Calla Lily Valley is one of those places where pictures just don’t do it justice. It’s exactly as magical as it sounds—maybe even more so in person. It's an ideallic oceanside valley full of perfect (okay, not perfect since they are invasive species) Calla Lilies with a gorgeous creek running through it straight into the ocean.
I’d love to tell you about the perfect day I spent there with my favorite furry companion, Breslin, playing in the creek and admiring the lilies. And while that’s partly true, there’s another side to the story, the newfound bane of my existence; stinging nettles.
The first time I visited, I had no idea they were lurking along the trail, like little predators waiting to inject their poison. My leg barely brushed against one on the way down, and it burned for twelve hours straight. I tried everything I could think of to stop the sting to no avail. That little surprise definitely put a damper on the day.
Two years later, I went back, determined to be more careful. But as luck would have it—I got stung again. I was being so careful! This time, though, I was prepared for the attack. Turns out, rubbing mud on the sting works wonders, and it did the trick.
I’m sure I’ll be back. Third time’s the charm, right?
Important to Know Before You Go
1. Dress appropriately for mud and a hike.
The trail is muddy! Like, it will suck your shoe right off your foot and be gone forever, kinda muddy. The mud may not always be that deep, but with all the rain, it certainly is treacherous. I wore hiking boots and had Crocs to change into for the beach. If you want to take cute pictures, I suggest bringing a long dress that’s easy to slip on over your hiking outfit (which should include pants or leggings-see tip #2).
2. Watch for Stinging Nettles!
I learned this lesson the hard way, so you don’t have to. I wore shorts because I knew I wanted to go into the water. I barely skimmed my leg against a stinging nettle, and it was enough to have the spot burning for literally 12 hours. I tried everything from calamine lotion to ice packs, and there was no relief. Just avoid it.
3. Parking Options
There’s no good way to get to the beach from the valley unless you want to rock climb or go through the water. I did both, and I don’t recommend. The best way to see the beach and the valley is to park on the more southern trail entrance of the Garrapatta Trout Road Trailhead. Then you can walk down to see the calls lilies, then walk back up to see the beach (shh… don’t tell anyone that if you go down the beach, you can sometimes catch a beach waterfall! 😉 )
4. Go early to beat the crowds.
Timing is a little tricky because you want to go early to beat the crowds, but you don’t want to go so early that the marine fog layers are still there. I arrived around 11:00 am, and the crowd was small, but it was also expected to be cloudy, so that helped. But, like most beautiful pop-off spots along Highway 1, people only tend to stay long enough to take pictures. It’s easy enough to wait out a crowd.
5. Bringing your furry friend.
Garrapata State Park is pet friendly, but pets are supposed to be on a leash. When I visited, I took a dog with me, and we navigated the trails easily on leash. Calla Lilies are toxic to dogs, so you want to ensure your pup doesn’t ingest any part of them. I have seen dogs there every time I've visited.
