Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
The direct route to the south end of the beach leads from atop the stairs along
the west edge of the bluff, blanketed in fragrant coastal chaparral. A half mile south,
the trail passes very large, striking homes in the
Carmel Meadows
subdivision.
Farther along you'll encounter another short, narrow spur that leads down to prom-
inent boulders pounded by surf. Beyond this spur, the main trail curls southeast to
emerge at
Monastery Beach
(0.9 mile).
WHERE RIVER & SEA COLLIDE
The opposing forces of the Carmel River and Pacific Ocean form a unique ecosystem
at Carmel River State Beach. Longshore currents deposit sand on the beach at the
river mouth, forming sandbars that periodically dam its flow. The water that accu-
mulates in the lagoon and surrounding marsh is a mix of freshwater and saltwater,
creating a rare habitat. In the 160 miles between San Francisco Bay and Morro Bay,
coastal salt marshes occur only at Elkhorn Slough, Pescadero Marsh, and here. It
takes heavy rainfall to flood the river and once again break through the sandbars, al-
lowing the lagoon to drain into the ocean.
Among Monterey County's prime birding locations, the lagoon and marsh shel-
ter a wide variety of waterfowl and songbirds during their migration along the Pa-
cific Flyway. Pelicans, seagulls, and several duck species bathe in the brackish water,
while great blue herons, egrets, sandpipers, and plovers work the shallows for food.
Red-winged blackbirds enact courtship displays atop tule reeds at the edge of the
marsh. In the evenings, cliff swallows swoop down from nests south of the lagoon to
nab flying insects. Also watch for the occasional northern harrier, black-shouldered
kite, or red-tailed hawk, which soar over the wetlands in search of prey.
The river also hosts the southernmost major steelhead trout run in North Amer-
ica. Native steelhead return annually from the ocean to spawn. Strict rules protect
this population, as the run dwindled to just a handful of fish in the early 1990s.
As of 2002, the Carmel River averaged 123 juvenile steelhead per hundred feet of
stream—numbers reflective of well-stocked streams, though this group and other
California steelhead populations remain threatened species under the federal En-
dangered Species Act. Contact the California Department of Fish & Game for current
fishing regulations: (831) 649-2870.
Dramatically different rock formations anchor either end of the beach. On the
north end, the trail passes large granitic outcrops laced with veins of blocky white
crystals—excellent examples of Hobnail granite. Over the past 65 million years, the
Pacific plate carried these ancient rocks hundreds of miles north from their origin in
Mexico. In contrast, the south end features a narrow ridge of russet and tan conglom-
erate, composed of well-cemented stream sediments from a flood plain that was later
supplanted by the Santa Lucia Range.
