Elephant Seals & Hearst Castle

Check out the Elephant Seals near Hearst Castle Hotels

Hearst Castle in San Simeon, California is one of the most popular tourist destinations on California’s central coast.  Thousands of visitors tour Hearst Castle each year to experience the grandeur and beauty of the magnificent architecture and infamous pools.  However, the elephant seals are oftentimes an overlooked must see.

An elephant seal rookery is located less than 12 miles north of Cambria hotels and 3 miles north of Hearst Castle.  The elephant seals, weighing up to 6,000 pounds and measuring up to 18 feet in length, are fascinating to watch.  Don’t forget your camera!  One of the best times to visit the rookery is when the pups are being born.  This happens in January, February, and March.  During these months you can see thousands of elephant seals ranging from enormous alpha males to tiny newborns.  It’s truly a national geographic moment that you’ll never forget.

A few miles north of the rookery is the Piedras Blancas Lighthouse.  Construction on the Piedras Blancas Lighthouse began in 1872 and was completed with the original Fresnel lens in 1875.  The original Fresnel lens, made from finely cut and polished prisms, was replaced by an automatic electric beacon in 1949.  Don’t worry; you can still see the original Fresnel lens in Cambria, California, located just 7 miles south of Hearst Castle.