The Scenic 17 Mile Drive – Pebble Beach, Monterey

Monterey is home to one of the most scenic drives along the California coast. The 17 mile drive through the beautiful Pebble Beach is one of the best stops along the Pacific Coast Highway, with it’s breathtaking views of the coastline. Check out everything you need to know about each of the stops along this coastal drive! The best part is that this is great for travelers on a budget, as the entry fee is only $10.50 per vehicle!

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Travel Trick – The entry fee of $10.50 will be reimbursed for spending $35 or more at a a Pebble Beach Resort restaurant, so if you’re planning on staying for lunch or dinner, make sure to get your entry fee back!

Stop 1 and 2 – Shepard’s Knoll and Huckleberry Hill

These are overlooks to the Monterey Bay Peninsula. We stopped at the second one, Huckleberry Hill, because it’s the highest point in Pebble Beach. I wasn’t terribly impressed with the views so we quickly hopped back into the car to continue on.

Stop 3 – Spanish Bay Beach

This stop is a beautiful beach where Spanish explorers used to camp out on their search for Monterey Bay. It is lined with beautiful rocks that adventurers have made into varying heights of balanced stacks as far as your eye can see. We enjoyed taking part of the communal artwork on the beach by making a few stacks of our own. Out on the water you’ll see surfers riding the waves back to shore. On shore we saw many families enjoying their day and playing games on the sandy portions of the beach. This is a perfect stop for a family picnic and where I would spend most of my time if I did the drive again.

Stop 4 and 5 – The Restless Sea and Point Joe

This section of coastline is said to be the most turbulent and as we sat and watched, the waves crashed against the rocks spotted all along the shoreline. Point Joe is also a great point to stop at as you can see all the way from Spanish Bay to Fanshell Beach.

Stop 6 – China Rock

China Rock is a site that once held a Chinese fishing village. In my opinion, there’s not much to see or do at this site that you won’t see elsewhere along the drive so feel free to skip this stop if you’re short on time.

Stop 7 and 8 – Bird Rock and Seal Rock

These two stops are right next to each other, so just park at one and stroll along the walkway to explore them both. I found this to be the most beautiful stop as the water is a stunning mixture of blues and teals. We stopped to take a quick picture together because the views were amazing from this spot. Be sure to check out all the birds and seals sunbathing on the rocks out in the distance, as well as the bold and daring squirrels that will literally hop into your lap if they think you have food. (Not kidding!)

Stop 9 – Fanshell Beach

If you want to see Harbor Seals and their pups check out this beach. It is closed all of April and May because of this but you can still see the beach from the overlook. Any other time you are able to stroll the sandy beach yourself.

Stop 10 and 11 – The Cyrpress Point Outlook and Crocker Grove

Crocker Grove houses the largest and oldest Monterey Cypress trees in existence today. As you wander through this forest, notice how the trees stand tall because these trees are not affected by the coastal winds. Then head over to the Cypress Point Outlook where you can catch a beautiful sunset looking out across the ocean.

Stop 12 – The Lone Cypress

If you’re looking for a stunning display of strength, check out this cypress tree that has been standing alone for over 250 years. It is rooted on a rock that protrudes out into the ocean, separating it from the other nearby grove of cypress trees. The view of the Lone Cypress against a backdrop of miles of ocean is gorgeous so be sure to take your camera with you at this stop. This is also one of the busier stops we encountered, so you may have to wait for a parking spot here.

Stop 13 – Ghost Trees at Pescadero Point

The trees along the 17 mile area all quite unique, but maybe none as unique as the Ghost Tree at this stop. It is a sun-bleached Cypress tree whose trunk has bleached white and looks rather ghastly. Be sure to also check out the huge swells that can get up to 50 feet here. This spot is a famous Big Wave surf spot due to this.

Stops 14 and 15 – The Pebble Beach Visitor Center and Golf Links

The Visitor Center has various options for a nice meal, quick drink, or shopping. Head through the lodge for views of the iconic 18^th hole on the Pebble Beach Golf Course. There’s a large lawn behind the lodge where we sat down and enjoyed the view for a while, and snapped a few pictures.

Stop 16 – Pebble Beach Equestrian Center

Book a ride through some of Pebble Beach’s 40 miles worth of trails. You can explore the forest and coast with one of these horseback riding adventures, or just head out on foot from this stop. Check out the Green Trail Loop and the Red Trail Loop that both start from here.

Stop 17 – Ford Meadow

If you’re looking for one last stop before you reach the main entrance again, stop at Ford Meadow. It’s an area dedicated to one of the donors of the Del Monte Forest Conservatory. I wouldn’t put this as a top priority on your list of stops, but it is peaceful here none the less.

Final Thoughts
All in all, we spent about 2 hours doing the drive and feel like this is plenty of time if you just want to do a little sight seeing in the area and hit the main stops. You could easily turn this into a full day though with a picnic and swimming at Spanish Bay, or by hiking the trails. It’s all up to you and how much you’d like to explore! Either way, it’s a beautiful area that should be added to any California road trip!

Travel Trick: Download the Pebble Beach App that includes information on:

• The 17 Mile Drive (interactive map, stops, info, audio guide)
• Dining
• Shopping
• Photo Ops
• Golf Courses
• Hiking
• Beaches
• Guest Services
• Spa
• Meeting Rooms
• Activities
• Wildlife
• Lodging
• Today’s Events

If you’re looking for a place to stay, check out The Monterey Hotel that’s only 10 minutes from the 17-Mile Drive. My readers are able to get a 35% discount there with my code! (June & July only)