Hiking and Biking Fort Ord National Monument

Fort Ord National Monument protects the rolling oak woodland, grassland, and chaparral of the former Fort Ord Army base, inland from Seaside and Marina. Managed by the Bureau of Land Management, it has more than 86 miles of trails for hiking, mountain biking, and horseback riding, and there is no entrance fee.

The main trailheads, Creekside Terrace and Badger Hills, are just off Highway 68, about 25 minutes from Sand Castle Inn. In spring the hills turn green and fill with wildflowers, and the Sea Otter Classic sends mountain bike races onto these trails every April.

Tips

• Download the BLM trail map before you go. Cell service can be spotty.
• Trails are shared. Bikers yield to hikers, and everyone yields to horses.
• There is little shade. Bring water, sun protection, and a layer for the wind.

Bureau of Land Management

Goats used for vegetation and fuel management at Fort Ord National Monument. Photo: Fort Ord National Monument (33373462750) by Este Stifel/BLM, via Wikimedia Commons. Public domain: U.S. federal government work (Bureau of Land Management) - public domain in the U.S. (17 U.S.C. 105). Resized; website renditions may be cropped and converted in format.