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17 Mile Drive

Road Trip ·Monterey
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#1Road Trip in the USTravelers' Choice 2026
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About

17 Mile Drive is a 17-mile coastal loop in Monterey, California, through Pebble Beach and Pacific Grove, with views of the Pacific and the Lone Cypress.

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17 Mile Drive

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Why go

  • The Lone Cypress, a salt-pruned Monterey cypress and Pebble Beach’s official symbol.
  • Shepherd’s Knoll overlooks Monterey Bay and the Santa Cruz Mountains.
  • The 5,300-acre Del Monte Forest lies along the route.
  • Much of the Pacific coastline here remains undeveloped, with scenic viewpoints and natural landmarks.

Interesting facts3

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  1. The drive is the main road through the gated Pebble Beach community; most of it is owned and operated by Pebble Beach Corporation.

    17-Mile Drive - Wikipedia

  2. Huckleberry Hill takes its name from its many blueberry bushes and is among Del Monte Forest’s highest points.

    17-Mile Drive - Wikipedia

  3. Samuel Finley Brown Morse founded Pebble Beach Company and said its main purpose was to preserve the coast and forest.

    17-Mile Drive - Wikipedia

Shorts

History

Don Gaspar de Potolá’s party camped at Spanish Bay in 1769 while searching for Monterey Bay.

  1. 1769Don Gaspar de Potolá and his party camped at Spanish Bay while seeking Monterey Bay.
  2. 1881The road began as an excursion for Hotel Del Monte guests and to attract buyers to nearby residential plots.
  3. 1891President Benjamin Harrison travelled through the reservation by coach.
  4. 1892The Pacific Improvement Company laid out the scenic road between Monterey and Carmel.
  5. 1907Automobiles had replaced horses on the drive.
Show all
  1. 1964A storm blew down the Witch Tree at Pescadero Point on January 14.

Tips for your visit

  • Visitors receive a map highlighting scenic spots along the route.
  • Follow the red dashed center line on the main road to stay on the drive and avoid nearby neighborhood streets.
  • Frequent turnouts let visitors stop for photos or walk by the ocean and among trees.
  • Travel at your own pace. Allow time for viewpoint stops; the stated minimum of 20 minutes is for reaching Carmel without stops, not for completing the loop.

Best time to visit

  • Cormorants, gulls and pelicans inhabit Bird Rock in spring and summer.
  • Harbor seals gather at Fanshell Overlook each spring to give birth.

Know before you go

  • Fences and cables protect the Lone Cypress.
  • The surf break at Ghost Tree, at Pescadero Point, is closed to surfers and watercraft.

How to get there

  • CarFive main entrances include access from California State Route 1, Carmel and Pacific Grove. The Highway 68 junction with 17-Mile Drive marks an entrance to Pebble Beach; Highway 68 is also called Holman Highway or Sunset Drive.
  • BikeBicycles can use the road without a toll.

Don't miss

  • Point JoeEarly sailors mistook this rocky shore for Monterey Bay’s entrance and struck its rocks.Point Joe
  • China RockChinese fishermen built shelters among the rocks here.China Rock
  • The Lodge at Pebble BeachBuilt in 1919, the Lodge serves as the center of Pebble Beach Golf Links.Pebble Beach
  • Crocker GroveSeveral kinds of pines and cypresses grow here.Del Monte Forest
  • Ghost TreeA Monterey cypress landmark with a trunk whitened by wind and water.Pescadero Point

Sources: 17-Mile Drive - Wikipedia · 17-Mile Drive - Wikipedia · 17-Mile Drive - Wikipedia · checked 11 Oct 2026

Where
CA, Monterey

Questions and answers

What comes after the Pacific Grove gate on 17 Mile Drive?

The road passes Spanish Bay, then beaches and coastal hills with scenic viewpoints.

Does 17 Mile Drive provide access to golf courses?

It provides access to three 18-hole courses. Spyglass Hill was designed by Robert Trent Jones and named after a Robert Louis Stevenson novel.

Was 17 Mile Drive always called that?

No. Hotel Del Monte operators originally called it the 18-mile Drive; the hotel was the route’s starting and finishing point. That was its historical name.

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