This is a fairly new state park. It is a small section of coastline in the town of Marina, just a…read morecouple of small towns north of Monterey. It used to be owned by Fort Ord which was a US Army base from World War 2 to about 1994. They used this coastline which was mostly sand dunes to train soldiers mostly in rifle and artillery fare. There are a few remnants of structures from the past but most are gone. There are plaques now to tell you what used to be where. I found it to be a good educational read. Some of the trails are going under renovation so I had to improvise my hike here. The trails seem like they come close to the highway and a few entry points going to the beach. The beach I went to was very empty due to the rough coast. It is usually pretty windy, and the water very cold, rough and with rip tides. Not really a beach to lay a blanket and/or play in the water. It was very peaceful tho in that strong nature sense. Parking is free, low crowd density, good for shorter non-strenuous hikes, I think I can find a purpose for this place.

Name That Dune…read more Formerly part of the Fort Ord Army post, this 1k-acre oceanfront state park consists of four miles of beach lined with the eponymous sand dunes. It is also one of California's newest state parks, as it has only been officially open since 2009. The Good: * Private parking lot * Free to visit! * Dogs allowed on recreation trail but not the beach or spur trails that lead to the beach. * Great beaches with amazing views * Great place to ride your bike as there's a little over 4 miles of paved trails The Meh: * Port-o-potties in the parking lot * Local Outdoor Enthusiasts™ hanging out in the parking lot. The Ugly: * Part of the paved trail was closed during our visit (April 11th, '26) Conclusion: Great state beach with not many amenities.

We stopped to walk along this trail in Pacific Grove for a while, and it was a gorgeous day for it…read more Our 13-year-old dog, Zoey, cannot walk far anymore, so we brought a stroller. This path is not the best place for one, but we made do. First, though, we took her down to the water. We did not explore the tidepools on this occasion, but Zoey had a great time walking in the ocean water. In this area, the tide moved in a gentle motion, yet it still managed to sneak up on me and get my shoes wet! The path was alive with vibrant color today, and offered lovely views. Unfortunately, some cars drive faster than they ought to on this road considering how close the walking path is situated to it.

Nice trail with bike lanes. Lot of things to see. There are lots of seals laying on the beach after…read moreyou passed the Hopkins Marine Station. It's a pleasant walk along the shore.

Clean access. Plenty of large, mature trees and green grass. Very safe lot of parking.read more

Checked into the wrong thing earlier. I made the Grumpy White Man hike with me today. It was his…read morefirst real hike. Of course he was complaining. He was composing for the first 45 mins. Because he wasn't eating. He needs to become a good blogger. At the end of it, he was happy. It was nice out there, but wished they labeled their trails a little better. I feel like San Jose does a better job of labeling trails. Grumpy White man found an old wind mill, and got distracted for 10 mins. He was doing a photo shoot.

Always loved hiking here and it hasn't lost its beauty. The only problem is you do share the trail…read morewith bike riders. Who sometimes do not announce a warning as they rush by. Overall a gorgeous trail. Large wide open trails and views of Salinas farmlands when you get to the top. Plenty of parking and few toilets in the parking lot. No parking pass needed. Keep valuables hidden. Get out and enjoy the sunshine!! SYOY!

I might be somewhat biased about this area, born at Fort Ord when it was still an active army base…read moreand lived around Monterey Bay all my life. It really is beautiful. All that keep the BLM lands clean and in usable conditions are not thanked enough...thanks again. Walking,hiking,trail running,mountain biking and horseback riding it can all be done here. Plenty of trails for all levels of fitness. Wide open fire roads to tight single track with well marked signage. Restrooms at the well maintained parking areas where you can pick up a trial map. Dogs are allowed and welcome. Last words...it's free!

