Fort Ord Dunes State Park, North of Seaside
6.3 Miles | 10 Minutes Drive
Fort Ord Dunes State Park protects about four miles of Monterey Bay shoreline on the former Army base of Fort Ord, north of Seaside. It is about 10 minutes up Highway 1 from Pacific Inn, and it feels much farther from town: wide sand, tall dunes, and big views across the bay to Monterey and Pacific Grove.
The park has a blufftop trail and paths down to the beach, and the Monterey Bay Coastal Recreation Trail runs along its eastern edge. It is open for day use from 8 a.m. to sunset. Parts of the old blufftop boardwalk have been buried by sand or lost to erosion, and some trail sections are detoured during campground work, so check current conditions before you go.
Tips
- Check the State Parks page for directions, day-use fees, and trail detours.
- The surf is powerful and the water is cold. This is a beach for walking, not swimming.
- Late afternoon light on the dunes is beautiful. Bring a windbreaker.
Photo: Fort Ord Dunes State Park, Near Monterey, California by Ken Lund, via Wikimedia Commons. Original photograph and this image adaptation licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0. Resized; website renditions may be cropped and converted in format. This license applies only to the photograph.
