Picture of an ocean view trail in the south of the park. Photo credit: Ana Pecoraro

Point Lobos has a very long history, one that is very important to the state of California.  The first inhabitants of this area were indigenous people of the Ohlone tribes.  These tribes set up villages along the coast here about 2,500 to 3,000 years ago (Pointlobos.org).  These tribes ate plentifully, hunting and gathering acorns, birds, mammals and fish off of the coastal land.  While on this tour, look around to see if you can spot some of the clues that the Ohlone tribe lived here hundreds of years ago, like grinding stones, mounds of shells, or black dirt from campfires (“History of Point Lobos,” Pointlobos.org).

The next inhabitants of this park were the Spanish.  The Spanish explorers and settlers were probably the first people from the Western world to have encountered the Ohlone tribe, when Sebastian Viscaino’s ship ported at Carmel Bay in 1602. Almost 200 years later, the Spanish Colonial period that has left its mark on much of California’s history took effect here at Point Lobos.  This area became a great harbor for the Spanish, and the second mission was founded in Carmel in 1770 (“History of Point Lobos,” Pointlobos.org).  The Spanish settlers (like the vaqueros and the missionaries) soon became the next inhabitants of the area. This is also when Point Lobos got its name. The Spanish called it “La Punta de Lobos Marinos,” which means Point of the Sea Wolves.  The inspiration came from the barking sea lions that lounge around on the beaches here, which you will encounter later on in the tour.

Continuing with the history of Point Lobos, the Spanish soon left the area when Mexico gained its independence in 1822. When under control of the Mexico, Point Lobos had new inhabitants almost every year – from soldiers, to private landowners, to government officers, and more. Since 1851, various other groups of people lived here as well: Portuguese, Chinese, Japanese, Americans, and more (“History of Point Lobos,” Pointlobos.org).  Point Lobos has had a variety of industries control the area as well.  It was an area of whale hunting, abalone harvesting, coal mining, granite quarries, and even was used as a “secret” military operations site during World War II. You can learn more about this later on in the tour, as we visit the various sites.  You can also visit this website Pointlobos.org/history to find out more about the historic aspects of Point Lobos.

Whaler’s cabin, located near Whaler’s cove, contains much history of Point Lobos. Source: flickr.com

By taking this tour, please respect the area and enjoy the natural beauty and history of California’s beautiful coastline. Now you have arrived at our first destination, Granite Point!