Great place to hike, visit a museum and see their native plant garden. This organization does great…read morework.

You'll Slough the Day…read more 1,700-acres Marsh and tidal preserve located in scenic Moss Landing and overlooking the Monterey Bay. The Good: *Free entrance *Visitor's Center with restrooms *Spectacular views of the water and great spot to view native wild birds and sea life. *You can probably explore the whole park in one day, as there's only ±5-miles of trails to navigate. *Trails are very flat and easily navigable *If you have a kid who's a rail fan, then this would be a great spot for trains and nature. The Meh: *Closed Mondays & Tuesdays The Ugly: *No shade on the trails, so it's not a great option on really hot days. TLDR: Great place for nature and ocean lovers and a really great place to bring young kids to introduce them to hiking and nature.

Such a beautiful beach! Lots of empty pockets to have space, and also lots of pockets where you can…read morebe in a other group's company. Parking available on the street level via parallel parking along the side of the road. I didn't see any bathrooms available where we were.

This is such a beautiful beach with miles to meander while enjoying the sea breeze. I absolutely…read morelove the tide pools.

If you're in the Carmel/Monterey area with kids, you have to stop here. It's a total hidden gem…read more There are so many wonderful play structures that kept our kids (ages 2 and up) entertained for hours--everything from the suspension bridge to the hedge maze and the classic steam engine. The park is also very well-maintained and clean, which isn't always a guarantee with public playgrounds. It's the perfect place to let the kids burn off some energy in a safe, fun environment. Highly recommend!

PLEASE place updated schedule on website/Yelp!!!!!…read more Went on a Tuesday and it was closed. Other than the aquarium this was the main reason we chose to come to Monterey and stayed an extra night just to have the day to visit the park. Lucky (I guess) I saw a worker and asked why it was closed. He said if kids are in school, then Tuesdays is when they close for maintenance.

Palm Beach State Park seems to be part of Sunset Beach, but this area is dog-friendly. There is a…read moreparking lot, but also free spaces on the road. It's a short walk to the beach. On the day we went, there were tons of jelly fish washed up on the wet sand, so I had to be careful of where our dog, Zoey, walked. In any case, she had a great time there, so I'm very glad we went.

Secluded beach that you access by driving through the mostly agricultural area of…read moreWatsonville/Pajaro. Near Pajaro dunes resort. The park may be good for a quiet and semi private picnic but amenities are limited. From the parks website: FEES - There is a $10 vehicle day-use fee. [Regular Sized Auto: $10 (Senior $9, age 62 or older); OCEAN SAFETY - dangerous rip currents, frigid water and deep offshore dropoffs make surfing and swimming hazardous for any but the most experienced surfers. ALCOHOL is not permitted on the beach or in the day-use area.

One of our favorite SP throughout CA - beautiful location along the Monterey coast, tucked away in…read morethe redwoods, with a beautiful and well-designed campground with plenty of sites near the river as well as away from civilization. Campsites are notoriously difficult to obtain due to popularity and bad-actors utilizing bots to book sites, but if you're lucky enough to get a reservation, spending a few days in the wilderness here is as good as it gets. Bathrooms are clean and showers are hot (coin operated). Day use parking is small, but there is plenty of room on the river for your family to post up, have something to eat/drink, and stay cool in the hot summer weather. Best recommendation.

BEST SPOT TO SEE RED WOODS. Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park is a sprawling, 1,000-acre sanctuary…read morecentered around the pristine Big Sur River. Often nicknamed "mini Yosemite," it trades direct beach access for dramatic inland scenery, boasting spectacular valleys, forested peaks, and dense groves of ancient coast redwoods. Ancient Redwood Groves: The park is famous for its majestic coast redwoods, with some trees measuring over 1,000 years old. Accessible walkways, like the Redwood Deck, allow visitors to stand among these towering giants. Diverse Hiking Trails: Trails cater to all skill levels, ranging from the flat and easy Nature Trail loop to the challenging, steep ascent up the Buzzards Roost Trail, which rewards hikers with panoramic views of the ocean and mountains. On-Site Lodging and Camping: Unlike many rugged coastal stops, this park features developed accommodations, including a large campground alongside the river and the historic Big Sur Lodge, which provides comfortable cabins and a restaurant. The redwoods you see growing in Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park (as well as nearby Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park are Coast Redwoods (Sequoia sempervirens), the tallest living species of tree on Earth. The groves found throughout the park are particularly special because they mark the southernmost boundary of where the coast redwood species naturally thrives in significant numbers. Because they are located at the southern edge of their natural geographic range, the climate here is slightly drier and warmer than the dense, misty rainforests of Northern California. While they generally do not reach the record-shattering heights of their northern cousins in Humboldt or Redwood National Park, they are incredibly impressive, with many individual trees in the park towering well over 200 feet tall and thriving for upwards of 800 to 1,000 years. They rely heavily on the marine fog flowing through the Big Sur River gorge to stay hydrated during the dry summer months

Really nice park! Big soccer field, cool murals, basketball courts, well maintained. Enjoyed a nice…read morerun here while we were vacationing in Aptos and were exploring this area.

Snazzy new park for kids over 5. I've never even seen some of these playground features before,…read morelike the skate-park simulation. The basketball court is nice. There are permanent restrooms and covered picnic tables. There's a history walk around the playground perimeter and bright cultural murals. The artificial turf seems a little grimy, but otherwise it is a great urban space for kids.

Great Not crowded 1…read moremile walk to cove...watch for snakes!! See video Very little sand on beach LOTS and LOTS and LOTS of rocks Not crowded : )

Went in June 2026, I'm not sure which trail we went on but it was a 2 mile round trip hike to the…read moreocean, fairly easy hike, mostly flat dirt and rock ground, went over some water but there was a little bridge to use, very beautiful. The paid parking ranger station was unmanned when we went but they have an envelope drop box that you can put cash in or a check. Surprisingly clean restrooms and port a potties too near the parking entrance.