From Surf Wiki (app.surf) — the open knowledge base

Carmel River State Beach

State park in California

Field	Value
name	Carmel River State Beach
photo	Carmel River State Beach.jpg
photo_caption	Entrance to the Carmel River State Beach
map	United States Monterey Peninsula
map_caption	Location in the Monterey Peninsula
relief	1
location	26478 Carmelo Street, Monterey County, California, United States
nearest_city	Carmel, California
coordinates
area_acre	297
established	1953
governing_body	California Department of Parks and Recreation

Carmel River State Beach is a state park unit at the mouth of Carmel Valley, California, United States, featuring a 1 mi protected beach with a lagoon formed by the Carmel River. The lagoon attracts many migratory birds. The state beach includes Mara Beach and Monastery Beach, (also called San Jose Creek Beach) which is popular with scuba divers. Sea kayakers also frequent the beach, which has easy access to the natural reserves of Point Lobos. The 297 acre park was established in 1953.

History

Carmel River State Beach view from Scenic Road.

In 1602 Spanish explorer Sebastián Vizcaíno landed at this beach. Gaspar de Portolà, during the Portola expedition, was encamped on this beach and rested here before deciding to return to San Diego because of low supplies and having failed to rendezvous with the Spanish supply ships. A cross commemorating the landing is on the beach.

Recreational activities

Carmel River State Beach is a popular spot for divers and kayakers, who can access the notable kelp forests in the area. It is also popular with birders, and is a stop on the Central Coast Birding Trail. The best seasons for birdwatching at Carmel River State Beach are fall and winter.

Swimming on this section of the coast can be extremely dangerous because of the strong currents. Carmel River State Beach is considered especially dangerous for swimming as the steep drop-off from shore can minimize turbulent waves giving the mistaken impression of a calm sea.

Dogs are allowed in the park, but must be kept on a leash.

Ecology

Carmel River State Beach with hills in the background.

South of the Carmel River Lagoon and Wetlands Natural Preserve, great blue heron, greater yellowlegs, brown pelicans, Virginia rail, and many species of gulls, terns, and egrets can be spotted. A variety of dune flora and fauna can also be found here, as well as organisms inhabiting the rocky intertidal and sandy intertidal zones.

Location

The park enterence is located off Carmel Point, at Scenic Road and Carmelo Street. It is adjacent to California State Route 1, about 1 mi south of Rio Road at the mouth of Carmel Valley, north of the Big Sur coast in Monterey County, California.

The beach is open to walk-in visitors, and has public restrooms next to the parking lot.

References

"California State Park System Statistical Report: Fiscal Year 2009/10". California State Parks.
Parr, Barry. (2007). "Explore! Big Sur Country". Globe Pequot.
"Carmel River State Beach". Monterey County Convention & Visitors Bureau.
"Carmel River State Beach". California Department of Parks and Recreation.

Info: Wikipedia Source

This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page.

1953-establishments-in-california california-state-beaches parks-in-monterey-county,-california protected-areas-established-in-1953 beaches-of-monterey-county,-california beaches-of-northern-california

Want to explore this topic further?

Ask Mako anything about Carmel River State Beach — get instant answers, deeper analysis, and related topics.

Research with Mako

Free with your Surf account

Content sourced from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This content may have been generated or modified by AI. CloudSurf Software LLC is not responsible for the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of AI-generated content. Always verify important information from primary sources.

Report