The park is nice, we are staying 4 weeks and during the week it is quiet with a few RVs, mostly…read moreindividuals here temporarily for jobs nearby. It is well kept for the most part & the owner is doing his best (their outdoor maintenance guy fell ill with cancer recently). The weekends fill up. You're 10 min from the beach & the valley has beautiful views. There is wine tasting in Carmel Valley Village which is very close, and a great organic farmers market open daily. The showers are clean but push button, this is the only drawback (most rigs I've seen would have their own).

My site was in full sun and it was warm. My biggest concern was the last day/night of my stay there…read morewas a prolonged domestic dispute (noonish and again after midnight) between a couple in "campers inn". They were screaming obscenities at each other for a good hour. Then things calmed down. Went to bed and was woken up to blood curdling screaming about 12:10am. Then these two started screaming obscenities again for a few minutes hr raced up the hill in his truck, she jumped and they sped away. I did NOT sleep the rest of the night. I was terrified it was going to happen again. The next morning I went to the office to complain about the day before. She told me they were only here 6 days and were leaving today. I did not fall off a turnip truck. There's no way they were there only 6 days. They had decking, storage boxes is the front and sides of their huge fifth wheel. Do not stay here. They have long term workers living at the campground.

While visiting the Carmel/Monterey area a month ago we wanted to take in some of the local scenery…read more Point Lobos State Natural Reserve came highly recommended, and it did not disappoint Located just 10 minutes outside of Carmel, this incredibly picturesque seascape is a must see while visiting. There are multiple trails through the Point, and each of them showcase stunning views of the sea and saw well as flora and fauna It was barely raining while we were there and it never dampened our spirits. The trails got a little slick, but nothing too dangerous. In fact, this is more of a seaside walking path than a physical intensive hike We saw many seals and otters on our hike. There was also a rest stop that had park rangers and an interactive exhibit that was very cool. You could feel the skin of a seal, otter, and even the baleen from a whale Some tips: If you haven't explored Carmel or Monterey you are just a short drive away There are many coastal hikes and scenic points/beaches to explore. We also enjoyed a more physical hike at the Pinnacles, but that is an hour or so away Cheers!!

Adj: beautiful, breathtaking natural reserve…read more Always a nice place to visit and "hike" (really just trail walking). I love coming here. It's so serene, scenic, natural, cool, and both the botanical plantlife as well as the animals (air, land, and ocean wildlife) you can find and view here are just so amazing. Being it's in the Monterey Bay, it's almost always cool when it's hot in the valley, so it's another great place to escape to. It's just a very nice and unique point in the bay and although you can spend the whole day here, or even several days, a couple of hours will also be very rewarding for a change of scenery for those of us who are urban dwellers who want to reconnect with God's natural wonders once in awhile. Overall, Point Lobos is an authentic, breathtaking, and calming place for those who enjoy seeing the ocean and taking in all the native plants, vegetations, and all the air, land, and sea creatures one can encounter or at least observe here.

I was a bit skeptical at first when the family suggested we camp here lol I was really expecting to…read morebe camping on the actual raceway, I was really wrong about that! There was so much beautiful scenery, and a few things that you can do lots of walking at me in the morning. They're lucky enough enough to see some cars and motorcycles going on the track. Definitely would recommend camping here. Our family had a really good time.

I'll start off by saying this was one of my favorite spots locally to sort of "escape" and go…read morecamping but still be local if needed. This time I was going there to try and get as much fresh air as possible after leaving an abusive living situation, and moved in with my parents temporarily. My medical issues are chronic and severe, but fresh air somehow makes it feel tolerable. Well I got a voicemail from someone who sounded friendly, but on the phone I got a rather unhappy and unpleasant woman named "Wynette" saying my upcoming bookings were canceled and "refunded". She already sounded annoyed when I tried to correct her about what I complained about, so at this point she didn't care what my side of the story was. I had a stray cat spray some of my stuff on 2023 and I just cleaned off what I could and I can't smell it. I know animals can still, so when a golden retriever who belongs to a camp host named Jim, was wondering around, unattended and urinating on everything, I got nervous about him coming up to my stuff. He was having a great time wondering around and His owner was at his RV with his other dog and I was further down past the bathrooms. I asked the gate if they could get the dog so he wouldn't go urinate on my stuff, possibly smelling the cat. I never once asked with an attitude or anything but Jim wasn't happy. Jim drove by as I was starting to heat water again(I had no issue the night before) and prepare food, and said no campfires at the campgrounds. He drove by again to make sure I put out the campfire and only me, he didn't ask anyone else. No other camper for 2 days was told to put it out, even for a fire and not cooking: he only wanted to make sure I put mine out. There was a ban at the moment(besides for cooking or gas) and I respect it and put it out even though I was cooking, but he needs to be enforcing that to everyone, often. Not just cause I told on him for not watching his dog. Well that was that and I just kept to myself the rest of the stay and it was great, met great people. Fast forward, all of a sudden they have wrong notes taken down, like I said a cat sprayed myself this last time.. it was 2 years ago... basically every part with Jim written in them were gone and it was just me complaining. Wynette was annoyed and said I can't come back. That's fine, I'll find another local gem to stay at. Between pet sitting jobs and college classes. Well back to the angry and argumentative woman on the phone, I called back making sure i can get an email with proof that they refunded both my bookings, and before I can even ask she snapped and hung up on me. I called back, left a message and called again, it's like $900+ we talking about. Finally someone answered and said they would email it. Still haven't gotten that email yet. My advice, don't complain about anything the hosts might do, or their pets, because you won't be allowed back. You'll get woken up at 9 by the shooting range so don't plan a quiet vacation, but it is beautiful. I'm giving it a one because of the level of disrespect I experienced there from Jim the host and Wynette on the phone. I think both were childish, especially with management not even asking me what happened and told me not to come back. Add: my final phone call with Wynette involved me saying I'd come in and talk to someone else because she wouldn't let me speak to someone else, and told me I should show up at 5pm when she got off work, in the tone where kids in high school wanted to fight you. I was a little in disbelief that someone would say that to anyone as a full on adult. I don't care how stressed someone is.... That's unacceptable

