 The Monterey Peninsula Toy Box |
Walking
&
Hiking on the
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"Traveler,
there is no path, the path is made by walking"
-Antonio
Machado
Downtown Carmel
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Left: A little summer fog accompanies walkers in downtown Carmel. |
This may seem obvious, but you need to look around here for secret passageways. Some just lead to where people keep their garbage, but many lead to other parts of town, or to hidden shops and galleries.
For guided walking tours of Carmel, check out Carmel Walks.
Mission Trail Park
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Left: The main path in the upper areas of Mission Trail Park |
This is a small canyon that runs from a point just east of downtown Carmel to the Carmel Mission. Few people know it is there. To find it go to the intersection of Ocean Avenue and Junipero. Look for Mountain View Avenue, the street that goes up diagonally from the intersection. Take it a few blocks to the end. The park begins there with a footbridge. The southern entrance to the park is on Rio Road across from the Carmel Mission. There is another well-hidden entrance half-way between, but you'll never find it without being taken by the hand, so we won't bother giving directions.
A wide, well maintained path connects the park's endpoints. A similar path to the west parallels the main path in the southern areas of the park. A network of more rugged footpaths runs along the eastern side. These will take you up towards the old Flanders Mansion and to the adjacent arboretum. Some of these trails offer views of the Carmel Mission and Carmel Bay beyond. Here in the forest it is not uncommon to see (or at least hear) redheaded woodpeckers practicing their craft.
The only drawback is that there is virtually no parking at either end of the park, so you'll have to walk a bit just to get there. Moreover, Rio Road is difficult to cross safely, so be cautious.
Hatton Canyon
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Left: Photo of Hatton Canyon looking south from the central meadow. |
Hatton Canyon runs parallel to Highway 1 behind the Carmel High School. For over 40 years it was threatened by Caltrans whose engineers wanted to fill it in and build a freeway bypass. During the summer of 2001 Governor Gray Davis signed bill to turn the land over to California State Parks, ending a bitter and divisive controversy.
Hatton Canyon contains a rich diversity of habitats over its two-mile length. The upper region is a steep V-shaped gorge in a dense Monterey Pine forest. A little farther down, the east hillside of the canyon opens up into a broad grassland. The middle of the canyon features a fair sized meadow, bordered on the north by a grove of oaks. Farther down is a lush Monterey Pine forest with a perennial stream. As it approaches Carmel Valley, there are cottonwoods and a thick grove of willows covering a bulrush marsh.
This is a great area for birdwatching. At various times Mr. Toy has spotted hawks, owls, quail, woodpeckers, and many others too numerous to mention.
If Caltrans had its way, everything along the main trail would have been buried 25-60 feet below the roadway. The hillsides in the upper canyon, in clear view of the existing highway, were to be carved beyond recognition. We can now rest assured that this diverse ecosystem will be preserved for all time.
The lower two-thirds of the canyon are easily accessible. To get to the middle areas of the canyon go to Carmel High School, at Ocean Avenue and Highway 1. From the school parking lot drive one block north along the frontage road parallel to the highway. Turn right onto Flanders Drive. Follow it down and around to the first street that turns off to the left, Canyon Drive. Take the short road that goes down to the left, not the one that goes up to the right. Begin your walk at the gate.
Another way to enter the canyon is from Carmel Valley Road. Park at the Carmel Rancho shopping center and carefully cross Carmel Valley Road. The entrance to the canyon is halfway between the highway and the Carmel Rancho stoplight. The largest wetlands in the canyon are adjacent to this entrance.
Point Lobos State Reserve
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Left:
China
Cove at
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Located just a few miles south of Carmel on Highway 1, Point Lobos is loaded with trails and picnic areas. They're all pretty, but the most spectacular trails are the North Shore Trail, and the Cypress Grove Trail. China Cove, located just past the last parking lot, is another favorite spot. Point Lobos was a favorite hangout for pioneering photographers like Edward Weston and Ansel Adams, who, as you know, had good taste. There is an admission fee. Mr. Toy is not sure what it is this week, but the official Point Lobos site will tell you.
Soberanes Point, Garrapata State Park
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Left: Soberanes Point as seen from a turnout on Highway 1 |
Located just a few miles farther south from Point Lobos. Look for a dramatic ridgeline that plunges into the sea. That's Soberanes Point. There's trails around the edge of the point (easy). There's a trail inland up the canyon (moderate). There's trails that go high up into the hills (hard climbing). The best part is it's all free.
For more Big Sur hiking adventures, see Jon Iverson's extensive guide to Hiking in Big Sur
Garland Ranch Regional Park
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Left: An old barn in Garland Park. |
Garland Park is located about seven or eight miles east of Highway 1 on Carmel Valley Road. If wide-open acreage is what you like, this is the place to go. This park is over four miles long and roughly two miles wide.