I just moved to Monterey and went over to Quarry Park on a whim today, just to check it out. I was…read morehoping to find a place where I and my dog might be able to go trail running. Quarry Park is pretty small, for a preserve area. It's easy to drive right by the main entrance. I was trying to find an actual parking area on Google Earth, but there really isn't one; you just park on the street near the entrance. The park itself is basically a box canyon (perhaps a long-disused quarry?) in the middle of Monterey. There's a single main, wide, unpaved trail that leads from the entrance to the end of the canyon; it's not long, *maybe* a quarter-mile. Signs at the front of the park say dogs are allowed on-leash, but while I was there, 2 dogs were there with their owners, off-leash, trotting along and enjoying themselves as should be officially sanctioned in so many more places. In addition to the main walking trail (which is flat), there's also a small dirt path that splits off at one point and climbs up to the canyon rim, where you can hike around a bit where pretty much no one goes. There's a second entrance up at the rim near the end of the canyon, on Google Maps it's right near 458 Dry Creek Road. If the street near the main entrance were too full to park; it looks like you could park on Dry Creek Rd and go in here. I wouldn't recommend it if you're not prepared for a couple of short, but relatively steep, narrow, loose portions of trail. If you want a longer hike, you can take the Veteran's Park Trail out of Quarry Park up to Veteran's. It runs through a narrow gap between two residential developments up to Veteran's Memorial Park and from there you can get into the trails in the Huckleberry Hill preserve.

Turn off busy Fremont Street onto Iris Canyon Road and you immediately enter another world…read more Within this mile long scenic stretch of road is The 'Iris Canyon Greenbelt Park". The park makes up only 32 acres of this road and the park itself is not well demarcated. There is not really even a formal parking lot. It's a truly beautiful tree lined 'greenbelt' drive where on most days you can see deer grazing. If you follow Iris Canyon south you eventually come out just south of the Del Monte Shopping Center. It's not a shortcut but the drive through the forest will evaporate stress from your day --- guaranteed.

Amazing scenic hike with stunning coastal ocean views. The trail offers a beautiful walk along the…read moreocean, with an awesome panoramic view from the top of the mountain. The hike is enjoyable and manageable, even on the way to the summit. Whenever I'm passing through Carmel on Highway 1, I love stopping here for a hike.

One of the most spectacular spots on the California coast, and my often backup plan as Point Lobos…read morehas become way too popular and parking fills up extremely early. One of the great things about Garrapata is that you can make your walk/hike as short or as long as you want. There are trails along the coast and inland, with the inland trails being much more strenuous than the coastal side. No matter which side you go, the views are spectacular. There's parking along the highway with a big section on the inland side right at the main entrance, and some further back on the coastal side. Luckily there are a handful of entry spots, so even if you don't get parking right up front, you'll likely be able to catch a coastal trail. Two things to note about the inland side, it's not too uncommon to see rattlesnakes if you're there in the warmer months, especially if it's a sunny day. And, the rock/dirt can be a little loose/slippery, so I have seen people slip and fall. I always come with a windbreaker and binoculars because it gets breezy as you get closer to the water, and you can often spot marine life like otters and seals!

Beautiful nature park. Fun attention to details with the ocean themed painted trash bins. Restroom…read morefor women was spartan without soap but was nicely aired out and could get the job done though I think it was out of toilet paper just before lunch - or maybe it was just hidden well. Avoid the side trails near the restroom closest to Reservation Road. Losers let their dogs crap and they don't pick it up and the weeds are overgrown. Otherwise, the roughly 0.75 mile loop around the park is generally flat and nice on decomposed granite. I loved the signage that encourages parents to let their children explore and share with their parents. Signs in English and Spanish. There's a pond but it's severely overgrown by marsh vegetation so it wasn't recognizable as a pond but looked like a marsh. Playground seemed cool. There's a grassy and partially shaded area near the playground at the end of the street off Reservation Road.

It has been a minute since I have walked around this park. The short pathways surround a small…read morelake/marsh which serves as a bird sanctuary for many ducks, crows, and other birds. In the past year a flock of crows, not sure that is what it is called, nests here. Hundreds of crows in the trees and hang out on the surrounding roads, so watch out! They're very loud and I am so happy they are no where near my apartment. A path was open that normally had been overgrown and it was cool to walk into the marsh sort of. I was a bit creeped out but, I kept my eyes open and took a short video. From inside this short pathway you could have a peace and quiet moment with the surrounding black birds and sort feel as if you were somewhere else. The park itself is not large and the bathroom is always closed, but, it is a gorgeous little gem in Marina for a quick walk. Cheers and happy Yelping.