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.

Awesome park! We were looking for a place for our kids to get their energy out and this place was…read moreso wonderful! They have two playgrounds for different age groups which always helps. I love that they have so much nature areas that the kids can run and climb on besides the playground. They also have a basketball court, tennis court and basebAll! Downside: bathroom is not clean but I know I shouldn't expect much from a park. Best part: little library right next to the tennis court. It also has a lot of trails! We saw 2 deers too!!! This is what happens when you come from LA! Nature is a wonderful thing!

Awesome little park! It's super clean, manicured, quiet, and well layed out. I grew up going to…read morethis park since I lived in the neighborhood and now I take my toddler there. There is a playground for 2-5 year olds right next to a playground for 5-12 year olds. Across the grass from the playgrounds, there is a baseball field, with a basketball court next to it. On the other side from the playground are some very quiet tennis courts. Plus there are bathrooms, benches, and a fairly large picnic area up above. Also, there's walking paths around it and a canyon behind it. We took my dog today and did not see any No Dog signs, except understandably, on the baseball field and in the tennis courts. You should definitely keep them on a leash though because there are squirrels and other wildlife (deer, birds) in the park. Plus the park is surrounded by streets.

My 1st review of 2026!!!…read more I've visited Lovers Point Park twice so far, and I love it here. :) My first visit was back in April of 2025, and I remember that I parked in the residential street and walked two blocks to get to the park. The place has nice walking paths, beautiful ocean views, and pretty park area with picnic tables. The squirrels are so friendly and will approach you without any fear. So friendly! My 2nd visit was today with my boyfriend and his doggie. It was his visit here, and we got a nice walk in plus we enjoyed our bagel sandwiches here. There's a long walking path, but we didn't get to walk all of it. Next time we will do it! :) You can also walk down to the beach area and climb the rocks if you're feeling adventurous!

Great little picturesque beach area and park to visit both during the day and even at night for a…read moredifferent vibe. As with most places along the coast on the peninsula, the weekends can be pretty busy, so visit mid-week if you can.

This is one of the most gorgeous state parks in California!! I've been wanting to visit for years…read moreand we finally made it here this past weekend. We were staying in Monterey, so it was about a 25 min drive to get there, we arrived before 11am. We parked before the park entrance along Highway 1 where there were NO signs saying "No parking at any time" THIS IS IMPORTANT because as we were walking towards the entrance, there was a parking enforcement officer giving tickets to all the other cars parked where the signs were clearly posted closer to the entrance. So make sure you pay attention! There is parking inside the park too for only $10. Once inside there were park rangers helping you with questions and guiding you on deciding which trails to go on, which was very nice and convenient! We took a picture of the map and choose to do the Cypress Grove, and the Sea Lion Point Trails. We only had about 3 hrs to hang out at the park, so those two were perfect easy hikes and roughly about 2.5 miles if you do both loops. We got spectacular views everywhere, you could hear the Sea Lions and see so many beautiful birds flying around. Wish we would've brought binoculars, so bring some with you if you remember. We can't wait to come back another time and do a full day of hiking because there are so many other trails! The park and restrooms were clean and well kept too, it's definitely a must visit once in your lifetime at least!!

Absolutely stunning scenery! Easily one of the best hiking trails I've experienced! I've visited…read moretwice now, and both times have been fantastic. The coastal trails are well marked and offer breathtaking lookout points throughout the hike. Today was a little foggy but we were still able to enjoy the beauty. It's definitely worth arriving early to secure parking. The main lot was full when we got there, but we were able to find a spot along Highway 1. While it was a bit crowded, the variety of trails helps spread people out, so it never felt too overwhelming. We hiked about 3.5 miles and made it to the cove where seals birth their pups, Bird Island, hidden beach coves with beautiful blue water and tide pools. There were also docents and volunteers we spotted along the way. Next time I'd like to go further down the trail and explore more of the park.

