Andrew Molera State Park, State park in Monterey County, California, United States.
Andrew Molera State Park is a protected area along California's coast featuring ocean cliffs, open meadows, coastal forests, and a sandy beach connected by numerous trails. The landscape includes varied terrain, from grasslands and ridges to wooded ravines that lead down to the shoreline.
The land was part of Rancho El Sur, granted to John Bautista Rogers Cooper, whose grandchildren Andrew and Frances Molera inherited it in 1918. Frances sold 3.4 square miles west of Highway 1 to The Nature Conservancy in 1965, requiring the future park to be named for her brother Andrew, who had promoted artichoke growing in the Salinas Valley in 1922. She died in 1968, and the state bought the remaining land east of the highway soon after.
The park's name honors Andrew Molera, who inherited the land in 1918 and promoted artichoke growing in the Castroville area in 1922. His sister Frances sold the property to The Nature Conservancy in 1965 on condition that it become a park named for him and stay largely undeveloped. The ranch foreman's house now holds a museum with displays on Big Sur's Native American and pioneer history, artists' exhibits and historical artifacts.
The park lies 20 miles (32 km) south of Carmel-by-the-Sea on State Route 1, at the mouth of the Big Sur River. The only camping is a 24-site walk-in campground about a third of a mile from the parking area; reservations are strongly encouraged and there are no first-come, first-served sites. Dogs are not allowed on trails or in the campground. The ranch foreman's house museum sits about 0.2 miles (0.32 km) south of the parking lot.
The Cooper Cabin, built in 1861 or 1862, is the oldest structure in Big Sur. Fur trader John Bautista Rogers Cooper, Andrew Molera's grandfather, acquired Rancho El Sur in a trade with Juan Bautista Alvarado and secured the land patent in 1866 after years of litigation.
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