A highlight on any Northern California trip itinerary — and one of the top must do things do when visiting the Monterey Peninsula — is a drive along 17-Mile Drive to witness the spectacular scenic views of the Pacific Ocean, rocky coastline, and to see the world famous Pebble Beach Golf Community.
Tucked between the seaside towns of Monterey and Camel-by-Sea, is where you will find the famous 17-Mile Drive, a winding coast hugging journey with, coincidentally, 17 marked points of interest for you to explore and take in the natural beauty of this stretch of California’s coastline.
While one might think driving through an exclusive guard gated community would be off limits to outsiders, non-resident visitors can actually experience this iconic drive after paying a nominal entrance fee, (at the time of this article, we paid a $10.50 fee). 17-Mile Drive and the Pebble Beach Golf Links are accessible through one of 5 gate houses. However most visitors coming to take the drive will use one of the three more popular entrances: the Pacific Grove gate that will allow you to take the drive from Monterey south, the Carmel gate which will be the most convenient route from Carmel-by-the-Sea north, and Highway 1 gate which is the most convenient entrance for travelers coming from Santa Cruz or San Jose.
On our trip, we started out from Monterey and entered through the Pacific Grove gate, heading in the southern direction. The map below shows our route and the various scenic stops we made along the way. After paying the entrance fee, the security officer gave us a map with information to locate all 17 must see places of interest and pointed the way for us to go. While we had all intentions to see each of the 17 scenic stops, we ended up skipping 4 stops due to the fact that we accidentally exited at the Carmel-by-the-Sea gate. What we loved about the 17-Mile Drive was that the route is clearly marked with road signs helping you navigate each step of the way.
I definitely suggest making sure your camera is charged, as there will be numerous Instagrammable spots to get your selfie on, as well as allotting a few hours to fully take advantage of being able to enjoy each location without feeling rushed. To follow our journey, I’ve listed in order the places we visited and provided you with the corresponding Pebble Beach Map marker number. As mentioned previously, we ended up skipping a few locations, so the corresponding Pebble Beach (PB) numbers do not follow the order of our journey.
Stop 1: Spanish Bay Beach (PB Map #3)
Our first stop on the 17-mile route was Spanish Bay Beach, which abuts the beautiful Links at Spanish Bay golf course. This location gets its name from the Spanish explorers who sought refuge while trying to find Monterrey Bay back in the year 1769. It took the explorers approximately a year to eventually find Monterey Bay. I’m pretty sure the beauty of Spanish Bay might have been a reason they did not to rush their explorations.
Stop 2: The Restless Sea (PB Map #4)
Located just a few hundred yards away from Spanish Bay Beach is where you will find the next stop, The Restless Sea. This happens to be one of the most turbulent sections of the Pacific Ocean you will find in this region. From the sight of the waves wildly crashing into one another and jagged submerged rocks just beneath the waters surface, one can clearly understand where this portion of the coastline got its name. The ballet of the swirling waves will definitely have you spell bound.
Stop 3: Point Joe (PB Map #5)
Point Joe is the next place you will come to on your drive. This location gets its moniker from a man, aptly named Joe, who lived here in the early 1900’s in a driftwood hut. Legend has it he tended goats and sold trinkets to tourists. Because of its proximity to Monterey Bay, many seafarers mistook Point Joe as its entrance, leading to many shipwrecks over the centuries due to its extremely rocky shoreline.
Stop 4: China Rock (PB Map #6)
Back in the late 1800’s, this area was once the home to small community of Chinese fisherman. Although the village has since vanished, if you look closely, you can still see the remains of century-old cooking smoke still caked into the rocks.
Stop 5: Bird Rock (PB Map #7)
This is location provides plenty of fantastic photo opportunities. With numerous birds that gather on the rocks, you will understand why the slightly offshore rock is called what it is. Do be sure to look for sealions and seals that also call this place home.
Stop 6: Seal Rock (PB Map #8)
Seal Rock is where you can walk along the boardwalk to view the colorful Gingerbread House, as well as explore the many tide pools abutting the shoreline as you discover some interesting and colorful sea life.