I love this area. The wildlife spotting is amazing, and the views are spectacular. The beach is…read morenice, but really, it is all about the wildlife here. On one side, you've got sea otters playing in the water, on the other side, you've got deer wandering through the neighbors front yard. It's currently warm, and it's just such a cool spot. Definitely one of my favorite spots of all time. I love coming back here.

Beautiful place to walk or watch the sunset, it's dog-friendly & there's tide pools at low tide. We…read moreeven saw deers nearby.

Nice location and safe. The park is in good condition and well kept. The variety of slides are good…read morefor all ages. Also, basketball courts, dog, park, volleyball, picnic tables, and restrooms.

Nice park, but I never use it because of the "no trespassing military only" sign. Today I'm here as…read morea guest, but I live locally and feel sad that I can never bring my son here unless as an invited guest. Minus one star for excluding the general public and the scary sign.

This park has a lot to do. They have the Dennis the Menace park for the kiddos, boating for…read moreeveryone and lot of trails to get steps in.

What a great place to practice wildlife photography…read more.. Park up near crane island, set your shutter speed to something useful and just wait and watch the world go by at a slightly slower pace !..

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

Not to much to hype up. Recent visit was Early October - way too early in season. Best time is…read moreduring Thanksgiving weekend - super crowded with butterflies and people. LOL.... Nice trail and a cool place to check out when visiting the Monterey Pacific Grove area....also cool rocks and tide pools nearby...Will be back later on this season.....

Purchased and maintained by the City of Pacific Grove in collaboration with the Dept. of Fish and…read moreWildlife, Monarch Grove Sanctuary provides a sanctuary habit for Monarch Butterflies during the winter months of Oct through Feb. Be aware that the butterflies here are protected and there is a $1K fine for touching any butterflies. We unfortunately arrived a bit too early in the year so there were no butterflies to be found. We walked around the accessible areas that were not roped off, but ultimately there is not a lot to see when the butterflies have not flown in yet. Parking is available for free at street level on either entrance of the Sanctuary.

We went pedal boating here and I really enjoyed it, it was something different for us. It was me,…read moremy husband, and my daughter and we got to pedal around the lake together, which was really nice. The staff was great, very informative and made sure we understood everything before we got on. They had different types of boats too, not just regular ones, but fun ones like ducks, swans, and even dragon boats, which made it feel more exciting, especially for kids. It's very family friendly and I felt like everything was safe. They provided life jackets and made sure everyone was good before heading out. We'll definitely come back, probably on a warmer day so we can enjoy it even more.

4 Stars for El Estero Boating + 1 additional star specifically for the very chill, handsome dog &…read morethe young gentlemen handling this joint. First and foremost, thank you to my Little for planning a fun day out in Monterey for our monster!! We honestly couldn't have imagined a better FUNtie!! Located across the way from Dennis The Menace Park, El Estero Boating is a family owned business offering paddle boat rentals. They are open 7 days a week aside from rainy, heavily foggy, or extremely windy days. Rentals are available for half hour rentals or hour long rentals. The regular paddle boats will set you back $27 for 30 mins & $35 for an hour. The fancier boats [swan, duck, dragon] are rented by 30 min increments and cost $45 for each half hour timeframe. Life jackets are conveniently included within the listed pricing. Please be advised that a $2 card transaction fee will be applied if you pay via card. The lake is spacious and that leaves you with plenty of room to roam freely and not have issues running into other boats. BUT!! Don't get the bright idea of racing any other guests bc WHO REALLY DOES THAT?? LOL!! My legs absolutely felt the burn bc ya girl doesn't do any kind of running unless it has to do with my mouth. Lmao!!! The boats work well and they go in the appropriate direction you want them to- this is not always the case for paddle boats in general! Side note: I agree with some of the reviews regarding customer service being dry and unfriendly depending on the person you're dealing with but I'll chalk it up to it being really early. By the end of our visit, our entire party was really happy with the kindness & helpfulness of the staff we encountered. Overall, picking El Estero Boating was great. Coming here was lots of fun for both us adults and a 5yo toddler.