There's several easy trails along the flood plain, and trails ranging from moderate to very steep in the hills. Hardy hikers can make a full day of it and walk to the ridgeline which reaches an elevation of almost 2,000 feet! They also have equestrian trails for horsie rides. Caution: on hot days or long hikes be sure to carry water with you.
Garland Park has no admission fee. Hooray!
Tourist
Attractions
vs.
Real Life
Monterey
Peninsula
Toy Box Store
Jacks Peak County Park
Way up high in the Monterey Pines is Jacks Peak. It was named after former mega-landowner David Jacks. The park straddles the ridgeline between Monterey and Carmel Valley. Two words sum it up: panoramic views. Trails range from moderate to pretty hard. There are horse trails here too. For first-time visitors, there's a self-guided nature trail that has all the best views on a relatively short loop.
To get there take Highway 68 from Monterey east towards Salinas. Go to Olmsted Road, which is across from the entrance to the airport. Turn right on Olmsted. Go to Jacks Peak Drive and turn left. When you reach the guard-house you need to pay a few dollars. Have exact change, because it's a self-serve system.
Once inside turn right and go to the parking lot at the end of the road. The self guided nature trail is right off of the parking lot. They've got pretty decent rest rooms here, too.
If you don't have time for a walk, there's a great place to park and view Monterey Bay partway up the road just before the guard house.
Shoreline Recreation Trail
A combo bike/walk recreation trail extends along the northern shoreline of the Peninsula. The segment you'll most likely use begins along the shores of Sand City along Sand Dunes Drive parallel to Highway 1. At Canyon Del Rey, by the Monterey Beach Hotel, the trail splits for a short distance. One segment winds up and over the sand dunes west of the freeway, and provides 360 degree panoramic views of the bay and two cities at the summit. The other segment stays on level ground on the east side of the freeway, where it passes by Robert's Lake, skirting the southwest corner of Seaside. The two segments rejoin in Monterey near where the freeway crosses over Del Monte Avenue.
From there the trail runs along a former (and hopefully future) railroad right-of-way through Monterey. It goes through a fragrant eucalyptus grove near the Naval Postgraduate School, past Fisherman's Wharf, through the heart of Cannery Row, past the aquarium and out to Lovers Point in Pacific Grove. The Pacific Grove portion separates bike and pedestrian traffic. Bicycles use the paved surface, while walkers can take the earthen path, which takes you closer to the water in some places.
The sections between the wharf and Cannery Row, and between the aquarium and Lover's Point are great places to watch sea otters and sea lions. Take your binoculars.
The northern segment of the trail can be found behind Circuit City in Sand City. The trail crosses under the freeway, revealing spectacular panoramic view of the bay and peninsula from atop the sand dunes. This portion of the trail runs through Fort Ord and over to Marina along the railroad tracks.
Safety tips: Treat the trail like a road. It has a dashed yellow line down the middle to make it easy. Since it is used by both bikers and pedestrians, you must look both ways before crossing it, or you may step into the path of a bike. Likewise, whether pedaling or walking you should look over your shoulder before you change lanes. The Pacific Grove portion separates bike and pedestrian traffic. Bicycles can use the paved path, while walkers can take the earthen surface, which takes you closer to the water.
Rip Van Winkle Open Space Park
On the border between Pebble Beach and Pacific Grove is Rip Van Winkle Park. It's the perfect place to walk through an unspoiled Monterey Pine forest. A network of paths lead through the forest, some of which emerge at 17 Mile Drive near the Inn at Spanish Bay.
To get there take Forest Avenue in Pacific Grove to Sunset Drive. Turn west (the only possible direction), and go to the 4-way stop at Congress. Turn left on Congress. The park is on the right side of the street. It's not marked very well. Just pull off where you see a little dirt parking area.
Monterey's Path of History
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Left: Hidden gardens such as this one at the Cooper Molera Adobe are among the highlights of the Path of History. |
Downtown Monterey is loaded with historic buildings, probably due to the fact that it is the second oldest city on the west coast. There's a self-guided tour you can take to see them, called the Path of History. The brochure showing the route can be found in most hotel lobbies or from the historic adobes operated by the State Parks people. Or you can just follow the yellow ceramic dots in the sidewalk.
You can easily identify a historic building. There'll be a sign out front that's shaped like a loaf of bread with a hat. When you see that you'll know you're at a Genuine Historic Site.
For a spookier look at old Monterey, take a guided tour with the Monterey Ghost Walk and see who is haunting about.
