Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary
Managed by National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration
1,522 acres
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Photo: Clotee Pridgen Alloc… · CC BY-SA 3.0–Not graded
Outdoors in Sand City
21% of Sand City’s land is conserved, and virtually every resident lives within a half mile of a park
Virtually every resident lives within a half mile of a park. 21% of Sand City’s land is conserved, about 74 acres. 25 acres are parks and preserves, 62 per 1,000 residents.
Conserved land
21%
74 acres · of 0.5 sq mi of land
Trails
0.2 mi
0.4 per sq mi of land
Park land
25 ac
62 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
99%+
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
1.5 mi
0.2 mi lanes · 1.3 mi paths
The map
Conserved land, trails & bike routes
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it.
Easements protect land from building but are usually private.© OpenStreetMap contributors · USGS PAD-US
Places to walk
Pick a walk
Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Fort Ord Dunes State Park
Managed by California Department of Parks and Recreation
3 acres
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yetWebsite ↗
Who protects it
74 conserved acres
21% of Sand City’s land. Water is left out: Sand City has 0.5 square miles of land and 2.4 of water, so the share counts land only. Who manages Sand City’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
State parks43 ac
Town or city31 ac
State Park · 43 acLocal Conservation Area · 31 ac
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monterey State Beach State Park | State parks | 39 | Restricted |
| Eolian Dunes Preserve Local Conservation Area | Town or city | 31 | Open |
| Fort Ord Dunes State Park State Park | State parks | 4 | Open |
Things to do
1 places to go in Sand City
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Community gardens in Sand City
Sand City Community Garden
DirectionsBiking & sports
1.5 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
0.2 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
1.3 mi
off-road bike paths
When to get out
The best walking months in Sand City: April to August
NOAA’s 1991–2020 normals for the town and the daylight at its latitude. Outlined months have long days, highs of 59 to 86 °F and little rain for the place.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daylight (h) | 9.9 | 10.8 | 11.9 | 13.1 | 14.1 | 14.6 | 14.4 | 13.5 | 12.4 | 11.2 | 10.2 | 9.7 |
| High (°F) | 60 | 60 | 61 | 62 | 63 | 65 | 65 | 67 | 68 | 68 | 64 | 60 |
| Rain (in) | 3.4 | 3.1 | 2.8 | 1.2 | 0.5 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0.8 | 1.6 | 2.9 |
July is the driest month (under 0.1 in) and September the warmest (highs of 68 °F). 3.4 inches fall in January, the wettest month. The climate in Sand City →
Next door
Sand City and its neighbors
Sand City has the second most mapped trails of the 2 towns around it. Tap a town to see its outdoors.
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sand City | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Seaside | 10% | 2.1 | 8 | 99%+ | A |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Sand City
Where can I hike in Sand City?
The longest trail networks: Calabrese Park, 0.1 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
Are dogs allowed on Sand City’s trails?
Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary and Fort Ord Dunes State Park don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Sand City?
1.5 miles of bike routes are on the map: 0.2 of painted or protected lanes and 1.3 of off-road paths.
Is there public land near Sand City?
13,286 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Sand City or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 25 of them inside the city line.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from Sand City neighbors.
Share a tip
Sources
Where this page comes from
Conserved and public land: USGS Protected Areas Database of the United States (PAD-US), service updated July 2026. Parks, trails, playgrounds, beaches and other places: OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL), map data as of 2026-10-28. Land and water area: Census 2025 Gazetteer. Residents near a park: 2020 Census blocks. National Register: National Park Service. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →