The beach in Fort Ord Dunes State Park offers many fun activities including beachcombing, sunbathing, wildlife watching, fishing, hiking, and biking. The water near Fort Ord Dunes State Park is highly unsafe for aquatic recreational activities including surfing and swimming as the water here is known to have considerable depth and extremely dangerous currents. In addition, the water here also has a severe undertow that makes it look treacherously calm on the surface. You can view many kinds of animals in the water near Fort Ord Dunes State Park including seals, sea lions, and sea otters. Depending on the time of the year, you can also see migrating whales in the water near Fort Ord Dunes State Park. If you like birdwatching, you can also see many kinds of birds in and around the beach in Fort Ord Dunes State Park. This beach is ideal for those looking for a private beach experience as it sees few visitors. The beach at Fort Ord Dunes State Park is also considered to be a great place for beachcombing. If you are planning to fish in the water near Fort Ord Dunes State Park, we recommend that you follow the local fishing regulations. As an interesting fact, the beach and the area around it were formerly part of an army post known as Fort Ord, which was closed in 1994. Many remnants of this army post can be seen around the beach and the state park. The blufftop area above the beach in Fort Ord Dunes State Park has a boardwalk with an observation area that offers fantastic Instagram-worthy views of the Monterey County shoreline and the Pacific Ocean. The blufftop area above this beach also has hiking and biking trails and interesting interpretive displays which offer a unique insight into the state park’s natural and cultural history. A popular biking trail near the beach in Fort Ord Dunes State Park is the Monterey Bay Coastal Trail which offers a fun biking experience.
Parts of Fort Ord Dunes State Park are also used as a nesting spot by snowy plovers, which are listed as endangered under the 1973 federal Endangered Species Act. In addition, you can also see many other rare animals in the state park including the California tiger salamander and Smith’s blue butterfly. The state park also offers a cell phone tour which can be accessed by dialing (831) 998-9458. This cell phone tour offers an interesting insight into Fort Ord Dunes State Park’s unique biodiversity and history. The Fort Ord National Monument is also present near Fort Ord Dunes State Park and preserves the main part of the former Fort Ord army post. This site has a vibrant landscape with a variety of habitats including grasslands, oak woodlands, and maritime chaparral vegetation. You can explore this site via hiking, biking, and equestrian trails present here.