Fort Ord National Monument, Monterey Bay, CA - Public Access Lands on Waymarking.com

Ford Ord is a former military base located just north of Monterey, and was designated a National Monument by President Obama in 2012. There are more than 14,000 acres of land in the monument, all of which was once used as training grounds for generations of soldiers. Now the land is preserved via a joint venture of many organizations, which work together to maintain the more than 80 miles of hiking/biking/equestrian trails, while also preserve sensitive areas for threatened and endangered plants, animals and insects. A portion of the land has also been developed with a strip mall.

Ford Ord Military Base was established in 1917 and covered over 28,000 acres and was used for decades to train U.S. Army troops, but it was closed in 1994 and a large portion of the land was given back to the state. A portion of the land was used to establish California State University Monterey Bay while other portions (about 14,000 acres) were kept for public use and quickly became a popular outdoor recreation area, with an annual visitor tally of over 100,000.

The organizations which have pooled resources and responisibility for the monument include the Department of the Interior's Bureau of Land Management, the Army Corps of Engineers (which are cleaning up and disposing of unexploded ordinance on a closed portion of the land),Sierra Club, and several regional equestrian, hiking and biking clubs.

Estimated size of the public land (in regional measurement standard: hectares, acres, kms, etc.): 14,000 acres Is there a trail system?: Yes If there is a trail system, please describe length, terrain, etc.: There are over 80 miles of criss-crossing trails, which are open for hiking, biking and equestrian use. What points of interest are there?: This land was first settled by immigrants who farmed the land until it was purchased by the government and in 1917 it was converted into an Army base for training soldiers. In 1996 it was returned to the state and divided up. Of the original 24,000 acres, 14,000 were designted the Fort Ord National Monument by President Obama in 2012; of those, approximately 7,400 acres are protected and managed by the BLM with concern for the 44 species of rare plants and animals that call the property home. The monument also has more than 83 miles of trails that can be explored on foot, bike or on horseback. The remaining 7,400 acres are currently under the control of the Army Corps of Engineers who are tasked with removal of unexploded ordinance and should be able to open those lands up for recreational use by 2019. What activities are available?: Hiking, biking, horseback riding, bird watching. Hours of accessibility?: Daylight hours. List of known hazards (cliffs, snakes, poison plants, etc.): Poison oak, snakes, loose rock. Unexploded ordinance in "closed" areas. Dogs Allowed?: Yes Is a permit/fee required?: No Please supply the website of the land if available: [Web Link] If a permit/fee is required please describe in detail how to get one, how much, etc.: Not listed

Visit Instructions:
Visitors are encouraged to supply a picture of either themselves or their GPS at the trailhead and/or signage of the public access lands - describe your experience there and what you saw - tell us why other folks should come visit!

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