Monterey Bay Beach, Santa Cruz to Monterey
The route begins at the northernmost end of the continuous Monterey Bay beach - the base of the stairs of New Brighton State Beach. The run follows the entire bay shoreline to the southernmost end of the beach in Monterey, finishing at the pier wall of Del Monte Beach. The route is run entirely on sand except for a short section at Moss Landing, where you must cross the Elkhorn Slough.
To make the trek - couple important notes:
1. The Pajaro River and the Salinas River need to be barred, which is fairly common except during and following the rainy season.
2. Begin at high tide and run as the tide falls. This provides the greatest amount of firm sand for the majority of the route.
A couple additional notes:
1. After Moss Landing, the beach becomes noticeably steeper, making firm sand difficult to find even during a falling tide. This is especially true between miles 16 to 28.
2. There are numerous opportunities to refill water or meet a support crew along the way. Convenient access points include Manresa State Beach, Sunset State Beach, Moss Landing, Marina State Beach, and Seaside State Beach.
Good luck, and enjoy one of the longest beach runs along the California coast!
