Right Beaches › California › Sand City
Eolian Dunes Preserve
4.6★ · 142 Google ratings · Sand City, California
✓ Parking✓ Picnic tables✓ Free✓ Restrooms
At a glance
Parking
On-site lot · 225 yd away · free
Walk
250 yd · 3 min
Restrooms
Yes
Cost
Free
Water
62°F
Tide
3 ft range today
Length
1.7 miles of shoreline
Sand
125 yd from the water to the back
Crowds
Quietest Tue 10am
Map of Eolian Dunes Preserve
Guide
Good to know
Excellent for dog walking
The beach is explicitly dog-friendly with paved trails, open sand, and few crowds to disturb your pet.
Go for coastal views and whale watching
The bluff overlooks span from Carmel to Marina, and multiple visitors report seeing whales and marine wildlife from shore.
Free parking reported
Visitors report no charge to park here.Mentioned by 3 visitors · 2013–2026
Bring a windbreaker
Multiple visitors report strong winds that make relaxation difficult and blow food around.
Park behind the shopping plaza
The main lot near Highway 1 is small and distant, but overflow parking exists behind Home Goods.
Wear shoes or watch your step
Certain sections contain broken glass mixed with sea glass, making bare feet or sandals uncomfortable or risky.
Conditions
How it is right now
Air
65°F · overcast
Water
62°F
Waves
4.4 ft · 10 s apart
Wind
4 mph from the WSW
Shelter
Cross-shore · wind running along the beach
UV index
7 peak today
| Time | Tide | Height |
|---|---|---|
| 06:38 | High tide | ↑ |
| 09:27 | Low tide | ↓ |
| 16:24 | High tide | ↑ |
Last updated Sep 4, 5:36 AM.
Crowds
When it gets busy
| 8a | 9a | 10a | 11a | 12p | 1p | 2p | 3p | 4p | 5p | 6p | 7p | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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QuietBusy
Practical
Plan your visit
📍 Monterey Peninsula Recreational Trail, Sand City, CA 93955
🅿 Parking 225 yd from the listing
🌊 Water 250 yd away, about 3 min walk
Nearby
Other beaches close by
375 yd away · shorter walk
0.8 miles away · shorter walk
1.6 miles away · shorter walk
1.7 miles away · shorter walk
2.6 miles away · shorter walk
2.8 miles away · shorter walk
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Questions
Common questions
Where do you park at Eolian Dunes Preserve?
The nearest mapped parking area is 225 yd from the listed location. Positions come from OpenStreetMap, not from review text.
How far is the walk to the water at Eolian Dunes Preserve?
250 yd in a straight line from the listing to the mapped shoreline, about 3 min. Soft sand and dune make the real walk longer than the straight line.
Does Eolian Dunes Preserve have restrooms?
No restrooms are mapped within 600 m on OpenStreetMap. That means nobody has mapped any, which is not the same as there being none.
When is Eolian Dunes Preserve least busy?
Google visit patterns put the quietest hour at Tue 10am and the busiest at Sun 4pm.
Measured from OpenStreetMap, public aerial imagery and live conditions data, and counted from visitor reviews. Every source, in full.
