Parks & Coastline in Monterey County
Explore the best parks, beaches, trails, and coastline across Monterey County — from Big Sur and Point Lobos to the Peninsula, Salinas, and South County.
Showing 32 of 32 places
⭐ Featured Parks & Coastline
Monterey Bay Coastal Recreation Trail
An 18-mile paved coastal trail tracing Monterey Bay from Pacific Grove to Castroville, connecting beaches, wharves, Cannery Row, and wildlife-rich shoreline.
Point Lobos State Natural Reserve
Often called 'the crown jewel of the State Park system,' a dramatic Carmel headland of coves, cypress groves, sea otters, and turquoise water.
Lovers Point Park
A beloved Pacific Grove waterfront park with a small protected beach, grassy lawns, tide pools, and postcard Monterey Bay views.
Monterey Bay Coastal Recreation Trail
An 18-mile paved coastal trail tracing Monterey Bay from Pacific Grove to Castroville, connecting beaches, wharves, Cannery Row, and wildlife-rich shoreline.
Point Lobos State Natural Reserve
Often called 'the crown jewel of the State Park system,' a dramatic Carmel headland of coves, cypress groves, sea otters, and turquoise water.
Lovers Point Park
A beloved Pacific Grove waterfront park with a small protected beach, grassy lawns, tide pools, and postcard Monterey Bay views.
Carmel Beach
A wide arc of white sand below Carmel-by-the-Sea, framed by cypress trees and one of California's most beloved dog-friendly beaches.
Jacks Peak County Park
The highest point on the Monterey Peninsula, with shaded ridgeline trails through Monterey pine forest and sweeping views of the bay and Carmel Valley.
Asilomar State Beach
A wild, rocky mile of Pacific Grove coastline with a dune boardwalk, tide pools, and dramatic surf framed by cypress and restored dunes.
Toro County Park
A sprawling 4,700-acre county park in the Toro hills near Salinas, with shaded picnic groves, oak-studded hiking trails, and family play areas.
Pfeiffer Beach
A hidden Big Sur cove famous for its purple-tinted sand, dramatic Keyhole Arch, and a winter sunbeam that shoots through the rock.
Dennis the Menace Playground / El Estero Park
An iconic, whimsical Monterey playground designed with Hank Ketcham, set within the lakeside El Estero Park complex with paddle boats and trails.
Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park
A classic redwood retreat in the heart of Big Sur, with riverside campgrounds, towering redwoods, and the popular Pfeiffer Falls trail.
Fort Ord National Monument
A vast former Army base turned 14,000-acre BLM monument with 80+ miles of trails through rolling oak grassland, prized for hiking and mountain biking.
Garland Ranch Regional Park
A 4,400-acre Carmel Valley preserve with riverside meadows, oak and redwood trails, and ridgeline climbs to sweeping valley views.
Pacific Grove Marine Gardens / Ocean View Boulevard
A magenta-and-gold ribbon of bluff trail along Pacific Grove's shoreline, famed for tide pools, otters, and the spring ice plant bloom.
Moss Landing State Beach
A dune-backed beach beside Elkhorn Slough and Moss Landing harbor, famed for sea otters, seabirds, and horseback rides on the sand.
Garrapata State Park
A wild Big Sur gateway with a hidden sandy beach, redwood canyon trails, and bluff paths bursting with spring wildflowers.
Andrew Molera State Park
Big Sur's largest state park, where the Big Sur River meets the sea, with meadow trails, a beach, and the Ventana Wildlife condor program.
San Lorenzo County Park
A South County recreation anchor in King City with picnic areas, playgrounds, a river walking trail, sports courts, campground, and an ag museum.
San Carlos Beach Park
A grassy bluff-top park beside Cannery Row and the iconic Breakwater Cove dive spot, with bay views and easy beach and trail access.
Lake San Antonio
A large South County reservoir and recreation area with boating, fishing, camping, and wildlife viewing, famous for winter bald eagle tours.
Del Monte Beach
A long, dune-backed sandy beach in Monterey along the coastal trail, great for walks, beach play, and easy bay access near downtown.
Veteran's Memorial Park
A forested hillside park above Monterey with the only in-city campground on the Peninsula, plus trails, picnic areas, and bay views.
Marina State Beach
A wide, dune-backed beach in Marina with a hang-gliding launch, dune boardwalk, and miles of open sand along Monterey Bay.
Lake Nacimiento
A sprawling 'Dragon Lake' reservoir straddling the Monterey–SLO county line, known for boating, bass fishing, and oak-lined coves.
Point Pinos Lighthouse Grounds
The windswept northern tip of the Peninsula around the West Coast's oldest continuously operating lighthouse, with dunes, trails, and bay panoramas.
Royal Oaks County Park
A shaded north-county park near Aromas with oak groves, playgrounds, sports courts, horseshoe pits, and reservable group picnic sites.
Laguna Grande Regional Park
A lake-centered park straddling Seaside and Monterey with walking paths, birdwatching, playgrounds, and shaded picnic lawns.
Carmel River State Beach
A tranquil beach and lagoon south of Carmel where the Carmel River meets the sea, prized for birdwatching, walks, and the Monastery Beach dive site.
Natividad Creek Park
A large Salinas community park with a lake, creek trails, playgrounds, sports fields, and a butterfly garden popular with local families.
Salinas River State Beach
A quiet, dune-rich beach near the Salinas River mouth, prized for solitude, horseback riding, and shorebird-filled wetlands.
Lower Presidio Historic Park
A hilltop Monterey park layering thousands of years of history with sweeping bay views, monuments, and interpretive trails.
Toro Park to Fort Ord Connector / Sand City Beach
A broad, dune-backed Sand City beach along the bay, with open sand, big surf, and easy access from the coastal corridor.
Manuel Peak / Pinnacles Gateway Trails (South County)
South Monterey County's gateway to high-country and Pinnacles-area hiking, with oak-grassland trails, spring wildflowers, and big valley views.
About Monterey County Parks & Coastline
Monterey County is home to some of the most dramatic coastline and protected wild land in California — from the cliffs of Big Sur and the tide pools of Point Lobos to the redwood-shaded river trails of the Carmel Valley and the oak woodlands of the Salinas Valley. With a temperate, fog-kissed climate and an extraordinary range of ecosystems, outdoor life is at the heart of Monterey County culture.
This guide covers the best parks, beaches, trails, coastline, and nature reserves across the entire county — from iconic destinations like Pfeiffer Beach and the Monterey Bay Coastal Trail to local favorites like Jacks Peak, Garland Ranch, and Toro Park. Whether you're after family-friendly beaches, big-view hikes, whale-watching bluffs, or quiet hidden gems, Monterey County has it all.
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