Are you looking for the best walking trails in Monterey, CA? Well, luckily people don’t have to venture out too far. Monterey and the surrounding areas are filled with wonderful places to walk that offer great views of the ocean and/or the surrounding hills. This article highlights some of the best.

Monterey Peninsula Recreational Trail

This is by far the best choice because the views of the Pacific Ocean are amazing. It’s a paved path that takes you through many of the highlights of the region. The trail is a total of 18 miles long. It stretches from Pacific Grove to Castroville which means that it goes right through Monterey. It is right along the water so seeing seals, sea lions, and other marine life on your route is not uncommon.

It is a paved trail which makes it safe for strollers, wheel chairs, and walkers. You can also bring your dogs – just clean up after them! There are parking opportunities throughout the trail so you can do different parts of the trail at different times. One of the best places to park is at Fisherman’s Wharf in Monterey so you can view the major ocean-front sites of the city by foot.

Jack’s Peak County Park
25020 Jacks Peak Park Road, Monterey, CA 93940

This park has plenty of opportunities for walking. You can hike up the peak itself or take your car to the top, pay the fee at the gate, and enjoy the walking trails that branch off from the parking area.

The best trail is a short loop that takes you by two view points. One gives you an amazing view of the entire Monterey Bay. The other gives you a wonderful view of Carmel. Ask for a walking trail at the entry gate.

Toro Park
501 Monterey-Salinas Highway 68, Salinas, CA 93908

This is another regional park in the area. The “walking” is more like hiking, but like any hiking area there are easy trails and harder ones. You can look for a map online or find one in the park. At Toro Park, not only do you have some great views of the surrounding mountains, you can actually walk to the top of some of the peaks!

Garland Ranch
Carmel Valley Road, Carmel Valley, CA

Here is some footage courtesy of turkeyfeed:

FROM THE DUNES TO THE REDWOODS

If Monterey County’s spectacular coastline is your calling, consider Highway 1. Designated as California’s first scenic highway and a National Scenic Byway, Highway 1 lures travelers with its ever-changing cliffs, pounding surf, spouting whales and dramatic sky-scapes. This scenic highway will take you along California’s most amazing stretch of coastline, from Moss Landing to Big Sur, with lunar-like dunes giving way to sheer mountain cliffs rising from the ocean to the majestic coastal mountain range.

Tucked along the Pacific-side of artichoke fields cascading to the sea lies Moss Landing, a coastal town steeped in charm and outback adventure. Road warriors come for the good eats at the Whole Enchilada and pristine shoreline stretching across Moss Landing State Beach. Naturalists come for the real deal: this is birding country, kayaking heaven and classic California before the crowds. Serious shoppers know that the Stella Page Design studio is located in sleepy Moss Landing like uncovering an unbroken sand dollar on the beach, uncovering these beautiful designs is like finding a hidden treasure.

A haven for kite boarders and hang-gliders, Marina Dunes Preserve and Marina State Beach deliver an astral seascape, punctuated with surfers silently riding the horizon. Dip in for quick surf or glide, but bring your own gear.

Seaside, also along scenic Highway 1, is a top stop for families looking to re-bond and re-boot along the shoreline, swing a few golf clubs or hit the bike trails. This quaint city is quietly undergoing an evolution into a resort destination anchored by Seaside State Beach and Ford Ord, the former military base now open for exploration with an impressive network of 86 miles of scenic mountain bike trails and wild flowers. New: Four miles of sandy coast called Ford Ord Dunes Sate Park just opened.

Traveling South, explorer’s drop into Sand City which lays claim to a vibrant artists’ community, dubbed “SoHo West.” One of the state’s leaders in the live-work movement, the city’s creative rehabilitation of old properties into artist’s lofts and retail/residential units is a study in lifestyle ergonomics. For a snapshot of all things art, the light industrial-cum-loft area in the West End offers a great escape for enthusiasts. The region also sports a Theatre District, bevy of coffee shops, bookstores, boutiques and of course – plenty of sand.

A respite for romantics, artists and Hollywood “A” listers, Carmel has a cache of offbeat excursions and inns that won’t break the bank. If you are traveling with Fido, tap into Carmel-by-the-Sea, one of the nation’s top dog-friendly haunts with leash-free beaches and nearly 30 dog-friendly restaurants and inns. Once a Bohemian playground drawing the likes of Ansel Adams, Jack London, Robinson Jeffers, Sinclair Lewis and Upton Sinclair, today visitors are more likely to run into ex-mayor Clint Eastwood (1986-1990), Pebble Beach players and celebrities seeking a bit of solace.

