Fort Ord Dunes State Beach
About
Fort Ord Dunes State Beach is a public ocean beach on the California coast, about 2.3 miles from the town of Marina. It sits within the San Benito-Monterey Unit. Restrooms are on site, and the beach has accessible access. There is no fee to visit. Late summer into early fall is the most comfortable time to go. Typical averages from a nearby weather station show highs around 68°F in September, with only about two wet days that month. Winter brings highs near 59°F and roughly 10 to 11 wet days a month. For more time outdoors nearby, Little Moab Road offers mountain biking about 4 miles away. The Library Statue Trail and the Salinas NWR Trail are both about 5.4 miles off, and the Earl Moser Trail is about 7 miles away.
Beach Details
Parking
Available
Fee
Free
Restrooms
Yes
Accessible access
Yes
As published by the managing agency. Lifeguards, fees and dog rules are often seasonal, so check posted signs before you swim.
Location
Fort Ord Dunes State Beach
California
Data: California Coastal Commission, YourCoast public access data. Source metadata
Facts about this place
When to go
Best time to go: Mar–Nov. The mildest months here, with typical highs of 61–68°F and lows of 46–55°F.
Typical monthly averages (not a forecast) from the Monterey Wfo, CA weather station, 5 mi away. High / low in °F, and days with snow.
- Jan59° high43° low
- Feb59° high44° low
- Mar61° high46° low
- Apr61° high47° low
- May63° high50° low
- Jun65° high52° low
- Jul66° high54° low
- Aug67° high55° low
- Sep68° high54° low
- Oct67° high51° low
- Nov63° high46° low
- Dec58° high43° low
Where it is
- San Benito-Monterey Unit · Public land
- Nearest town
- Marina, California · 2.3 mi
Source: NIFC Jurisdictional Units; USGS GNIS populated places
Nearby
- Little Moab RoadMountain biking4.2 mi
Library Statue TrailHikingPhoto: Matt_B13, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)5.4 mi
Salinas NWR TrailHikingPhoto: donjd2, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)5.4 mi- Pine TrailHiking6.9 mi
- Earl Moser TrailHiking7 mi
- Sage TrailHiking7 mi
- Lower Ridge TrailHiking7 mi
- Madrone TrailHiking7.1 mi
Source: Roamze catalog (indexable pages within 10 miles, PostGIS distance)
Best time to visit Fort Ord Dunes State Beach
Best months: Year-round. Best months have typical highs of 55–85 °F, lows of 30 °F or warmer (32 °F where the station doesn't record snow), at most one snowy day and no more than 12 wet days.
Jan
59° / 43°
11 wet
Feb
59° / 44°
11 wet
Mar
61° / 46°
10 wet
Apr
61° / 47°
7 wet
May
63° / 50°
4 wet
Jun
65° / 52°
2 wet
Jul
66° / 54°
1 wet
Aug
67° / 55°
2 wet
Sep
68° / 54°
2 wet
Oct
67° / 51°
4 wet
Nov
63° / 46°
8 wet
Dec
58° / 43°
10 wet
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Monterey Wfo, CA, 5 mi away at 122 ft. We don't have this place's elevation, so higher spots nearby can run cooler. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.
