Top Wildlife Spots on the California Coast
(and a bit inland!)

Pacific Coast Highway Travel recommends some of the top wildlife spots along the California coast.

Elephant Seal Pup at Piedras Blancas

The Pacific Coast Highway is excellent for wildlife watching, with everything from whales, seals and sea lions to... zebra! Zebra? Yes, there's a herd of zebra at Hearst Castle which can be quite a surprise if you happen to spot them.

You can see plenty if you simply drive the highway, but you'll see even more if you're prepared to venture inland a little, or get out onto the ocean on a whale watching cruise. You'll see more than just whales, although as always with wildlife there are no guarantees.

Eagle in flight along the Pacific Coast Highway

Photo (c) Donna Dailey

In addition to finding great spots where you can see wildlife actually in the wild, there are plenty of good places where you can see wildlife in captivity, often being cared for after injuries. If you ad in major places like the San Diego Zoo, the Pacific Coast Highway is a great drive for lovers of wildlife.

Our Pick of the California Guides

Here are some of the top spots for wildlife viewing:

Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve

We knew nothing about this place that's just north of Huntington Beach, but we had time to spare so we stopped to find out more. What a total delight it is. It's hard to believe you're just a few miles from Long Beach when you're walking around the sand dunes watching the seabirds and seeing hawks in the sky. https://www.wildlife.ca.gov/Lands/Places-to-Visit/Bolsa-Chica-ER

Dana Point

Dana Point is the place where the Pacific Coast Highway officially starts (or ends) and it's noted for its Festival of Whales, so definitely a good place for whale watching. See our Dana Point page.

Egret at Dana Point

Photo (c) Donna Dailey

Marine Mammal Care Center

In San Pedro to the west of Long Beach, this center cares for and rehabilitates distressed marine creatures. These include the many sea lion pups who get lost, hungry or disoriented while they wait onshore for their mothers, who have to go out a long way to sea in search of food.

Sometimes the mothers meet with accidents, leaving no-one to care for the pups. You'll probably also see elephant seal pups here too.

Monarch Butterfly Grove

Right off the highway by Pismo State Beach to the south of Pismo Beach town, this grove of eucalyptus trees is where you'll see thousands of monarch butterflies each year. They come for the mild climate from about late October to late February/early March In the last few years there have been anything from 25,000-35,000 butterflies there, although there are sometimes boom years when over 100,000 will show up. They have a great website too: http://www.monarchbutterfly.org

Monterey

As well as its fabulous aquarium (a must-see), head to Old Fisherman's Wharf to watch the sea lions around there.

Morro Bay

This is another of our favorite wildlife spots along the whole California coast, and it's a great little town too! Walk or drive from Morro Bay out to the big rock around the bay and you're sure to see sea otters swimming around in the water. They're fascinating to watch, feeding themselves or wrapping themselves in seaweed. There are lots of cheeky ground squirrels too, and peregrine falcons nest on the rock.

Sea Otter Feeding in Morro Bay

Photo (c) Donna Dailey

Newport Beach

Newport Beach is also a good place from which to take a whale watching cruise.

Whale Watching Cruise at Newport Beach
Photo Courtesy of Newport Beach Whale Watching

Pacific Marine Mammal Center

This place inland from Laguna Beach (https://www.pacificmmc.org/) cares for any orphaned or injured sea lions found anywhere along the Orange County coast, and do an amazing job, also looking after seals and elephant seals too.

Piedras Blancas Elephant Seals

One of our favorite places along the entire California coast is this beach near Hearst Castle and San Simeon. We stop every time we drive by, and always stay far longer than we intend to. See our separate page here.

Elephant Seals at Piedras Blancas

Photo (c) Donna Dailey

Point Lobos State Reserve

We were staying in Monterey one time when someone told us we had to take a walk around the Point Lobos State Reserve, south of Carmel. We're so glad we did, and you can read why here.

Seal and Pup at Point Lobos State Reserve near Carmel

Photo (c) Donna Dailey

Whale Watching

This top experience deserves a page to itself, of course, where you'll also find links to our accounts of the whale watching cruises we've done. Click here.

Wildlife Learning Center

In Sylmar in the San Fernando Valley of northern Los Angeles is the Wildlife Learning Center. This wonderful zoological park cares for abandoned, rescued, displaced, and zoo-born animals, with a view to educating visitors about their behavior.