Enjoyed our experience here on a short Father's Day weekend getaway…read more Was greeted with wine and rubber duckies for the little ones. Also got free cookies and wine in our room. The room was spacious, we added a roller bed and BabyQuip crib. Signed up for the little rancher and was super cute. The kids got to feed the goats, per sheep, alpaca, donkeys and mini horses. Did breakfast buffet daily, as we had credit. We also went to the pool, and the kids loved it. Walked around the golf course and saw some deers. There was a wedding so it was kind of loud. Wished the in room dining had more food. All in all, good experience here.

My husband booked this place for the family with good intentions but missed a few details that I'd…read morelike to share in the hopes someone else may be reading reviews for this place. Location: beautiful breathtaking views tucked away in a mountain valley, it is a perfect spot to get away from the hustle and bustle from city noise pollution and high populations. Customer service: there are only 1-2 check in desks, where they spend about 10-20 minutes with each customer explaining the property amenities, location of room, events, etc. when you've been traveling all day, every minute feels like a lifetime. Restaurant: there is only one full service, sit in restaurant that gets booked very fast especially for dinner. Plan ahead and make a reservation in advance for every night you plan to stay on campus and eat there, otherwise, expect to wait until 8 pm or drive to the nearby restaurants which include a Subway, pizza joint, or a small Vietnamese restaurant. Earthbound Organic Farm is a great alternative option for a small breakfast or lunch bites. There is another Mexican restaurant nearby. Clientele in the mornings consist of rowdy children and their inconsiderate parents. I recommend asking to be seated outside if you have well mannered children and want to eat in peace. Rooms: mediocre clean. For being a Hyatt affiliated hotel, I had higher expectations, rooms are carpeted with wooden floors and heavy rugs. This resort is pet friendly so if you have someone in the family that suffers from allergies or has a very sensitive nose, this is not the best place to stay. As most Californian hotels that have carpeting, you can smell odors in the carpeting and linen. When things got hot and humid in our room, I got a nice whiff of dog. Basically any pet friendly hotel means that your linens will be washed with dog poo or other animal fluids. Rooms are only dusted at eye level but if you're someone that is concerned about dust mites, be prepared to get a showering of dust mites on bed, where the headboards reach 6' high and hold lots of lovely layers of dust. Coffee pot is sad and comparable to a motel 6 version with blah coffee, and lastly the beds are super firm with no ability to adjust (like other Hyatt holidays offer), and pillows are huge and uncomfortable. Foam alternative is slightly softer but still too high for a back sleeper or stomach sleeper. Bathroom: limited. They do provide tiny handwashing bars of soap made of lavender, and provide a tiny sample sac of lavender salt to use in tub but for those with allergies, best to request an alternative if any. Shower corners contain black mold. Refrigerators: our room had a tiny refrigerator that could hardly fit anything and doesn't cool sufficiently so for those moms packing extra healthy snacks for your kids, consider your fridge useless. All the strawberries, yogurts and hummus we purchased made it straight to the trash. Room patio: dirty and useless. There was a couple of upholstered seats and one table on our patio that could not be enjoyed as they were filled with dirt, dust and leaves. Would I stay here again? No - due to the pet issue for me. Most Californians love their pets and don't mind staying in places that wreak of dog butts that they've habituated to. Like I said, my husband had good intentions but there were too many issues that made it undesirable for me.

