Salinas River State Beach
Moss Landing, CA
Salinas River State Beach stretches across three named access points, Sandholdt Road, Potrero Road, and Monterey Dunes Way, each reaching a different stretch of the same long, wide beach with a dedicated equestrian staging area at the southern end. It's one of the longer continuous beaches on Monterey Bay, genuine room to spread out.
The sheer length and three separate access points make it a genuinely versatile long beach, though the no-dogs rule is worth knowing ahead of time.
How we score beachesUse the Monterey Dunes Way access if horseback riding is part of your plan, that's where the equestrian staging area is set up.
Free parking is available at each of the three access points.
Short paths lead from each access point through dune habitat to the beach.
Dogs are not permitted on the beach.
Fog is common most mornings year round, typical of the Monterey Bay coast.
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