Montara Mountain Viewpoint–Gray Whale Cove State Beach, 6 beaches is a 4-mile out-and-back in Montara Mountain near Montara, CA. The route passes Montara State Beach, Montara Mountain Beach, Montara State Beach and Gray Whale Cove State Beach before reaching Montara Mountain Viewpoint at the turnaround, 2 miles in. It climbs 597 ft, with sections as steep as 25% grade. It scores 11/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: paved and peopled.
Elevation
0 mi56 – 568 ft · steepest grade: 25%4.3 mi
Getting there
Trailhead: Unnamed 37.54371, -122.51001
Nearest town Montara, CA
Directions
AMBLEWAYwww.ambleway.com
Montara Mountain Viewpoint–Gray Whale Cove State Beach, 6 beaches
4 mi · ▲ 597 ft · 1 hr 38 min
Elevation 56–567 ft
Out & Back · Montara Mountain
Trailhead: 37.54371, -122.51001
Weather Aug 4: sunrise 6:17 AM · sunset 8:16 PM
Transit-accessible: 6th Street & Le Conte Avenue stop 364 m from the trailhead
- Start at the trailhead, heading E.
- 0.2 miContinue straight onto Farallone Road Trail, heading NW.
- 300 ftTurn right, heading E.
- 50 ftPass Montara State Beach.
- 0.3 miTurn left onto Old San Pedro Mountain Road, heading N.
- 0.4 miContinue straight onto North Peak Access Road, heading NW.
- 0.1 miBear right, heading W.
- 50 ftContinue straight onto Gray Whale Cove Trail, heading W.
- 0.2 miPass Montara Mountain Beach.
- 50 ftPass Montara State Beach.
- 50 ftTurn right, heading NW.
- 250 ftTurn right onto Old San Pedro Mountain Road, heading NW.
- 0.5 miTurn left, heading S.
- 0.2 miPass Gray Whale Cove State Beach.
- 100 ftReach Montara Mountain Viewpoint, then turn around and head back the way you came.
- 0.7 miTurn left, heading S.
- 200 ftTurn left onto Gray Whale Cove Trail, heading NW.
- 0.2 miBear left onto North Peak Access Road, heading S.
- 0.1 miContinue straight onto Old San Pedro Mountain Road, heading SE.
- 0.4 miTurn right onto Farallone Road Trail, heading SW.
- 0.3 miBear right, heading S.
- 0.2 miArrive back at the trailhead.
Each distance is the walk from the previous step. Tap a step for a map of its junction.
Trail surface
56% dirt15% paved5% gravel24% unspecified
Weather
Sunrise 6:17 AMSunset 8:16 PM
Sunset
The best sunset spot on this hike is 0.0 mi in (~1 min). Leave by 7:55 PM for the 8:16 PM sunset. Back at your car by 8:32 PM — 13 min before dark.
Good to know
- Transit-accessible: 6th Street & Le Conte Avenue stop 364 m from the trailhead
Other ways to reach this destination
More from this trailhead
- Montara State Beach–Farallone Road Trail, 3 sights 2.9 mi · ▲ 450 ft
- Devils Slide Beach–Gray Whale Cove State Beach, 6 beaches 3.6 mi · ▲ 250 ft
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