Calla Lily Valley

Calla Lily Valley Mathias Van de Velde (Atlas Obscura User)

Altered States & Expanding Horizons: Exploring the Legacy of Esalen

If you’re traveling along Highway 1, this is the ideal place for a scenic hike or a relaxing respite from a day of traveling.

Not far from Gate 19 in Garrapata State Park (near mile marker 63), is a small, almost hidden gate inviting visitors to venture through. From there, it’s a small hike through patches of wildflowers until you come face-t0-face with a beautiful little valley, complete with a creek that flows into the ocean.

Follow the Garrapata Trail toward a bluff overlooking the beach. Then follow a few wooden steps toward the creek and down into the valley. If you time your trip correctly and arrive during the late winter or early spring, the small valley will be filled with thousands of blooming white calla lilies.

While not native to California, calla lilies are considered to be markers of former habitation when found in coastal wetland areas, such as Garrapata Trail.

Know Before You Go

The lilies bloom from late January until the end of April.

There is no parking on this part of the trail, as it directly crosses Highway 1. California Highway Patrol will ticket or impound for parking on the side of the highway.