle.