Carmel Beach City Park

If I could describe Carmel in one word: quaint. It’s such a cute, quiet town to walk around, shop, or just admire the cute little hobbit-​like houses. I knew there was a beach around Carmel somewhere and sort of stumbled upon it after walking all the way down Ocean Ave. PERFECT timing to stumble upon this beautiful beach as the sun was just about to set. I definitely recommend grabbing an early dinner at one of the many restaurants in the center of this little town then walking down to the beach to gaze upon nature’s beauty :)

I have been here many many times. What a gorgeous day it was to be alive and outside perfect beautiful weather day, many tourists i talk to and i walk on beach with shoes and socks off enjoying the beautiful day i talk to Miss Universe and her friend they have a robot from the new star wars movie, then i talk to way more cool people and they have a puppy which i love i love dogs and i enjoy the perfect beautiful weather day

Favorite beach ever! I ran the length of the shoreline and back! Romp and rolled in the sand, seaweed and the break. A million other dogs also had the same idea. I played here till the sunset and my parents got too cold to hang any longer.
I want to be here everyday!

Absolutely beautiful beach that is free to public! Even though this beach is the beautiful conclusion of the 17-​Mile Drive from Monterey, you can still easily get here on Highway 1 within 15 minutes and there’s plenty of free public parking too. I highly recommend coming by at sunrise or sunset to experience its full beauty. This is definitely a must stop for PCH roadtrip or Monterey getaway!

I love this place! Clean and beautiful beaches. I am continuously amazed and baffled by what tourists leave on the beach though. Some examples include alcoholic beverages, fine linens, lawn chairs, jewelry, prophylactics, water toys and even the occasional pet.

Very peaceful small town, right out of 17mile drive if you’re out from the south gate. Big waves on the cove.

By far one of my favorite beaches along the California coast!

Dog friendly-​Check. Walking distance from downtown-​Check. Soft sand-​Check. Great place to relax young and old-​Check. Carmel Beach City Park hits all the buttons. We took our pooch here to play fetch and there were dogs, babies, tourists, locals. The great thing is for being a beach so easily accessible, it did not feel crowded. There was plenty of space to roam around and to call your own. Love how we can go from shopping to hitting the beach all within a 10 minute walk. Highly recommend for doggie lovers.
For parking, we parked on 8^th Avenue, a little bit further but totally walkable and we didn’t have to worry about time constraints.

Remember that one ol’ Hollywood classic that featured Scarlett O’Hara and Stanley in the perfect sunset in the most gorgeous white sand, blue ocean beach? Stanley was down on one knee and the gentle breeze caressed Scarlett’s beautiful brown locks. The twinkle in their eyes could only be understood as soulmates’ gaze… Okay so I wish Gone with the Wind and A Streetcar Named Desire had a crossover!
Point is, Carmel Beach is so perfect that it can only be described in a Hollywood scene. It’s so rare to discover such a spectacular gem in NorCal– cloudless azure sky, opal ocean waves, and pure white sands… Carmel Beach how worthy is thy high star ratings hehe!
This beach is nestled right along Pebble Beach where all the famous golfers swing their bats (yes even Tiger Woods!). This place has it all. It’s located right down the street from Carmel downtown and there are dogs. dogs. DOGS everywhere!!! Happiest goldies and corgis running around the shore :) Everyone is friendly and considerate the beach, no loud obnoxious parties or craze bonfires here. If you want to soak up some sun or maybe even fire up grill BBQ, there’s a place for you here. Parking is tiny and atrocious in Carmel, but the beach is worth it! Arrive early, leave late, Carpe Diem my friends!

I LOVE this Beach!!! I ALWAYS want to go to it!!! I went again yesterday, and even though the wind was blowing, it didn’t bother me… just being there and taking in the view was enough for me. This beach is my Favorite one to go to when I go to the coast. The sands are soft and white, you could find sand crabs, and a lot of seaweed lol. There isn’t much junk in the sand either. Like of course you’ll step on sticks here and there, but there most of the sand is nice to walk on.
Getting to the beach is interesting. You have to walk down this hill of sand and then one once you’re all tired you get to walk back up it lol.
The parking is always so much «fun». If you’re lucky you could find a very close parking, but most of the time you have to park a block away. There is a lot of parking spots, but it’s always all taken unless you go right when the sun is setting then, that’s when most of the people leave and good parking spots open. But if you drive along the beach there is more parking down there in front of the houses, you just won’t be @ the main entrance of the beach, but it’s less crowded down there. There are stairs to use if you park over there too.
You could see Pebble Beach Golf course too. Also the streets before the beach has Nice houses to go see. Lucky people to be living right there. Lol.

Excellent stretch of sand on which your dog is allowed off leash! Each dog that confronted my dog did so in a playful manner which was lovely. No barking from either side.
Parking was a little hassle, but once you try this place on a pleasant day, you’ll see why.
The place begins at the end of Ocean Ave., which is already a descent from the highway. Down into the swanky shops that line Ocean Ave., at the end is a brief break of stores and then a parking lot. After the parking lot, sand. Sand which drops even lower to the water.
My dog is laid out on her side right now. I think she’ll sleep well tonight.

