Check out the state park's website to see when the best time of year to see the seals is. I went in September which is actually supposed to be the worst time to go, however, there were plenty of them! The view of the beach, cliffs, sand dunes, etc was beautiful. A must see when cruising down highway 1. I wouldn't consider this a hike since it is only a couple miles total and can be accomplished in 2-3 hours.