Scenic 17-Mile Drive at Pebble Beach (near Monterey)
The 17-mile drive at Pebble Beach is a scenic drive with stunning coastal views near Pacific Grove in the Monterey Peninsula.
We live a couple of hours’ drive from Monterey, and the 17-mile drive is one of our top attractions for visiting family and friends.
Visiting Monterey and 17-mile drive makes a great day trip from the San Francisco Bay Area, but I have several times made a weekend getaway to the Monterey-Carmel area with my family.
As the name suggests, the 17-mile drive is 17 miles long and takes a couple of hours to go through all the marked stops.
The total time taken depends on how much time you spend at each stop. It can be a whole day if the weather is favorable for a beach day.
Getting there
17-Mile Drive is ideally located between the coastal towns of Monterey and Carmel.
It is around 120 miles from San Francisco and takes between 2 to 3 hours to reach, depending on traffic.
There are three entrance gates to the 17-mile drive:
- Highway 1 Gate near Monterey
- Pacific Grove Gate
- Carmel Gate on Hwy 1 near Carmel
You can enter at any gate, depending on the direction you are coming from, and do the loop drive.
There is an entrance fee of $12 to enter the scenic drive by car. Pedestrians and bicyclists can enter for free. They will give you a paper map of the route and the stops.
We typically enter from the Highway 1 gate near Monterey and make the stops in the order on the map.
Then, we exit from the Carmel Gate and proceed to Carmel. You can also return back to Monterey from here if you are staying in Monterey or making a day trip from San Francisco.
➡️ A fun way to explore the 17-mile drive is to do this
electric bike guided tour (starts from Carmel)
17-mile Drive Stops
Once you enter the gate, the 17-mile drive route is clearly marked with signboards and a red line on the road itself.
I am always amazed at the beautiful mansion-like, multi-million dollar homes on this drive. They are magnificent to look at, and many of them belong to celebrities!
My favorite things to do on the 17-mile drive are admiring the ocean views and crashing waves at Restless Sea, seeing the flock of birds at Bird Rock, and marveling at the Monterey Cypress trees at Crocker Grove.
And, of course, taking a picture of the Lone Cypress tree again for the hundredth time. As if I don’t have enough of them already!
The route has 17 clearly marked stops on the map as well as on the road. Each stop has a parking lot with it. Turnaround time is quick and we have always managed to get parking.
1. Sheperd’s Knoll
This viewpoint is supposed to offer an elevated view of the Monterey Bay below. But maybe the trees have become too tall because we didn’t see anything from here. It’s in a residential neighborhood. It can be skipped.
2. Huckleberry Hill
A scenic viewpoint at Huckleberry Hill from where you can see Monterey Bay and even Santa Cruz across the bay on a clear day. There are some hiking trails in the forest here.
3. Spanish Bay Beach
Going north to south, this stop will be your first encounter with ocean views, and you will realize why this is called one of the most scenic coastal drives. It’s beautiful!
The beach is quite rocky and has white sand. There is a large parking lot here and some picnic benches.
There is a coastal trail here that goes to The Inn at Spanish Bay and Asilomar State Beach.
4. The Restless Sea
Stop here to see some dramatic waves crashing against the ocean. It is one of my favorite places on this route, and I love watching the dramatic waves.
5. Point Joe
A beautiful vista point with sea stacks, named after a man named Joe who lived here in the 1900s in a driftwood hut.
6. China Rock
Another vista point with sea stacks and ocean views. It was the site of a small Chinese fishing Village in the 1800s.
7. Bird Rock
The main attraction here is the Bird Rock, where we saw hundreds of birds. You might occasionally also find harbor seals and sea lions resting here.
This stop has a large parking lot and restrooms.
8. Seal Rock
One of my favorite stops to take a break and stretch my legs or enjoy a picnic. There is a nice small beach here with very inviting soft white sand.
Across the road, there is a very intriguing Gingerbread house with a colorful roof. I am not sure if anyone lives there although I am always very curious!
There is a boardwalk trail next to the house, which goes into the Del Monte Forest.
9. Fanshell Beach Overlook
Another nice sandy beach on the 17-mile drive, great for a walk or some beach fun. This is also a nesting habitat for harbor seals in Spring.
There was a beautiful home across from it with a magnificent display of bright pink wildflowers when I visited in Spring.
10. Cypress Point Overlook
A great place to watch the sunset, this stop overlooks a white sandy beach, which is also a nesting place for harbor seals in Spring.
11. Crocker Grove
This was one of my favorite stops on this scenic drive.
Here, we saw some of the largest and oldest Monterey Cypress trees. It was amazing how tall they were! I love forests and plants/trees in general, so I loved seeing this.
It’s just a ‘see the trees from the parking lot’ kinda stop. You cannot walk into the forest. Still, it was really cool.
12. The Lone Cypress
The Lone Cypress is the most famous landmark of the 17-mile drive and Pebble Beach. It’s almost like a celebrity in itself. It’s even on the logo of Pebble Beach Resorts.
The single tree growing out of a sea rock is said to be more than 250 years old, and it still stands tall against the elements.
There is a large parking lot and an overlook here where you can admire the iconic Lone Cypress. Great place to catch sunset views as well.
13. Ghost Trees at Pescadero Point
This is a unique, fun stop to see some old cypress trees with just bare twisted tree trunks left. Hence the name Ghost Trees.
14. Pebble Beach Visitor Center
This was a great stop to learn about the history of Pebble Beach and its place as the golf capital, hosting several US Open and other gold championships.
It also has really great restrooms (I always am on the lookout for the best ones at every place I visit), a gift shop, and a marketplace to buy drinks and snacks.
15. Pebble Beach Golf Links
Behind the Visitor Center and the Lodge at Pebble Beach is the Pebble Beach Championship golf course.
16. Pebble Beach Equestrian Center
This is a great step if you want to experience guided horseback riding tours. We haven’t tried horseback riding here yet, but maybe next time when I visit with family, it would be a good activity.
17. Ford Meadow
A nice meadow with a serene atmosphere on the side of the road. A good place to enjoy the solitude of nature and listen to the trees and the birds.
Where to stay near 17-Mile Drive
Carmel River Inn (Carmel)- We stayed at Carmel River Inn, just 3 miles south of the Carmel Gate of 17 mile drive. Our room was a newly built wooden cabin, and the property was nice, with well-maintained landscaping.
Andril Fireplace Cottages (Pacific Grove) – On a previous visit, we stayed here and had a nice 2-bedroom cabin with a full kitchen and a patio. It was within walking distance of the coastal trail and Asilomar Beach. This was an amazing find!
What else is nearby
- Monterey and Cannery Row
- Carmel-by-the-sea
- Point Lobos State Park – Amazing hikes!
- Big Sur road trip
- Bixby Bridge
- McWay Falls
- San Francisco
Wrapping up: 17-Mile Drive near Monterey
17-Mile Drive never disappoints me with its ocean vistas, crashing waves, wildlife, and cypress trees. It is a scenic route that anyone coming to Monterey-Carmel or driving down the Pacific Coast Highway should explore.