This beach is UH-​MAZING!!! I would have NEVER thought Carmel would be that beautiful!
So I’ve noticed when coming here that Carmel river beach is really three beaches. There’s the north part off of Scenic Road in the main part of town and there’s the southern beach accessible directly from the highway. There’s also a middle section of the beach that has rocky promontories on each side dividing it from the other two areas.
This beach is about five minutes past town. I had just came from viewing the other beach that Carmel has to offer and was told by other people to come and check this beach out.
You should definitely stop here along HWY 1 for some pictures, and if inclined you could stay awhile too. I walked the whole beach, taking in everything it had to offer! This beach is a grand and beautiful area back by a lovely lagoon and fronted by a small bay capturing the Pacific between Carmel Point and Point Lobos. It is famous for sneaker waves that rise out of the bay without warning and carry people out to sea. It has a great view of Point Lobos.
This beach comes with great beauty from the rest of the Carmel coast, but with a portion of the tourists since it isn’t at the end of Ocean Avenue. Strong currents, crashing waves and sometimes the seals/​otters come fairly close to shore. It feels more intimate and off the beaten path than Carmel Beach… In my opinion!
This beach doesn’t really get as crowded as the other beach. No fee to park and a quick portage to the water’s edge.
There are bathrooms that are located on the beach and I have to say that when I went they were surprising clean!
I love that this beach is Dog friendly! Yayy! I don’t have any dogs but lately I’ve had this thing where I get excited when I see cute doggies… Whatever it is… this place is good for dog watching and people watching.
When you are in Carmel be sure to go to each of these beaches and lounge around awhile and soak.
**P.S.-Shout out to the volunteers that come and cleanup every third Saturday of each month!**

Surprisingly enough, this was my first time here!!! I do not go surfing nearly as much (or at all) these days anymore, but my kids and I are BeachBumBabes. If time permits, meaning no dance competitions, no track&field, cross country, or swim meets, no jiu jitsu tournaments or races planned, my family and I take time out to spend time at the beach.
My kids loved it here! We stayed here all day through dusk and just bummed it as one should on a nice, warm day. Though the waves that day did not make for a good surf, my kids loved it nonetheless. We were very lucky in finding parking right at the top of the stairs leading down to the beach. The water was cold, but the sun warmed us up quickly. We came on a Saturday so families camped out with tents and beach chairs. Sunbathers were dotted along the beach, while volleyball games and frisbee enthusiasts scrambled about the soft sand. Friendly dogs ran carefree without a leash which made my family miss our late English Bulldog, Marley. The kids built sandcastles, buried one another under the sand, and played in the ocean to their hearts’ content. It was great fun watching everybody enjoying the warm California weather.
This BeachBumBabe totally recommends coming here if you are in Carmel.

Very pretty beach with some amazing views.
The sand is soft, the water clear and overall a clean park when we went. While there was a lot of people it didn’t seem too crowded as other beaches do when they are packed.
Parking is a bit of a challenge so FYI, but it is free.
It does get chilly as the sun starts to set so keep that in mind.
We were only there for a little bit so we were not able to explore all of what this beach has to offer. Just makes next time we come back here more exciting!
Overall pretty beach, we will be back next time we are in this area.

Off leash dog beach! This beach is clean and beautiful. People pick up after their pets. Lots of friendly dogs. Parking on a Tuesday in July was do-​able but the lot was quite busy. Wish I didn’t live so far from here!

I highly recommend this place. There’s dogs every where and the sand is so soft!
My boyfriend and I built a «sand city thing» :)
We came out here on a weekend so free parking was really hard to find :(

I own one of the Multi-​million dollar mansions adjacent to the beach. It’s pretty rad — my dogs live the good life… Ha, Ha, just kidding — I can only dream. This area is fun to explore. You will see all sorts of amazing houses with insane ocean views as you make your way to this beach.
This off-​leash beach has excellent white sand for my dogs to go bat-​shit-​crazy and frolic about in. Since the beach is so long, I have room to find my own little area for my two dogs to play. No matter the weather, this beach is always packed with dogs —- it is a great spot for the pooches.

The Carmel Beach Park is fabulous! The sand is like powdered sugar. I thought I was back in Wailea with how nice this beach is. Probably one of the best «sand» beaches in California. It does help that it is in Carmel and next to Pebble Beach golf course!
The location of the restrooms are conveniently close. Its a good beach to bring «trained» dogs too and the dog watching and peopl watching are enjoyable. The only minor issue I have is the small parking lot.
Enjoy the views, the water gently washing over the sand and the warm sun in your face.
Bravo, Fantastico!

Best beach in Monterey! The best is to go down ocean to the last stop sign and make a left. Take the 15 or so blocks along the beach it’s PHENOMENAL!
13^th street is best for bonfires!
Gorgeous beach with silky soft white sand!

Even on a cloudy day this beach is so beautiful. It was windy and even slightly sprinkling on our heads, but we didn’t care.
Not only were we enjoying the day but so many people. What is it about the sea that draws us back to it?
We walked on the trail and stood on the overlook above the sand. We took our photos on the old beached, sun bleached tree near the shore.
There are so many dogs playing and frolicking. It was a wonderful afternoon. All while being, what would be considered a bad weather day by most, a cloudy sprinkling raining afternoon.
I need to come back on a sunny day. That probably just means that more people and dogs will be there but oh well. Its so worth it to make a moment of it while you’re here.