So safe. Smells so good. Smells like pure nature. I saw some deer and birds. So quite . People ade…read morewalkung, running or riding a bike

Beautiful place ! high recommended! Go and check it out,…read moreGood experience,and exercise at the same time

Briefly stopped by the beach after having lunch in downtown Carmel. Now clearly understanding why…read morethe beach is loved so much. Carmel Beach is recognized as having the 'whitest' sand in the United States, and number 14 globally. This color comes from quartz deposits eroded by the waves. There is a parking lot at the north end of the beach on Ocean Avenue (maybe 30 spots or so), that is usually filled, meaning people are constantly idling in the parking lot, waiting for a spot. The parking lot is elevated from the beach, requiring carefully going down a sand bank. My wife and her mom decided to admire the view by sitting on a retaining wall at the top of the bern, while I happily went down to the shoreline to admire the views. The sand here is more golden than white. The road that runs parallel to the beach and boardwalk in Carmel is Scenic Road and we took it as we headed back to our cottage. There was street unmetered parking spots available and I noticed how much brighter/whiter the sand was in this area (a lot less crowded as well). Thinking back, wish we had stopped so I could have admired this part of the beach a bit more.

I absolutely love Carmel Beach. Some of my happiest memories are here with my great-grandparents,…read moreBarbara and Montford Bryan, so coming back always feels special and nostalgic. Getting to bring my daughter now makes the experience even more meaningful. Watching her enjoy the same beautiful beach and scenery that meant so much to me growing up is such a cool and rewarding experience as a parent. Carmel Beach is just magical, with beautiful views, peaceful vibes, and the perfect place to slow down and make memories. We'll keep coming back every chance we get.

Had been meaning to check out this park for a long time, but usually got pulled away to Point…read moreLobos. A few weekends ago we were down in Carmel for the long weekend with some friends and got a later start to the morning. Anticipating that Point Lobos would be super crowded, I picked out a few hikes at Garrapata State Park, just a few miles south. We parked near the Soberanes Canyon trailhead and hiked the Soberanes Point trail, first going north, then doubling back to take the loop around (and up) Whale Peak. I was worried about leading a group of 20 astray (with kids who had different tolerance levels for hikes), but my fears were immediately put to ease by the gorgeous oceanside views, full of greenery, wildflowers, and the powerful ocean waves hitting the rocks below. We even spotted a sea otter in the surf. Got some nice photos and everyone made it back. At this point our group split up. A few of us went down to Calla Lily Valley. The lilies were beautiful (though I heard they were cut down recently), but there were a ton of people, and the trail was quite muddy. The beach nearby was really nice - the kids spent some time playing there. Parking immediately near the valley is tight but there is parking at this beach and trails to both the beach and the valley from there. Will definitely be back, love that there's an alternative to Point Lobos so close by.

My husband and I stopped here for the first time before hitting up Big Sur and I'm glad that we…read moredid. Parking is off the side of the road and there's easy trails to explore and just enjoy the scenic highway 1 coastline. Awesome place to take in the ocean air/breeze, great spot to take pictures, and just enjoy the ocean views!

When i was about 5 yrs old my father and 4 friends moved to Carmel to build this temple. I remember…read moreplaying by a river with two of the boys who also were living on the property during the build. We lived in these dome shaped Yurts with wood construction covered with a heavy plastic. Very cold in the winter. It was an adventure for a kid my age. Almost like a long camping trip. I believe we were there only one season. That was a long time. I dont remember a lot but my father has some great pictures. Most of the construction process and the builders hoisting up these very large beams. Some of around the camp and of the builders. I'm now in my 50s and would love to visit this magical place again. I will be taking all the photos with me to compare.

Sambosa means "Three Jewels," and stands for the Buddha (teacher), Dharma (the teaching) and Sangha…read more(spiritual community.) This tranquil Temple was created in the early 70's, and is the first Korean Buddhist temple ever built in the U.S. They opened their doors to the public and on opening day, 400 people, including the mayor of Carmel and other prominent monks, flooded Sambosa. The Temple has had its shares of ups and downs, including an unfortunate fire in the 1980's that burned down the main Dharma Hall. But it has withstood the test of time and still remains a graceful and quiet symbol of peace in the Valley. The current abbot is Bom Hugh Sunim, and his teachings explore his particular vision of a nonsectarian approach to religion, philosophy, and life. My mother was friends with one of the followers of the Temple, and being the same age as her twins, we often played together. It's a beautiful place to reflect and slow down, even if you are not a practicing Buddhist...although it seems like the ideal religion for every walk of life.

