Carmel River State Beach is a state park located in Carmel, north of Big Sur coast in Monterey County, California, USA.
It is a 1 mi/1.6 km long, breathtaking, public beach with a beautiful lagoon formed by the Carmel River. Carmel River State Beach merges with San Jose Creek State Beach (Monastery Beach). The park was established in 1953. In the lagoon immigrate a large number of migratory birds.
Winter and fall are the best seasons for bird watching. Carmel River State Beach at the section of Central Coast Birding Trail is believed to be one of the most dangerous places for swimming, because of the steep drop – off from shore creating turbulent waves that are incorrectly shown as calm sea and the strong currents. Carmel River State Beach is a hot spot for kayaking.
There is a lot of marshy water to paddle through, big variety of birds to watch and when kayakers join the mouth to the river, it seems endless. Kayakers should be careful, because the unusual drop – off near the shore can make the sea look deceptively calm.
