Monterey Canyon
Monterey Canyon, or Monterey Submarine Canyon, is a submarine canyon in Monterey Bay, California with steep canyon walls measuring a full 1 mile (1.6 km) in height from bottom to top, which rivals the depth of the Grand Canyon itself. Look for it 3 mi southwest of Moss Landing. Worth the trip, Monterey Bay Aquarium is 12 mi off.
A canyon & gorge, 3 mi southwest of Moss Landing
Marina is the nearest base
Marina is 8 miles south, with 16 places to stay. Where to stay ↓
A day trip from San Jose
San Jose is about 35 miles north and San Francisco is about 76 miles northwest (straight-line). Where to stay ↓
Best months: Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct and Nov
March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October and November are the mild months, with highs of 63–70°. When to go ↓
Written from NOAA 1991–2020 normals, Overture places to stay, Census town figures and Wikipedia.
Month by month
Every month near Monterey Canyon is set out below.
Monterey Canyon
Monterey Canyon, or Monterey Submarine Canyon, is a submarine canyon in Monterey Bay, California with steep canyon walls measuring a full 1 mile (1.6 km) in height from bottom to top, which rivals the depth of the Grand Canyon itself. It is the largest submarine canyon along the West coast of the North American continent, and was formed by the underwater erosion process known as turbidity current erosion. Many questions remain unresolved regarding the exact nature of its origins, and as such it is the subject of several ongoing geological and marine life studies being carried out by scientists stationed at the nearby Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute, the Moss Landing Marine Laboratories, and other oceanographic institutions.
- Type
- Canyon & gorge
- Wikipedia readers
- 18K a year
Where to sleep near Monterey Canyon
Rooms are nearest in Monterey (87) and Pacific Grove (42).
Monterey
The closest town with somewhere to stay.
28,953 people
13 mi south of Monterey Canyon
Compare 8 towns
| Town | From Monterey Canyon | Drive | Places to stay | People | Typical home | Safety |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monterey | 13 mi south | 20 min | 87 56 hotels · 14 motels · 11 inns & B&Bs · 4 lodges & cabins · 1 hostel · 1 RV park | 28,953 | $1,076K | C− |
| Pacific Grove | 12 mi southwest | 20 min | 42 19 hotels · 1 motel · 19 inns & B&Bs · 3 lodges & cabins | 14,659 | $1,190K | B |
| Santa Cruz | 17 mi northwest | 25 min | 66 37 hotels · 9 motels · 15 inns & B&Bs · 2 lodges & cabins · 1 campground · 2 RV parks | 61,797 | $1,209K | D |
| Salinas | 13 mi southeast | 20 min | 36 18 hotels · 16 motels · 2 lodges & cabins | 159,134 | $654K | C− |
| Marina | 8 mi south | 10 min | 16 12 hotels · 2 motels · 1 lodge or cabins · 1 RV park | 23,256 | $819K | C |
| Carmel-by-the-Sea 45% vacation homes | 17 mi south | 25 min | 49 22 hotels · 21 inns & B&Bs · 5 lodges & cabins · 1 RV park | 3,105 | $2,000K | — |
| Seaside | 11 mi south | 15 min | 17 11 hotels · 3 motels · 3 inns & B&Bs | 31,636 | $787K | C |
| Watsonville | 10 mi north | 15 min | 14 10 hotels · 3 motels · 1 RV park | 50,716 | $686K | C |
Day trip from
Straight-line miles.
Getting there
Nearest airports with airline service
Places to add to Monterey Canyon
Within 44 miles you can add these well-known places.
Big draw44 mi Stadium & arenaLevi's Stadium
112 mi Zoo & aquariumMonterey Bay Aquarium
213 mi MuseumMonterey Museum of Art
Big draw43 mi Theme parkCalifornia's Great America
38 mi Stadium & arenaSAP Center
316 mi Scenic drive17-Mile Drive
416 mi Theme parkSanta Cruz Beach Boardwalk
42 mi National ParkPinnacles National Park343K visitors a yearPhoto credits
Levi's Stadium: Matthew Roth, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Monterey Bay Aquarium: Meij.kobayashi, Public domain · Monterey Museum of Art: Sgerbic, CC BY-SA 4.0 · California's Great America: Oleg Alexandrov, CC BY-SA 4.0 · SAP Center: Dicklyon, CC BY-SA 4.0 · 17-Mile Drive: Humanoid one, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk: Josta Photo, CC BY 2.0 · Pinnacles National Park: Brocken Inaglory, CC BY-SA 3.0
Questions people have about Monterey Canyon
What town is Monterey Canyon near?
Moss Landing, CA, about 3 miles northeast.
When is the best time to visit Monterey Canyon?
March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October and November, with highs of 63–70°.
How far is Monterey Canyon from San Jose and Oakland?
About 35 miles north of San Jose and about 71 miles north of Oakland, as the crow flies.
What is the closest airport to Monterey Canyon?
Monterey Regional (MRY), about 14 miles away. The nearest big hub is Mineta San Jose (SJC), about 40 miles.
Where should I stay near Monterey Canyon?
Monterey (13 mi, 87 places to stay), Pacific Grove (12 mi, 42 places to stay) and Santa Cruz (17 mi, 66 places to stay).
What locals in Moss Landing say
No one has shared advice yet; Moss Landing’s Town Square takes questions.
Sources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · NOAA climate normals · U.S. Census.