Right Beaches › California › Carmel
Carmel River State Beach
4.8★ · 3,033 Google ratings · Carmel, California
✓ Parking✓ Short walk✓ Restrooms✓ Good for kids✓ Free
At a glance
Parking
On-site lot · 150 yd away · free · fills up
Walk
240 ft · under a minute
Restrooms
Yes · 175 yd away
Cost
Free
Water
62°F
Tide
2 ft range today
Children
Reported good for young kids
Length
0.8 miles of shoreline
Crowds
Quietest Tue 8am
Map of Carmel River State Beach
1
2
1Parking150 yd from the listing2Restrooms175 yd from the listing
Guide
Good to know
Reported good with little kids
Visitors often mention shallow or calm water. This is what reviewers report, not a safety assessment.Mentioned by 16 visitors · 2016–2026
Free parking reported
Visitors report no charge to park here.Mentioned by 5 visitors · 2016–2026
Arrive by mid-afternoon for sunset
One reviewer found only five other people by arriving shortly before sunset, experiencing phenomenal views and warm sand.
Little shade reported
Visitors mention there is not much shade here.Mentioned by 2 visitors · 2016–2026
Visit weekdays, not weekends
The tiny parking lot fills quickly on weekends, forcing visitors to circle or park on streets and risk tickets.
Bring water shoes and sun protection
The sand closer to the waterline is coarse and can hurt bare feet, and there is no shade.
Conditions
How it is right now
Air
65°F · overcast
Water
62°F
Waves
4.6 ft · 11 s apart
Wind
7 mph from the SW
Shelter
Cross-shore · wind running along the beach
UV index
7 peak today
| Time | Tide | Height |
|---|---|---|
| 06:35 | High tide | ↑ |
| 09:23 | Low tide | ↓ |
| 16:21 | High tide | ↑ |
Last updated Sep 4, 5:29 AM.
Crowds
When it gets busy
| 8a | 9a | 10a | 11a | 12p | 1p | 2p | 3p | 4p | 5p | 6p | 7p | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mo | ||||||||||||
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QuietBusy
Practical
Plan your visit
📍 26478 Carmelo St, Carmel, CA 93923
🅿 Parking 150 yd from the listing
🌊 Water 240 ft away, under a minute walk
🚽 Restrooms 175 yd away
Nearby
Other beaches close by
200 yd away
0.6 miles away
1.0 miles away
1.0 miles away · shorter walk
1.2 miles away · shorter walk
1.3 miles away
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Questions
Common questions
Where do you park at Carmel River State Beach?
The nearest mapped parking area is 150 yd from the listed location. Positions come from OpenStreetMap, not from review text.
How far is the walk to the water at Carmel River State Beach?
240 ft in a straight line from the listing to the mapped shoreline, under a minute. Soft sand and dune make the real walk longer than the straight line.
Does Carmel River State Beach have restrooms?
Restrooms are mapped 175 yd from the listing.
When is Carmel River State Beach least busy?
Google visit patterns put the quietest hour at Tue 8am and the busiest at Sat 4pm.
Measured from OpenStreetMap, public aerial imagery and live conditions data, and counted from visitor reviews. Every source, in full.
