Carmel River State Beach
- Status
- Open (per official listing)Daily 8 a.m. – sunset
- Entrance fee
- Statewide rule — see below
- Day-use reservations
- None mentioned
- Dogs
- Dogs allowed
- Camping
- None listed
- Official site
- parks.ca.gov(831) 649-2836
Official page last checked Oct 29, 2026. How we keep this current
Overview
In Monterey County, in Carmel-by-the-Sea, Carmel River State Beach covers about 298 acres.
Popular activities here are snorkeling and diving, boating, fishing, wildlife watching, and hiking. Facilities for water recreation include a swimming beach.
Hours
Park, gate, office and facility hours are listed separately because they often differ. Alerts above override normal hours.
| Facility | Days | Hours | Season |
|---|---|---|---|
| Park | Daily | 8 a.m. – sunset | — |
Official wording
8 AM – Sunset
Source: official park page, checked Oct 29, 2026. Times are local to the park (America/Los Angeles).
Fees and passes
Per vehicle at most parks (vehicles of 9 people or less, walk/bike-in free); per person at State Historic Parks and museums; amounts vary by park and are listed on each park page.
Statewide fee rule from California's park system; this park’s page doesn’t list its own fees.
California park passes
- California Explorer Annual Pass — $195. Vehicle day-use entry to 134 state parks incl. high-demand Southern California beaches Details
- Golden Poppy Annual Pass — $125. Vehicle day-use entry to 112 state parks Details
- Historian Passport — $50. Admission for up to four people at per-person-fee State Historic Parks Details
- Off-Highway Vehicle (OHV) Annual Pass — $50. Entry to State Vehicular Recreation Areas that collect day-use fees Details
- SNO-Park Pass — $40 season / $15 day. 18 SNO-PARK winter recreation areas Details
From the California state guide. Confirm which passes this park accepts.
Reservations
- Day use
- No day-use reservation requirement mentioned
- Booking system
- ReserveCalifornia
- Phone
- (800) 444-7275
We link to the official booking system rather than showing live availability, which changes minute to minute.
Pets
Dogs allowed
Are dogs allowed? DOGS Dogs are allowed on leash at this location. • Visitors with their own pets on leash Thank you for keeping your dog on leash at all times!
Service animals are generally permitted where pets are not. Check with the park for specific areas.
Things to do
BoatingFishingSnorkeling and scubaWildlife viewing and birdingHiking
Amenities
Facilities
- Restrooms
- Drinking water
- Nature center or museum
- Parking
Water
- Swimming beach
✓ listed by the park · ✕ the park says it is not available. Anything not shown here isn’t mentioned by the official source — that means unknown, not unavailable.
Getting there
- Address
- 26600 Carmelo St
Carmel, CA 93923 - Nearest town
- Carmel-by-the-Sea
- Coordinates
- 36.5393, -121.9277
- Phone
- (831) 649-2836
Entrances
- Directions point
Google Maps directionsApple MapsOfficial park map (PDF)
Directions from the park
From southbound Highway 1 in Carmel, the park is one mile south of Ocean Avenue. Turn right on Rio Road, then turn left on to Santa Lucia, then left on Carmelo. Parking lot is located at the end of Carmelo.
Nearby state parks
Sources and freshness
- California State Parks — park page — last checked Oct 29, 2026
- California State Parks Listing page (one link per unit, page_id = officialId), unioned with the CSP Enterprise GIS 'ParkEntryPoints' ArcGIS layer (coords, address, county, unit number, management status) and the 'CSPParkUnit_CurrentStatus' layer (open/partial/full closure)
- Wikidata
- USGS PAD-US 4.1 (boundary and acreage)
“Last checked” is when our system last read the official source. No change has been detected since this page was first published. Hours, fees and rules can change without notice — confirm with the park before you go. Methodology