The cypress can thrive only on rocky, fog-shrouded headlands. The exposure to ocean storms and the elements of the sea results in the gnarled limbs and fanciful shapes which everyone recognizes as a Monterey cypress. At right, even a dead cypress offers beauty, its limbs encrusted by algae borne on the sea air. Above left, the lush meadows above the headlands appears as neat and symetrical as a planted garden. The Allan Memorial Grove of Monterey cypress trees, name for their original benefactor, is in the background.
Many wildflowers bloom year-round, such as the sticky monkey flower at left.
Point Lobos is a state reserve rather than a state park. The distinction is that a reserve is intended primarily to preserve a special natural environment in an undisturbed condition. Public usage must be within the framework of preservation. So there are more rules and restrictions here than at a typical park. For example, the reserve is open only for day use and no more than 450 people are allowed in the reserve at any one time.