/molera.state.park.htm
 

Big Sur EcoGuide

Big Sur Camping

Birding

Bird Banding
with the Ventana Wilderness Society

Hiking

Lodging

Interactive Map

Story of Big Sur

Old Coast Road
& Hwy One

People & Places

Bixby Bridge

Partington Cove & Canyon

Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park

Nacimiento Road

Ventana Wilderness

Big Sur Lodge

Carmel Lodging

Santa Lucia Reserve

Mission San Antonio

Central Coast Interactive Map

Monterey Bay Volunteer

Monterey

Pacific Grove

Monarchs in Pacific Grove

Pebble Beach

Carmel

Carmel Valley

Point Lobos

Monterey Peninsula

Wildlife in San Simeon

Once thought extinct, Elephant Seals have made a resounding comeback. Go the to scene of some real wildlife excitement. Hearst would have loved it, right there in his front yard!

Cambria

Cayucos

Harmony

Morro Bay

Montaña de Oro

Pinnacles Monument

Salinan Nation

Steinbeck Center

Central Coast Activities

Santa Cruz

Natural Bridges Butterfly Sanctuary

Castroville

Artichokes

Santa Cruz Redwoods

Marine Sanctuary

Moss Landing

Voices of the Wetlands

Elkhorn Slough

Pelican Protection Alliance

California Back Country

San Juan Bautista 

PelicanNetwork

About Pelican

Pelican Membership

Member’s Comments

PelicanNetwork Links

Andrew Molera State Park Big Sur EcoGuide to California Central Coast
Molera State Park is a mostly wide open, wind-swept canvas where the Big Sur River runs wild to the sea.

Photo by Margie Whitnah

Seven and a half square miles of wilderness, 21 miles south of Carmel, along the ocean, into the mountains, and complete with a wild and scenic river – Andrew Molera State Park is a great favorite for outdoor enthusiasts.

A variety of interesting trails, most with incredible views, and a 24-site walk-in campground make Molera an engaging place to stay awhile.

The State Park Service is restoring native grasses to reclaim a major aspect of the park from its dairy farming past. And the old pioneer home is now headquarters to the Molera Cultural and Natural History Center. The “creamery” – a grazing field for Molera’s cows – is being restored to its native state. The dairy was home to the first large commercial production of Monterey Jack Cheese.


Wild sweetpeas (right) make their appearance in the spring in Big Sur.
Photo by Margie Whitnah

There are scenes in all directions worthy of contemplation, or serious artistic endeavors. … such as a long beach with a connoisseur’s collection of driftwood.

Elizabeth Barrat, in the Monterey Herald, wrote:

“You’ll encounter massive, jumbled piles of silvery-blonde, storm-polished driftwood. For two miles along the shoreline, besides the pounding surf and wind-sculpted scenery, you’ll find an endless assortment of whimsically artistic beach shelters, some well-engineered, created from the poles of trees, lumber, branches, logs, and other flotsam brought in with the winter’s winds and waves.

Pico Blanco from the mouth of Big Sur River. A 600 million ton chunk of white gray marble that migrated from Mexico presides over the Molera park. It is the dominant feature of the north westernmost portion of the Santa Lucias.

Ohlones believed Coyote, the Creator of people and other creatures, resided here.

Pico Blanco, Spanish for White Peak, with its 3,701 ft. is privately owned. An effort by the owners to quarry the marble has been stalled by environmentalists efforts to prevent it. Now, there is strong hope that Pico Blanco will be added to Ventana Wilderness.

Molera’s trail system is popular for bicyclists, horse riders, joggers and hikers. There are 20 trails, and a good map can be obtained at the entrance kiosk in the parking lot off Hwy One, or at the Big Sur Station just south of Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park.

Camping at Molera is available for a limited number of campers
– see
Molera Trail Camp

Old Coast Road begins at the northern end of Bixby Bridge, goes along the eastern slope of the canyon and into the Big Sur backwoods. Along the way groves of sycamore and redwoods congregate along streams.

Bold views of the Santa Lucias, vignette scenes of remote ranches, and Pacific panoramics are plenty. The crowning achievement is when the breathtaking convergence of Big Sur River and Pacific Ocean occur at Molera State Park.


Past the sandbar with the driftwood junkyard, the Big Sur River makes a lagoon for birds.

 
From the Bluffs trail toward Point Sur

Looking toward Molera from Old Coast Road

Panorama Trail looking north beyond Point Sur

Ventana Wilderness
Between the lonely celestial Big Sur coast and the Salad Bowl rises an exuberant new mountain range.

Ventana Wilderness Society

Wildlife and habitat restoration, reintroduction, research and education. Operates the Big Sur Cultural and Historical Center at Molera State Park.

PelicanNetwork is a cultural and natural history information advocacy and

Eco-Travel Guide to California Central Coast

Interactive Map

Join us
If you want to join our network of conservation advocates and receive useful information about the Central Coast.

Add me to the PelicanNetwork email list for
cultural and natural history news and events.

My Name

My Email
(necessary)

Comments:

I am interested in becoming a
PelicanNetwork member.

Call Me, I want to make a donation.
My Phone
Hours to call


More about our philosophy and purpose

What does the Pelican in our name stand for?

Become a member of PelicanNetwork

Point Lobos

Pelican Getaways

Santa Cruz Redwoods

Big Sur Story

Pacific Grove

Steinbeck Center

Big Basin Creation

Big Sur Eco Guide

Monterey

Central Coast Guide

C. Coast Activities

Big Sur Lodge

Elkhorn Slough

Friends of Santa Cruz State Parks

Central Coast Events

Big Sur Campgrounds

Carmel-by-the-Sea

Calif. Back Country

Central Coast Map

Big Sur Coast

Sandpiper Inn

Monterey Peninsula

San Juan Bautista

Ventana Wilderness

Carmel Hiking

Bygone Towns

Pelican Protection Alliance

Molera State Park

Pebble Beach

Castroville

Monarchs in Pacific Grove

Big Sur People & Places

Santa Cruz

Cambria

Natural Bridges – Butterfly

Big Sur Watercolors

Monterey Bay Volunteer

San Simeon-Piedras Blancas

Steinbeck Country

Big Sur Hiking

Marine Sanctuary

Elephant Seal Notes

Artichoke Store

Big Sur Lodging

Moss Landing

Pinnacles

Garden Art

Hwy One – Big Sur Road

Carmel Valley

Mission San Antonio

Flowers

Big Sur Cabins

Carmel Birding

Hearst Hacienda

Birding Places

Santa Lucia Reserve

Carmel Lodging

Elephant Seals

Artichokes

Point Sur Historical Park

Morro Bay

Montaña de Oro

Nature Guide

Partington Cove & Canyon

Hecker Pass

Cayucos

Member Comments

Nacimiento Road

Pinnacles Monument

Harmony

PelicanNetwork Links

Old Coast Road – Big Sur

Kayak Central Coast

Salinan Nation

PelicanNetwork Home

Pfeiffer Burns State Park

Bixby Bridge

Rock Art Site Steward

About Pelican Network

Big Sur Diving

Aquarium

Member’s Comments

Pelican Member

Big Sur Birding

Big Sur Sanctuary

Voices of the Wetlands

Books