Back to Show
California Coastal Trail
Moonstone Beach: Where Elephant Seals Roam
Season 1
Episode 26
It's not every day you get to witness 5,000-pound elephant seals charge each other in a rumbling sprint across the sand. "You've never seen anything like it," raves Lisa Remington, Supervising Ranger for California State Parks. Just adjacent to the town of Cambria, the California Coastal Trail leads visitors to this world-renowned elephant seal rookery on Moonstone Beach. Up to 25,000 elephant seals congregate on this stretch of coast, and pregnant females give birth to pups right on the sand. With its exhilarating rookery and expansive boardwalk, Moonstone Beach serves an inimitable slice of the Central Coast experience.
Support Provided By
2:41
Gary Conwell is a lifeguard officer for the city of Newport Beach for the past 18 years.
5:02
Marin Headland's Golden Gate National Recreation Area hosts rich biodiversity.
6:07
Lands End is a popular hiking destination at Golden Gate National Recreation Area.
6:28
Del Norte County is home to the cleanest river in the continental U.S., the Smith River.
5:26
Del Norte Coast Redwoods State Park hosts sea-side bluffs above ancient redwoods.
6:03
The Humboldt Bay Trail is a network of trails that will connect Humboldt's largest cities.
5:59
The Fort Bragg Coastal Trail sees as many as 12,000 people per day on holiday weekends.
6:48
In Fort Bragg, California, an industrial mill site closed off the coastline for 150 years.
6:55
The Mendocino Land Trust has just completed the two-mile Pelican Bluffs Trail.
7:58
The Sea Ranch is an environmentally-planned private community along the Sonoma Coast.
8:10
In 2015, the Trust for Public land helped establish Kashia Coastal Reserve.
5:28
Decades after the Russians withdrew, Fort Ross was acquired by the state in 1906.