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.

One of our extended families favorite beaches. We usually all meet up there a few times a year. We…read morecan all bring our dogs (leashes required) It is an extremely quiet and uncrowded beach. Hardly ever any crowds. Possibly the reason it is so quiet could be the hike to get to the beach... The walk is long slogging through the sand on the trail. The dunes are roped off to preserve them (please follow the rules). Once you make it to the beautiful beach you are rewarded with the peaceful sound of the waves and birds. Families building sandcastles and dipping their toes in the ocean. If you're lucky it will be hot enough for a quick dip! The waters are calm, the sand is clean and the sunsets magical... Whales have been sighted at almost every visit. They are far out so unless they breach you're pretty much just getting a glimpse of their spouts spraying. A few amazing times tails slapping! Maybe if you have binoculars you can see better! Please keep it clean and pack out whatever you bring, it's a nature preserve and no garbage cans on the beach. Take only memories leave only footprints!

Lovely beach to visit, although parking is EXTREMELY limited. But if you're patient you'll…read moreeventually get a space. Or you could park out at the beginning of the entrance and walk in. Not too crowded as well.

What a creatively designed park. It looks like nothing from afar until you open the gate to a…read moregreat playground to unleash your adventurous imagination.

What a great park, so much fun for the lil ones & the older kiddos…read more Nice park to play at & have a snack, plenty of places to sit.

We drove 2 hours one way to visit this park! It is a fun park, with complex climbing rope structure…read moreand two tall slides. Has one of the two ziplines open (one appears broken 8/8/26 even though park just reopened). Fun playground, but doesn't really have a robust place for littles to play (tiny whale structure with a slide), and because the pump track is so close to the playground, a lot of bikes were riding fast on the sidewalk between the playground & pump track - so it felt a bit stressful with a 18m old, but my older kids loved it! Note: pump track posted rules do NOT allow e bikes / gas powered motorcycle bikes. Bicycles, skateboards & scooters allowed. Pump track has painted arrows to show which way you are supposed to go through the course. Despite this, we witnessed an accident on the course between a young 4? Year old boy and older 12? Year old boy, who was not going in the direction of traffic/cutting over through non paved areas. Witnessed another boy using a gas powered mini motorcycle on the course, while 3 year olds are simultaneously scootering - watch your kids - this can be dangerous for younger children.

This park is like a mini amusement park. We stumbled upon it on our road trip and was blown away at…read morethe playground equipment. My Kids could spend all day here, there was so much to do. They had a zip line and something called a pump track. I have never seen a pump track at a public park before was absolutely stunned at how cool it was. There is also adult workout equipment and public restrooms.

Going down the dunes to the ocean is easy!…read more But, walking up the dunes is challenging! So beware!!!

We stayed at the Portola Inn and Spa, so their location couldn't have been closer! It is directly…read moreacross the Portola Plaza that extends to the original Fishermans wharf. The bike selection was decent, and the rates were relatively reasonable. $30 for four hours, or $40 for a full day (meaning up till 5:30 PM of that day). The particular person at this location was not very customer-service centric, and was scarcely helpful in explaining anything. We wouldn't put this place down because of him but, for such a high visibility and somewhat affluent location, he is not a good fit. I did a full day bike rental, and ended up returning it under the four-hour window, so I opted for the $30 (4-hr) rental and called them ahead of time. Communication was poor between the two locations, something that could definitely be improved especially with tourist season ramping up. I discovered upon returning the bike that I was obliged to go to their main location by the Monterey Plaza Hotel to collect a voucher for the difference, so we had to make another trip. Monterey is so beautiful this time of year, so we didn't mind but would've preferred to know ahead of time. The main location is very large and has an abundance of rentals - from kayaks to cruisers, cute lorry-style pedal bikes for families and everything in between. They also have deeply discounted sales from time to time on used bicycles and kayaks at this location. We saw an awesome 2-person kayak for under $100, and would have bought it if we had a way to bring it back! Adventures By the Sea has numerous locations across the US, so I've got my fingers crossed that the voucher is good for Maui too.

Kayaking Monterey is a must. Relatively calm waters and abundant wildlife. At the time of this…read morewriting, this is the only location they are launching from for the season (Cannery Row). Easy launch site across the street adjacent to M. Plaza Hotel. I believe there are discounts and relationships with surrounding hotels so ask your concierge. I felt comfortable renting versus a tour as the bay is generally calm and easy to navigate with landmarks. Here's the skinny. All transactions take place through the side of the building, a few steps down from the bike trail. I recommend going earlier than later as the sun can get intense even in the fall. Pleasant staff but they need more help. One person helped launch while the woman help process. When I arrived, I could not find staff for five minutes. You will also have to wait as they take small parties out to the shore at a time. Get ready to view curious otters and seals. An abundant aviary species. You can paddle to the Aquarium to the harbor. I took a leisurely three hours, but most folks are done unter two.

Beautiful campground, well kept and really close to the beach as well as the Aquarium.read more

This park is very overpriced for the quality of RV sites & amenities available (only restrooms),…read morethere are no areas for children to play so they ride their bikes & scooters in high traffic areas, making it frustrating for RV owners trying to navigate spaces. We saw multiple occasions where RV owners had difficulty getting into their sites, which are small & cramped. Because the sites are so close together, we heard our neighbors talking, playing music & laughing until 12 pm. The office hours are ridiculous. (The office was only open until 4 pm on a Saturday.) Also, the park is located on the freeway, so sleeping, even with earphones, & relaxing is difficult. The only advantage is the location, which is 25 minutes to Monterey & the beach is walking distance. I do not recommend this place.

At 87.00 monthly I was expecting a 5 star treatment. I realize it takes a lot of money and…read moreresources to keep a facility like this running but so far not impressed. Warming pool has been down since I joined and now hot tub motor is broken. Several machines down. I'm paying more here because I expected more. Also, I think in the 2 months I've been here only one front desk member has addressed me with a hello or goodbye. Your members are the sole reason you have a job. Greet people. Don't just stare at your computer screen as we walk by. I'm old school And this is rude. I've even slowed down as I walk by and tried to make eye contact with no success. Luckily, the upside is the members who come here are a little friendlier and have more common sense and courtesy than most places. So there's that. But so far not impressed with where my extra money is going.

The warm therapy pool is closed once again because of the pool heater. It was just closed four…read moremonths ago for a similar problem. Before that it was the hot tub's heater and it was closed for over a month. The Salinas pool has been closed for a year with no opening date in sight. The instructors go on medical leave for six months or more, but they don't find replacements for the classes. The front desk could care less about your complaints or concerns, they're just rude. All this costs you $85 per month.