Garrapata State Park
About
Garrapata State Park is a public ocean beach on the California coast, about 6 miles from Carmel-by-the-Sea, within the San Benito-Monterey Unit. Restrooms are available, and there is no fee to visit. Late summer into fall is the mildest stretch here. Typical averages from the nearby Monterey weather station put September and October highs around 71°F with only a few wet days, while winter months bring highs near 60°F and roughly 10 to 11 wet days. Two hikes, Peak Trail and Soberanes Canyon Trail, start less than a mile away. Brazil Ranch Trail is about 6.6 miles off, and the Carmel River offers canoeing roughly 10 miles away.
Beach Details
Lifeguards
None
Parking
Available
Fee
Free
Restrooms
Yes
As published by the managing agency. Lifeguards, fees and dog rules are often seasonal, so check posted signs before you swim.
Location
Garrapata State Park
California
Data: California Coastal Commission, YourCoast public access data. Source metadata
Facts about this place
When to go
Best time to go: Jan–Nov. The mildest months here, with typical highs of 60–71°F and lows of 45–54°F.
Typical monthly averages (not a forecast) from the Monterey, CA weather station, 8.8 mi away. High / low in °F, and days with snow.
- Jan60° high45° low
- Feb61° high45° low
- Mar63° high46° low
- Apr63° high47° low
- May64° high49° low
- Jun66° high51° low
- Jul67° high53° low
- Aug69° high54° low
- Sep71° high53° low
- Oct71° high52° low
- Nov64° high48° low
- Dec59° high44° low
Where it is
- San Benito-Monterey Unit · Public land
- Nearest town
- Carmel-by-the-Sea, California · 6.2 mi
Source: NIFC Jurisdictional Units; USGS GNIS populated places
Nearby
Peak TrailHikingPhoto: Alexander Hatley, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)0.8 mi
Soberanes Canyon TrailHikingPhoto: Alexander Hatley, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)0.8 mi- (unmaintained trail)Hiking1.4 mi
- Brazil Ranch TrailHiking6.6 mi
- Horseshoe TrailHiking7.1 mi
- Redondo Real TrailHiking7.2 mi
- Rhus TrailHiking7.3 mi
Carmel RiverCanoeingPhoto: David.c.stone, CC BY 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)9.7 mi
Source: Roamze catalog (indexable pages within 10 miles, PostGIS distance)
Best time to visit Garrapata State Park
Best months: Year-round. Best months have typical highs of 55–85 °F, lows of 30 °F or warmer (32 °F where the station doesn't record snow), at most one snowy day and no more than 12 wet days.
Jan
60° / 45°
11 wet
Feb
61° / 45°
11 wet
Mar
63° / 46°
10 wet
Apr
63° / 47°
7 wet
May
64° / 49°
5 wet
Jun
66° / 51°
3 wet
Jul
67° / 53°
3 wet
Aug
69° / 54°
2 wet
Sep
71° / 53°
2 wet
Oct
71° / 52°
4 wet
Nov
64° / 48°
8 wet
Dec
59° / 44°
10 wet
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Monterey, CA, 8.8 mi away at 260 ft. We don't have this place's elevation, so higher spots nearby can run cooler. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.
