Always loved hiking here and it hasn't lost its beauty. The only problem is you do share the trail…read morewith bike riders. Who sometimes do not announce a warning as they rush by. Overall a gorgeous trail. Large wide open trails and views of Salinas farmlands when you get to the top. Plenty of parking and few toilets in the parking lot. No parking pass needed. Keep valuables hidden. Get out and enjoy the sunshine!! SYOY!

I might be somewhat biased about this area, born at Fort Ord when it was still an active army base…read moreand lived around Monterey Bay all my life. It really is beautiful. All that keep the BLM lands clean and in usable conditions are not thanked enough...thanks again. Walking,hiking,trail running,mountain biking and horseback riding it can all be done here. Plenty of trails for all levels of fitness. Wide open fire roads to tight single track with well marked signage. Restrooms at the well maintained parking areas where you can pick up a trial map. Dogs are allowed and welcome. Last words...it's free!

Great camping spot with amazing views! One of my favorite places in the Monterey Bay Area!read more

5 stars for the views! But our plans to camp here at Valley View campground over Labor day weekend…read more2025 ended with us fleeing due to flies, mosquitos, and overgrown everything- including poison oak. The overgrown brush was also dry as could be and in the fierce heat, it seemed this place would spontaneously combust. I have backpacked and camped all over CA and have never fled before. If you do go, avoid Valley View site 11. Absolutely no shade and it's right by the stinky outhouse. We got permission to move to shady site 12 (the overflow site) but still couldn't find a reason to stay. Maybe this place is better in Springtime!

A very nice place to walk with good views and mostly peaceful surroundings. The two downsides are…read moreits lack of safe walking access to the main entrance, being located right on the edge of a busy road, and the fact that the noise from the cars tends to permeate the otherwise wonderful atmosphere unless you get deeper into the preserve. Other than those two things, it's a wonderful place to walk, particularly in the evenings.

Short quarter mile hike in the heart of Del Rey Oaks, California. Heck, most people don't even know…read moreit's here. In the rainy season there is a small pond and running creeks due to water run off in the surrounding areas. In the summer time, it is really weird. The pond has dried up and the poison oak is abundant. Great little hike with lots of flowers and birds to see IMHO: wait fir a good rainstorm.

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.

Checked into the wrong thing earlier. I made the Grumpy White Man hike with me today. It was his…read morefirst real hike. Of course he was complaining. He was composing for the first 45 mins. Because he wasn't eating. He needs to become a good blogger. At the end of it, he was happy. It was nice out there, but wished they labeled their trails a little better. I feel like San Jose does a better job of labeling trails. Grumpy White man found an old wind mill, and got distracted for 10 mins. He was doing a photo shoot.

Great park for "family days" This place has been a staple…read morein my life. I enjoy this place for family parties. You do have to make reservations ahead of time to reserve a picnic area. Bathrooms are near by, and plenty of parking space area.

Otters, sea lions, whales with a beach and bench to watch the ocean. Well worth your time…read more Port a potties only. Uneven sandy trails but amazing views. Not wheel chair accessible. But sea otters! Sea lions! Whales!

Elkhorn Slough is a great place to visit on kayak - or even by foot if you enter the path across…read morethe road from the Elkhorn Yacht Club to view wildlife from two big viewing platforms. I went on for two kayak trips over the weekend -- Friday mid-day was choppy and windy, ebb tide with a LOT more animals and birds. Sunday early morning started out flat water at flood and got a bit windier as the ebb started. Fewer animals than Friday but more tourists, and also, jellyfish that blew in with the flood. Keep well clear of the animals - the guidelines I learned this weekend are: - keep 100 ft away (5-8 kayak lengths) - if a seal or otter is looking AT you - you are too close! - if a seal or otter takes evasive action, you are too close Just go out, keep your voices down (they carry well over the water and scare animals and birds) and enjoy watching nature!

Absolutely lovely location.Be careful of High Tides. Cold,cold water right now, so bundle up while…read morestrolling. Will definitely experience it again!! Possibly Summer camping again!!

This beach is a quiet, smaller spot within walking distance of the Marina Dunes RV Resort. It has a…read morepeaceful, almost private feel to it. We stayed at the resort and loved the easy access, there's a direct path that leads from the resort straight to the beach. On both sides of the path, fencing helps protect the local wildlife and their habitat, which adds to the natural charm of the area. The parking lot can get a little hectic, especially in the mornings and around sunset. There are public restrooms nearby, which is a nice convenience. Many people head here in the evening to catch the beautiful sunset. Overall, it's a lovely beach worth visiting.

What's not to enjoy about a chill boat ride with both John the naturalist and Roberta the captain…read morespittin facts and calling your attention to all the cool wildlife around you. They were super engaging and informative. There was a sneak attack of cookies and hot chocolate for the ride back which was a touch of whimsy that was appreciated. Tiny marshmallows for the win!! Great way to spend an afternoon.

My family highly recommended this tour to me for years and I had wanted to go here so badly! Today,…read moremy husband and I finally went aboard for a tour of Elkhorn Slough on one of the most beautiful and warm spring days I have seen in the Monterey Bay! The tour lasted an hour and a half and during that time our captain Roberta and our fabulous naturalist shared a plethora of knowledge on the birds and mammals we observed, took pics for us and even gave us coffee and delicious cookies! It was so relaxing being out there on calm waters. Getting amazing pics of California wildlife made this a day I will always remember. I loved this experience and can't say enough positive things about it. You must do this boat trip/tour!!