Hikers who value nature at its naked best can head South on Highway 1 and experience true bliss at Point Lobos State Nature Reserve, home to some of the region’s most dramatic seascapes and thousands of seabirds, seals, sea lions and migrating whales. Noted as “The crown jewel of the state park system,” Point Lobos is also home to the only two naturally growing strands of Monterey Cypress trees remaining on earth and a stunning lineup of beaches worthy of film credits. Top picks include China Cove (filming spot of The Sandpiper with Elizabeth Taylor) and Gibson Beach.

Urbanites seeking a sybaritic sojourn should keep heading south and high tail it along California’s craggy coastline to the ultimate out West bastion: Big Sur. Wild and rugged, the 90-mile stretch along Big Sur coastline is possibly the world’s most beautiful drive. Located on Highway 1, Bixby Bridge is world famous and a favorite of photographers and film shoots. More than 700 feet long and 260 feet above the stream below, Bixby Bridge is one of the top ten highest single-span bridges in the world. The bridge is just one chapter in the story of this magnificent scenic highway.

From rustic cabins to world-class inns, Big Sur offers a variety of lodgings. Treebones Resort- named after the remnants of naked tree trunks from a working wood mill in the 1960s, and set on 10 sumptuous acres, this offbeat resort offers 16 comfortable Mongolian yurts with lights, heating, skydomes and a tasty waffle bar.

Novelists John Steinbeck and Henry Miller, poet Robinson Jeffers, and photographer Ansel Adams all documented the singular natural beauty and unique history of Monterey County: the fertile inland valleys, rolling hills of the Santa Lucia Mountain range, dramatic rock formations of Pinnacles National Monument, craggy coastline of Big Sur and the constantly changing waters of the Monterey Bay, now it’s time for the intrepid road trippers to find out why. SeeMonterey.com

VISITOR INFORMATION

Monterey County is located 120 miles/192 km south of San Francisco and 345 miles/552 km north of Los Angeles along the classic California corridor. The region boasts 99 miles of prime Pacific Coastline, the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary, three historic missions, 40,000 acres of premium vineyards, 25 golf courses and over 200 lodging properties. Monterey County includes the Monterey Peninsula, Big Sur, North County and the Salinas Valley. The Monterey Peninsula Airport (MRY), just three miles from historic downtown Monterey and minutes from the area’s major attractions, is served by non-stop flights to and from Denver (DEN), Las Vegas (LAS), Phoenix (PHX), Los Angeles (LAX), San Diego (SAN) and San Francisco (SFO). http://www.seemonterey.com/

SOURCE Monterey County Convention and Visitor’s Bureau

The Priceline Top 50 Destinations List for July 4th 2009

1. New Orleans, Downtown/Convention Center
2. Las Vegas, Strip Vicinity South
3. Chicago, Millennium Park/Loop/Grant Park Area
4. New York City, Times Square/Theater District
5. Seattle, Downtown/Pike Place
6. San Diego, Coastal Area
7. Chicago, North Michigan Avenue/River North Area
8. New Orleans, French Quarter
9. Washington, DC, White House/Downtown (www.priceline.com/travelblog/ for related article on Washington)
10. Boston, Copley Square/Theater District
11. Montreal
12. San Francisco, Union Square West/Nob Hill
13. San Diego, Downtown & Harbor Island
14. San Diego, Point Loma/Shelter Island/Old Town
15. Las Vegas, Strip Vicinity North
16. St. Catharines, Niagara Falls
17. San Antonio, Downtown/Riverwalk
18. Orange County, Disneyland Area
19. Boston, Harbor Front/Aquarium
20. Orlando, Universal Studios/Sea World Area
21. Newport (RI), Goat Island/Newport & Newport Beach (www.priceline.com/travelblog/ for related article on Newport)
22. Vancouver, Downtown
23. New York City, Empire State Building Area
24. Philadelphia, Downtown
25. Virginia Beach
26. New York City, Midtown East
27. Monterey, Monterey/Pacific Grove
28. Oahu, Waikiki Marina Area
29. Boston, Quincy Market/Faneuil Hall/Financial District
30. Oahu, Waikiki Beach Area
31. Myrtle Beach
32. Hilton Head Island
33. Buffalo, Niagara Falls/Buffalo/Amherst
34. Newark, Meadowlands/Jersey City
35. Washington, DC, Convention Center/Capitol Hill Area
36. Toronto, Downtown
37. Portland, Downtown
38. Destin, FL
39. Savannah, Historic District
40. Orlando, Disney World Vicinity
41. San Francisco, Union Square East
42. London, Mayfair/Soho (www.priceline.com/travelblog/ for related article on London)
43. San Diego, Coronado
44. Miami, Miami Beach
45. Charleston, SC, Downtown
46. Chicago, Lincoln Park
47. Ocean City, MD
48. Monterey, Carmel/Carmel Valley
49. Atlantic City, Atlantic City/Cape May
50. New York City, Midtown West

Twice in the same list. Sweet.