Here are some of the most beautiful hiking areas on the Monterey Peninsula! As part of my New Year Resolution, each month my family and I will take the time to enjoy them a bit. I am so fortunate to live here and have this available to me. Now I have grown up on the Monterey Peninsula and have been to these place many times, but each time there is something different to see and notice.
| Coastal Recration Trail (EASY) | |
| Location: | Start at Lover's Point Park in Pacific Grove |
| Directions: | Start at Lovers Point Park which is located on Ocean View Blvd near downtown Monterey and right on the ocean. This is where the coastal recreation trail ends but where you are going to begin. |
| Hours: | Sunrise to Sunset |
| Description: | This is a really popular trail for walkers and bicyclist because it is an easy, mostly flat paved trail with great views. Start in Pacific Grove at Lovers Point Park and walk through Pacific Grove along the ocean, into the Cannery Row Area and through Fisherman's Wharf. Now, you can stop here and turn around or continue through Monterey along the water and sand dunes into the town of Seaside and beyond to Castroville - a total of 18 miles away! The "meat" of the trail (Lovers Point to Fishermans Wharf) is just a couple of miles in length. |
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Jacks Peak Park (EASY-MODERATE) |
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| Location: | 25020 Jacks Peak Park Road, Monterey |
| Directions: | From Hwy 68 heading East, take a right on Olmstead Road and follow it all the way up to Jacks Peak Park Road. Turn left and continue to park entrance. |
| Hours: | Jan-Feb 10a-5p; March - April 11a-6p; May-Sept 11a-7p; Oct-Dec 10a-5p |
| Description: | Jacks Peak Park offers visitors spectacular views from trails that wind through skyscraping Monterey Pine forests. An abundance of trees, wildlife and native plants makes Jacks Peak Park the perfect destination for any nature enthusiast. Almost 8.5 miles of horseback riding and hiking trails wind through cathedral-like forests and to breathtaking ridge top vistas. The Skyline Self-Guided Nature Trail traverses the summit of Jacks Peak. Brochures describing features along the trail are available at the entrance station. Entrance Fee of $2 - $3 per car. |
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Pt. Lobos State Reserve (EASY-MODERATE) |
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| Location: | Carmel |
| Directions: | The entrance is located three miles south of Carmel on Highway 1. |
| Hours: | Open daily at 9am; closes at 5p Winter and 7p Summer. |
| Description: | A really popular spot on the way down to Big Sur because of its history, its diversity and being called "the greatest meeting of land and sea." In addition to the spectacular beauty, there are rare plant communities, endangered archeological sites, unique geological formations, and incredibly rich flora an fauna of both land and sea. $8 entrance fee per car (or you can buy a day pass that will be good for the whole day at all state parks). Trail brochures are $1. |
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Garland Ranch Regional Park (EASY-DIFFICULT) |
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| Location: | Carmel Valley Road, Carmel Valley | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Directions: | The 4500 acre Garland Ranch Regional Park's main entrance is located 8.6 miles east of Highway 1 on Carmel Valley Road. The park extends several miles east and south along Carmel Valley Road to Carmel Valley Village. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Hours: | Sunrise - Sunset | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Description: | The park is home to a variety of landscapes that occur at elevations from 200 to 2000 feet. From the willow covered banks of the Carmel River through the cottonwood-sycamore stands of the old floodplain, the trails ascend steeply. Atop the northern crest of the Santa Lucia Mountains, the trails encounter open oak savannas and spectacular vistas. Along the way, you will travel through maple-filled canyons, dense oak woodlands, and thick stands of chaparral. Garzas Creek gently bisects the park and provides a peaceful, shaded trail that reaches a secluded side canyon of redwoods. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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