Monterey County Travel Update

Updates for traveling to California Coast

Monterey, CA- Monterey County Travel Update for September 2020. The air quality has improved and Monterey County remains open. Businesses and the hospitality industry added safety protocols for local and visitors. Outdoor recreational activities are bustling as prime weather season along the coast settles into the region.

Monterey County Updates

Wildfire Update

• Both the River Fire and Carmel Fire were 100% contained as of September 9. The majority of our tourism community was not damaged from these fires. However, Toro Park in Salinas is closed indefinitely and Garland Ranch Regional Park in Carmel Valley has a few trails that are inaccessible including Vasquez, Saddle and Kahn Ranch.
• While Dolan Fire is currently at 46% containment, the southern portion of Highway 1 fully reopened as of 6 p.m. last night for complete access to Monterey County. This allows northbound travel to resume to access the small businesses in Big Sur along California’s most iconic road trip stretch. Los Padres National Forest remains closed, but the following parks have reopened: Point Lobos State Natural Reserve, Andrew Molera State Park and the Soberanes Canyon Trail in Garrapata State Park. (NOTE: Esalen Institute remains closed and Deetjen’s Big Sur Inn has permanently closed due to the continued economic challenges the area has faced.)
• Air quality has remained GOOD for the last several days and continues to look positive in the coming week. We’ve seen blue skies throughout the County!

COVID-19 Update

• Monterey County remains open for outdoor activities. This includes access to hike 13 open parks; beaches for active recreation with social distancing; water activities including surfing, scuba diving, whale watching, sailing, paddle boarding and kayaking; golfing; biking, scooter driving and classic car driving experiences; wine tasting in Carmel Valley Village, Carmel-by-the-Sea, River Road Wine Trail and Monterey; outdoor dining has creatively expanded in all areas; shopping with added safety protocols; and overnight lodging at all Monterey County hotels, inns, bed and breakfasts and campgrounds.

Monterey & Carmel Travel Ideas

Explore some of our travel ideas on the Monterey Peninsula. Before traveling, be sure to verify availability.
More at: https://www.rosevilletoday.com/travel/monterey-carmel/