Stop 7: Fanshell Beach Overlook (PB Map #9)
This point of interest offers some of the most spectacular stretches of uninterrupted coastline on 17-Mile Drive. From April to June, some sections of the beach are closed to protect the primary pupping Harbor Seal habitats. What we loved about this beach area was not only the view of the Pacific Ocean, but also the sloping hills of the Cypress Point Club golf course. It happens to be one of the more spectacular views of the golf courses of Pebble Beach.
Stop 8: Cypress Point Lookout (PB Map #10)
Also known as Sunset Point, this location offers one of the best spots to catch the sunset. Cypress Point is also located in a section of Pebble Beach with mansions dating back to the 1920’s. When we visited, they had erected a chain link fence to protect visitors from the dangers of the rocky cliff drop off. Even with the fence, the views were spectacular.
Stop 9: Crocker Grove (PB Map #11)
Named after the railroad baron, Charles Crocker, this grove is home to some of the largest and oldest Monterey Cypress trees in the world. In fact, Pebble Beach is where you will find only one of the two native Cypress forests in the entire world. The drive through this tranquil forest is truly a unique experience.
Stop 10: The Lone Cypress (PB Map #12)
If there were a crown jewel of 17-Mile Drive, the Lone Cypress would be it. This world-famous Lone Cypress is estimated to be over 250 years old and happens to be featured in the Pebble Beach logo. From the parking area, visitors will follow a wooden walkway to stairs that will lead to a large viewing area. The Lone Cypress happens to be one of the most photographed trees in California. Save your best Instagram selfie for this spot. It happened to be one of my two favorite stops during my trip.
Ghost Trees at Pescadero Point (#14)
Pescadero Point is a natural wonderland with colorful flora, expansive views of the deep blue Pacific Ocean, with a winding nature path that weaves its way through a cluster of spooky looking sun-bleached Cypress trees. This is also a place where in the winter months it becomes a big wave surf spot with swells that can reach up to 50 feet high. Although there is no shortage of gorgeous places to soak in the views along 17-Mile Drive, Pescadaro Point provided the most awe inspiring views of the day.
Pebble Beach Visitor’s Center and Pebble Beach Golf Links (#15 & #16)
These two stops are right next to each other, so we parked in the Visitor’s Center parking lot which allowed us to enjoy exploring these areas. The Pebble Beach Visitor’s Center greats you with a fascinating exhibition chronicling the history of Pebble Beach and its famous golf course. If you are a golf fan, this is a must stop on the route. The Visitor’s Center is where you can also pick up few snacks and souvenirs.
The Pebble Beach Golf Links is one of the most gorgeous golf courses in the country — and it’s a public course! You can learn more about the history of Pebble Beach and its famous golf course at the Wall of Champions located just behind the first tee.
If you have worked up an appetite for more than a quick snack from all the explorations along the way, why not enjoy dining at one of the upscale restaurants located in the Pebble Beach Clubhouse. If time doesn’t permit you to enjoy a meal, I do recommend that you take a little time out of your journey to experience to visit the Clubhouse and do a little shopping at the many shops while your here.
Other Points of Interest To See
As I had mentioned earlier, we were unable to see every stop along 17-Mile Drive. If you have more time in your day, or happen to enter through the Highway 1 gate, these 4 points of interest might be of interest you.
- Stop #1 Shepherd’s Knoll: Named after, Abraham D. Shepherd, who was the builder of the upper scenic route on 17-Mile Drive, provides visitors with an elevated view down into Monterey Bay.
- Stop #2 Huckleberry Hill: From this location you will be able to see Santa Cruz off in the distance. This permanent preserved forest is rumored to be frequented by two famous American authors, John Steinbeck and Robert Louis Stevenson.
- Stop #16 Pebble Beach Equestrian Center: Opened in 1924, the Equestrian Center hosted the U.S. team trials for the 1960 Olympics. They also offer a variety of daily horseback tours.
- Stop #17 Ford Meadow: This meadow was named after Robert F. Ford who was a generous donor to the Del Monte Forest Conservancy. On August 26, 1981, the meadow was dedicated to his memory.
After having the opportunity to take this scenic road trip and experience firsthand the specular natural and rugged beauty of Pebble Beach’s coastline, I now know why it is a top 10, if not a top 1, must do activity when visiting the Monterey Peninsula.
Drop us a comment below if you’ve ever taken the 17-Mile Drive journey through the famed Pebble Beach area. If so, what was your favorite point of interest?
