I visited the Fort Ord Dunes State Park in Marina, CA [Beach Range Road] on Tuesday, 9/30/25,…read morearound 2 PM. I decided to come here for a nice, chill beach day. What I enjoyed most about the beach was the tranquility, peacefulness, and calmness. The entire view of the area was gorgeous. I was able to soak up the ocean air and breeze. To top it off, the beach was not crowded at all. Overall, I spent about four hours there. On-site, parking was complimentary. There were portable restrooms available at everyone's convenience. There were signs to help navigate the walking trail or even heading towards the beach. I highly recommend visiting this place. I'd return in the future.

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.

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 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.

What gift to the community! Everything about this park is wonderful from the large owl play…read morestructure to the swings and climbing equipment. I love all of the wood! My grandkids had a fabulous time and we are already looking forward to their next visit so we can come to this park again.

this park is currently neing remodeled and looks nothing like the pictures. However, the pump track…read moreis open and is a lot of fun for kids and bike enthusiasts.

Always a great time at this park/playground with the pump track there!…read more And bathrooms have been available for the most part!

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 Yurt Stay with Great Location…read more Our family spent a week in Big Sur staying in cabins, but there was virtually no cell phone reception, which made it impossible for me to work. Since I had to work three days of the week, we chose to stay at Marina Dunes RV Park in a yurt -- and it was even nicer than expected! The yurt was very clean and comfortable, and the bed was great -- we slept so well. Staff were friendly, check-in was easy, and the bathrooms (a short walk away) were cleaned daily and well-maintained. Even though it's close to the Pacific Coast Highway (Highway 1), it was surprisingly quiet. The location is perfect for exploring Monterey, Carmel, and Big Sur. There's a beautiful trail over the dunes that takes you right to the ocean, and just down the street is a state beach entrance and parking lot -- we even rode our bikes there! ‍ The drive from here to Big Sur is absolutely breathtaking and so worth it. Cell reception was excellent for T-Mobile (four bars most of the time), and if you need full 5G, just head up the street to Walmart. We loved it so much we booked another two-week stay later this year, and this time we'll be bringing our RV. Highly recommend!

Our stay at Marina Dunes RV Park in early January 2026 was well worth it. The park is extremely…read moreclean, well maintained - all the amenities work. The sites are level with privacy fence. They have fire rings and I enjoyed sitting by the fire without staring at the next RV sewer pipes. The staff is courteous and friendly. Mike, the manager, responded and helped us out on his day off. The park is just a ston throw away from Marina State Beach. One can walk to Walmart, other shopping centers and gas stations. This RV park ranks on my list as one of the best if not the very best.

The only reason I go to this gym is because it's conveniently located gym for me, however, I would…read morelike to make a few comments/recommendations since it's not a cheap place as far as membership goes. The ladies bathrooms smell badly, not sure if it's the sewage that smells. The rug in the locker room is very dirty. It could use being replaced or shampooed. Today the whole place smelled of bathrooms. They could install fans on the walls to help the airflow in the lockers. Compared to Monterey fitness center, I never see an attendant in the locker rooms or around the gym cleaning around the equipment. Maybe the management should checkout the Monterey fitness center, just to get an idea on how to run a good gym. MGC charges $45/month. Montage charges $86/ month. Monterey fitness center a much larger and nicer with far more equipment. It's always spotless.

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.