There are over 100 creatures there including foxes, lynx, a blind screech owl called Zeus (watch the video), and a sloth called Lola who's appeared on the Ellen DeGeneres Show with Kristen Bell.

Other Wildlife pages

Laguna Beach
The Pacific Coast Highway goes right through Laguna Beach, a relaxed artsy beach resort whose attractions include shopping, galleries, dining, and beaches.
Encinitas
Encinitas is a beach city in Southern California, famous for surfing, and regularly chosen as one of the best places to live in both California and the USA.
Santa Monica, California
Santa Monica in California is famous for its pier, and beaches, and is one of the best west coast vacation spots, with hotels, restaurants, surfing, museums.
Pismo Beach
Pismo Beach is a small beach town on California's Central Coast, a resort famous for surfing and clams.
Whale Watching in California
Whale watching in California is one of the most popular things to do along the Pacific Coast Highway, in places like San Diego, San Francisco and many more.
Moss Beach Hotel
For a Moss Beach hotel just off the Pacific Coast Highway, the Seal Cove Inn offers good accommodation north of Half Moon Bay, minutes from the ocean.
Lighthouse Inn at Point Cabrillo
The Lighthouse Inn at Point Cabrillo is a romantic, historic guesthouse on the Mendocino California coast, on the Pacific Coast Highway.
Humpback Whale
Seeing a humpback whale in the Pacific Ocean off the coasts of California,Washington or Oregon is often the highlight of a whale-watching tour.
Pelican Inn and Suites in Cambria on the Central Coast of California
The Pelican Inn and Suites in Cambria on California's Central Coast has oceanfront views, swimming pool, gardens, and is right on the beach near Hearst Castle.
Northern Elephant Seals
Pacific Coast Highway Travel tells you what you need to know about California’s Northern Elephant Seals, and where to go to see them in their natural habitat.
Monterey, on the Pacific Coast Highway in California
Monterey in California is off the Pacific Coast Highway and home to the Monterey Bay Aquarium, Cannery Row, Fisherman’s Wharf, and Monterey State Historic Park.
Pacific Grove
Pacific Grove is a small city on the California coast, next to Monterey and close to Carmel, with attractions including its historic Victorian houses.
Bixby Bridge
Drive the Pacific Coast Highway and you have to cross Bixby Bridge in California, ten miles north of Big Sur and 30 minutes south of Monterey.
San Luis Obispo
San Luis Obispo in California is half-way between Los Angeles and San Francisco, on the Pacific Coast Highway and with lots of things to do and see.
Santa Cruz
Santa Cruz on the Pacific Coast Highway in California has its famous boardwalk, beaches, wine tastings, Surfing Museum, Mission, and Marine Discovery Center.
Salmon Spawning along the Pacific Coast
Pacific Coast Highway Travel explains where to watch salmon spawning along the Pacific coast of California, Oregon, and Washington.
Oceanside
Oceanside is a typical southern California beach town with a surf culture and with the Pacific Coast Highway running right through it.
Best Beaches in California
Pacific Coast Highway Travel's list of the best beaches in California with beaches in Santa Monica, Big Sur, Malibu, Carmel, Cambria, La Jolla and Coronado.
Mendocino
Mendocino in Mendocino County is a small but pretty California coastal town, popular with artists and with travelers. It has featured in many songs and movies.
Visiting Hearst Castle
This Visiting Hearst Castle page gives all the practicalities including location, types of tour, length of tours, how long to allow, and much more information.
Newport Beach
Newport Beach is a small city on the Pacific coast of southern California, right on the Pacific Coast Highway and noted for its beaches and surfing.
Morro Bay
Morro Bay is a delightful small town on the California coast roughly halfway between San Francisco and Los Angeles and noted for the huge Morro Rock.
Point Lobos State Reserve near Carmel and Monterey, with photos
A walk around the Point Lobos State Reserve near Monterey and Carmel provides lots of photo opportunities, especially of the Harbor Seal Birthing Area.
Free Things to do on the Pacific Coast Highway
There are lots of free things to do on the Pacific Coast Highway and here's our list of ten of them including wildlife, the best free views, and free museums.
Monterey Bay Aquarium
The Monterey Bay Aquarium on Cannery Row is one of the top sights in Monterey and along the whole Pacific Coast Highway.