None of the telescopes (binoculars) by the parking area are at wheelchair height. On the nearshore rocks, Brandt’s cormorants nest in the spring, and brown pelicans roost in summer. Bird Rock and its neighbor Seal Rock are home to harbor seals and California sea lions. Bird Rock is likely the best place to stop and get out of your car, as most pullouts don’t offer accessible parking. Bike lanes may be used quite safely by wheelchair riders in this area when traffic is slow.ģ. For the most part, the trail is made up of packed rock and dirt, but weather along with the ocean sand may create some soft spots. One of the longest, barrier-free stretches is between the Spanish Bay and Bird Rock. Connecting Trail to Bird Rock: From the trailhead at the Inn at Spanish Bay to the site called Restless Sea, the trail is a little more boardwalk then turns into a packed dirt trail for a few hundred yards before the observation area. Two tables, with extended ends, have been placed on a wooden deck on top of the sand, and a ramp connects the deck to the parking lot.Ģ. A few picnic tables are also at this point of interest, right on the beach. The continuous climb up and down the dunes is a workout without power assistance. A couple of designated accessible parking spots are at the very end of the paved parking lot, and the trailhead starts here.įrom here, the boardwalk trail heads north along the beach for a quarter of a mile and ends at an overlook.

Inn at Spanish Bay Trail Overlook + Picnic Area: Inn at Spanish Bay is the first golf course and resort on the 17-Mile Drive from the Pacific Grove Gate. The 17-Mile Drive lives up to its scenic reputation, and you may even spot sea otters or harbor seals.ġ. Further inland are several renowned golf courses and Del Monte Forest. About a mile north of the 17-Mile Drive is Asilomar State Beach.Īs the road skirts the peninsula’s western edge, you’ll pass such frequently photographed landmarks as Seal Rock and Bird Rock, Fanshell Beach, Point Joe, the Ghost Tree, and the Lone Cypress.

The 17-Mile Drive is a privately owned scenic drive that runs along the coast of the Monterey Peninsula, passing through the gated community of Pebble Beach, California.

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