I love being a military veteran and I love staying at the Monterey Pines RV park, but…read more... As others have mentioned in the reviews, 0 stars for management, 4 stars for campground. I'm not writing this review to be intentionally mean or negative. I just want the management to take some responsibility and improve their system. We have stayed at the Monterey Pines RV Park numerous times over the years. It's a great place to stay, but making a reservation and checking in is the most inefficient and frustrating experience ever, and the whole process needs an upgrade. First you make a reservation through the DOD Lodging website, which only allows you to select either full hook-ups, or partial hook-ups. It doesn't allow you to select a spot number. Then you will receive an email from Navy Gateways, not Monterey Pines, indicating that you have made a reservation, but it doesn't provide you a spot number. The RV Park is located at the Monterey Pines Golf Course. If your a first time visitor, and you arrive after hours, there is a locked gate, so this will be an issue when you arrive. For us, we have visited many times over the years. We know the code, so it's not a problem. And actually the gate has been broken over the past year, or more, so it's still not a problem. Ah, but there's a code for the bathroom as well. In the past we used to receive an email from the Monterey Pines RV Park, providing all the check in information. This is no longer the case. We now have to call them directly. However, we have found that when we call the Monterey Pines RV Park, the call typically goes to voice mail, and then they never return the call. Your best option is to arrive during normal business hours, and hope that somebody is in the office. The last time we visited, the office was empty, so we just picked a spot and hoped for the best. There used to be a campground host to help people check-in, but that position has been vacated. My message to management. Please make efforts to fix/improve the Monterey Pines RV Park Reservation/Check-in process. Create a database so that returning customers don't have to initial and sign 5 pages of redundant paperwork every time they visit. E-mail the customer the important check-in information, such as their spot number, gate codes, bathrooms codes, etc. This should be a common procedure and would greatly help those arriving after normal business hours. Please fix the broken access gate. Our military personnel and their families deserve the extra security. Please do away with the $1 pet fee per night. It's unnecessary and ridiculous! I would also suggest that the bathrooms not be cleaned from 9 - 10:30am every morning. Pick a later time of day to clean them. This is a big inconvenience for those without trailers, meaning the bathrooms are completely off limits until they are finished cleaning. Yes, I enjoy the clean bathrooms, but I also like to use them first thing in the morning. So to everyone out there planning on visiting the Monterey Pines RV Park, I'm sure you'll enjoy your stay once you get there, but good luck with the reservation/check-in process. Prices have doubled over the last ten years, but the level of customer service has decreased by a proportional amount. I will gladly change this to a 5 star review, but not until I see some changes.

Our favorite place to stay in Monterey. It's mostly quiet (minus airport activity), routinely…read morepatrolled by Navy Law Enforcement, easy access to golf and other activities within the area.

Wonderful park to explore and hike if you are ever in the Carmel Valley area. Plenty of parking…read moreboth on the street as well as in a designated parking lot. Much of the area in the lower section is flat and easy to walk around, however, there are also some trails with steeper elevation climbs for those who want to get more of a scenic view of the area. Cool historic barn is easy to get to and on hotter days you will definitely want to take some water as some of the trails are exposed to the sun. There is a public bathroom area by the visitor center.

Garland Ranch Regional Park -- Where Nature Went to College and Got a Degree in Enchantment"…read moreOh, you think you've been on a hike before? No. You've merely walked on ground. Garland Ranch Regional Park is where the Earth decided to get fancy -- rolling hills, whispering trees, and trails that seem designed by a benevolent chaos god who wanted you to get lost just enough to find yourself. The Vibe: This place doesn't just have nature -- it radiates personality. The air smells like enlightenment and expensive essential oils. Every oak tree looks like it has witnessed ancient wisdom and is judging you for not bringing reusable water bottles. The wind flirts. The grass gossips. The clouds... perform interpretive dance. The Trails: Sky Trail: Don't let the name fool you -- it's 80% up, 20% existential crisis. But at the top? A view so stunning, I briefly ascended into my third chakra and forgot my email password. Waterfall Trail: There's water. There's falling. There's also a high chance of spotting a woodland creature that may or may not be a druid in disguise. Saddle Trail: Not for the faint of calf. You'll meet at least one hiker who swears they saw Bigfoot running a mindfulness retreat. Wildlife Report: The deer here are too confident. They'll make eye contact like they know you left your stove on. Lizards do push-ups just to assert dominance. A hawk once circled above me for 20 minutes; I think I passed its vibe check. Local myth says the coyotes form an a cappella group at dusk. Their debut album, Howl to the Moonlight, drops every full moon. Random Fun Facts (Questionable Accuracy Edition): The park's elevation shifts based on how hydrated you are. 47% of the trees are rumored to be undercover dryads doing field research. If you say "Garland Ranch" three times at the visitor center, a ranger appears and hands you a perfectly ripe trail mix. Final Thoughts: Garland Ranch isn't just a park. It's an experience. It's Narnia with better signage. It's where fitness apps go to prove themselves. I came here seeking a light jog; I left spiritually rearranged, emotionally hydrated, and slightly sunburned.