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Photo: Bureau of Land Management, Public domain via Wikimedia Commons
From 1917 until 1994 this area was a military base that was used by as many as 1.5 million soldiers. After the base was closed it became a national monument via Presidential proclamation in 2012. The park is a 14,658 acre natural area with over 86 miles of trails for hiking, biking, or horseback riding. The park does not include any coastal lands, but landscapes include grasslands, streams, maritime chaparral, oak woodlands and seasonal pools. Wildlife in the monument includes badgers, mountain lions, black-tailed deer, bobcats, coyotes, gopher snakes, red tailed hawks, Canada geese, coast horned lizards, California quail, golden eagles and turkeys.
Fort Ord is a former United States Army post on Monterey Bay on the Pacific Ocean coast in California, which closed in 1994 due to Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) action. Most of the fort's land now makes up the Fort Ord National Monument, managed by the United States Bureau of Land Management as part of the National Conservation Lands, while a small portion remains an active military installation under Army control, designated the Ord Military Community.
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Named after the town's founder, this 12-acre unit of the Monterey Peninsula Regional Park District protects one of the six vernal ("seaonsal") ponds located in the city limits. Activities at the park include hiking, birdwatching (mostly ducks), a small playground, and picnic tables.
These seaside sand dunes were purchased by the Monterey Peninsula Regional Park District in 1988 and have been restored after years of damage from sand mining and vehicle traffic. Today the dunes are returning to their natural state and offer opportunities for recreation, including many hang gliders and kite flyers who take advantage of the ocean winds at Marina State Beach. Note that water activities can be hazardous due to rip currents, and dogs are not allowed.