The Beach Range Road Multi-Use Trail runs parallel to Highway 1 along the Pacific Coast, offering a safe alternative for commuters in Sand City, Seaside and Marina, and for students attending the California State University of Monterey Bay (CSUMB). It will also provide a connection to the area's light rail transit service at the future Monterey Branch Line station at 8th Street and CSUMB in Marina.
The trail was formerly a military access road for historic Fort Ord. The fort, established in 1917 and closed in the 1990s, is now home to Fort Ord Dunes State Park with miles of shoreline and natural areas to explore. The route offers spectacular scenery, including views of sparkling Monterey Bay, sandy beaches and some of the highest dunes on California's central coast.
Trail-goers can continue their journey along the coast on the
Monterey Peninsula Recreational Trail, which parallels Beach Range Road and travels south to Pacific Grove and north to Castroville.
A parking lot is available in Fort Ord Dunes State Park in Marina at the northern end of the trail. From Highway 1, exit Light Fighter Drive (bear right). Turn left (north) onto 2nd Avenue, then left (west) onto Divarty Street. Next, turn right (north) onto 1st Avenue. Signs will direct you from here to the park entrance at the 8th Street overcrossing of Highway 1.