Jacks Peak County Park

Jacks Peak County Park

25020 Jacks Peak Park Rd.
Monterey, California 93940
Visit Website
Local Phone: (831) 755-4899
E-mail: parks@co.monterey.ca.us

Jacks Peak Park has much to offer the outdoor enthusiast. Almost 8.5 miles of horseback riding and hiking trails wind through cathedral-like forests and to breathtaking ridge top vistas.

The Skyline Self-Guided Nature Trail traverses the summit of Jacks Peak and features fossils from the Miocene epoch. Brochures describing features along the trail are available at the entrance station. Visitors can also enjoy other passive activities including nature study, photography or picnics.

• Parking: Lot provided
• Fee: See Park website for current fees.
• Water: Bring your own
• Best time of year for this hike: Year round is beautiful.
• Distance: 8.5 miles (shorter loops available)
• Degree of difficulty: Easy to Strenuous. 

• Leash rule: Dogs must remain on leash at al times in main park area, and under voice control on trails.

Lovers Point, Pacific Grove - Photo Credit: @desiferguson
Lovers Point, Pacific Grove - Photo Credit: @desiferguson
The most abiding joy to be had on the Monterey Peninsula is simply enjoying the rugged coastal scenery, and there’s no better way to soak it up than on the Monterey Bay Coastal Recreation Trail. This paved, multi-use path stretches 18 miles from Castroville in the north to Pacific Grove in the south. To get started, we suggest strolling the segment between Cannery Row and Asilomar State Beach, which will take about an hour at a moderate walking pace. more »
Cooling off, Garland Ranch Regional Park <br/> Photo Credit: @denmother94
Cooling off, Garland Ranch Regional Park
Photo Credit: @denmother94
Dog-lovers from around the world know leash-free Carmel Beach as a primo place to visit with dogs. But that’s hardly the only place in Monterey County where your untethered dog can have as much fun and freedom as you do. A number of county parks, as well as several within the Monterey Peninsula Regional Park District, allow dogs to accompany you off-leash away from developed areas so long as they stay within sight, respond immediately to voice commands and don’t get in the way of horses, cyclists or other hikers. more »
Playing at Garland Ranch Regional Park. Photo Credit: Jen (CC)
Playing at Garland Ranch Regional Park. Photo Credit: Jen (CC)
If it's coastal hiking that you are interested in, start in Monterey, where you can join the throngs of people and pups out for a stroll on the Monterey Bay Coastal Trail, a paved, multi-use path that stretches 18 scenic miles from Castroville in the north to Pacific Grove in the south, hugging a route once used by the Southern Pacific Railway. The Pacific Grove section is a particular DogTrekker favorite. It hugs a stretch of coastline marked by dramatic rock formations, crashing waves, cawing gulls, braying sea lions and passing whales. Clamber down to Asilomar Beach for a close look at wetsuit-clad surfers and life-filled tidepools (but do keep Sparky on a leash). more »
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