California State Parks invites students of all ages to discover the fascinating world of elephant seals! Each year, thousands of students are welcomed to explore the Piedras Blancas Elephant Seal Rookery in Hearst San Simeon State Park. These free, curriculum-aligned school programs are designed to engage K–12 students with hands-on learning and direct observation of elephant seals. Led by experienced California State Park staff and docents, students rotate through interactive science stations and time at the seal viewing area, where they observe these wild animals in their natural habitat. Students are prompted to act like scientists throughout the program: recording and sketching their observations in a provided nature journal.
Age group: K – 12th
Group size: 100 students max
Dates: Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays
Time: 1 hour and 30 minutes, can be scheduled any time between 9:30 am and 2 pm
Location: Elephant Seal Viewing Area, Highway 1, San Simeon, CA 93452
The rookery is free and open to the public year-round. Reservations are not required to visit the rookery if you are not seeking a guided field trip program. For any questions regarding field trips to the rookery, please call State Park Interpreter Bre Brown at (805) 712-4839 or email SLO.FieldTrips@parks.ca.gov.