Freshwater ponds are exceedingly scarce along the Big Sur coast -- at least those viewable from public land -- and this small pond is one of them. Rancho Grande itself is privately owned and gated, but this pond can be viewed from just north of the gate from a small one-car-only pullout on the west side of Highway 1 (or, briefly, from the gate itself. Look for migrant ducks on the pond in winter, and watch from swallows and swifts over the pond in summer.

Migrant diving ducks in winter, swallows and Vaux's Swifts in summer. There is one record of Chimney Swift with swallows many decades ago. [Even earlier, in July 1976, a Wood Stork visited the lower pond at Rancho Grande, but that pond is not visible from Highway 1.]

If one is not in a hurry driving down Highway 1, south of Big Sur, this small pond can be briefly viewed from the west side of Highway and a small gravel turn-out. The is about a half-mile south of Nepenthe Restaurant, and just south (downhill) of the Henry Miller Library and just above Deetjen's Big Sur Inn, both of which are on the east side of Highway 1. Be very cautious of traffic here, which can be too fast for the curvy conditions. If you stop at the library, or the Big Sur Inn, there would be restrooms for customers (but not the general public). Birds at either the library or the Inn could be included in this quite small Hotspot.