The Monterey Bay on the central California coast is a popular destination for outdoor enthusiasts. You can enjoy a wide variety of water, land and air activities such as kayaking, surfing, sailing, hiking, biking, fishing, birdwatching, golfing, hang gliding skydiving and more. You can find RV Parks and campgrounds in Marina, Monterey and other cities along and near the Monterey Peninsula.
Location
Marina is 110 miles south of San Francisco and 340 miles north of Los Angeles. It is 8 miles to the north of Monterey and 30 miles south of Santa Cruz. It has a Mediterranean climate. Marina was established in 1918 but incorporated in 1975. Its population is 25,101, according to the 2000 U.S. Census.
It was once home to many families of military personnel who were stationed at Fort Ord, which closed in 1994. Today, you can explore the grounds of the former army base, where a state university, shopping centers and residences are now located.
RV Parks and Campgrounds
The Marina Dune RV Park, the only RV accommodations in Marina, is located off Highway 1. It is next to the Marina State Beach and Marina Dunes Preserve, which are popular places for beach walking, hang gliding and kite flying. Bikers, joggers, hikers and rollerbladers can access the 18-mile Monterey Peninsula Recreational Trail that runs between Pacific Grove and Castroville.
You can find other RV parks and public campgrounds in Monterey, Carmel, Watsonville, Santa Cruz, Aromas, San Juan Bautista and other nearby communities. Your options include staying at the Monterey County fairgrounds, the Cypress Tree Inn in Monterey, Laguna Seca Recreation Area in Salinas Valley and state beaches in Big Sur or in Santa Cruz County.
Other RV Park Options
If you are a member of the Elk Lodge, there are local lodges in Salinas, Monterey, Santa Cruz and other central coast communities allow members to park their RVs at their facilities. If you are an active or retired member of the U.S. military, you might find RV spaces at the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey.
Adventure Activities
You can choose among diverse outdoor activities in and around Marina. Monterey beaches are popular among scuba divers, for example. Whale-watching and deep-sea fishing trips in the Monterey Bay are available throughout the year. You can surf in the Monterey Bay or skydive over it.
At the nearby Elkhorn Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve, you can kayak the slough to view pelicans, egrets, otters and other wildlife.
If you are a hiker, you can explore the Pinnacles National Monument, Point Lobos State Reserve, Los Padres National Forest or other public parks in the area.
Sports Events
Annual sports events take place throughout the year in the area. At the beginning of the year, the PGA Tour's AT&T National Pro-Am, a professional-amateur golf tournament that features celebrities such as Bill Murray, is held at the Pebble Beach Golf Links.
Popular events in the spring are the Big Sur International Marathon and the Sea Otter Classic, a competitive cycling event. In the summer, the two major events are the California Rodeo in Salinas and the U.S. Grand Prix at Laguna Seca.
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