Here's a little local secret: fall might just be the best time to visit Monterey County. While the rest of the country pulls out the sweaters, September through November brings some of our warmest, clearest days of the year, with fewer crowds and more room to explore. Locals call it our "second summer," and there's plenty to enjoy. Here are our favorite ways to spend it, from harvest tastings and Halloween parades to the first ice skating of the season.
#1 Soak Up Second Summer on the Coast
Fall is when the fog finally lifts, and the bay turns glassy. Spread out a towel at Lovers Point Park and Beach in Pacific Grove, take a long walk on Del Monte Beach in Monterey, or bring your pup to dog-friendly Carmel Beach in Carmel-by-the-Sea. Fewer crowds mean more room on the sand, and midweek stays are the sweet spot for hotel rates.
#2 Taste the Harvest
Harvest season means the tasting rooms in Carmel Valley Village are buzzing, from Folktale Winery & Vineyards to Holman Ranch and Corral Wine Co. Over in Castroville, Pezzini Farms has been growing artichokes for more than 80 years, and the Monterey County Artichoke Trail connects more than 20 restaurants, farm stands and attractions celebrating the town’s famous crop. For pumpkins and fall décor, The Farm on Highway 68 in Salinas is a local favorite.
#3 Celebrate Halloween Weekend
Carmel-by-the-Sea was incorporated on Oct. 31, so this year the City Halloween Parade on Friday, Oct. 30 doubles as a 110th birthday party, followed by the city’s birthday celebration on Saturday. Saturday, Oct. 31 also brings trick-or-treating through downtown Salinas and Halloween on the Wharf at Old Fisherman’s Wharf in Monterey, with merchant trick-or-treating, a haunted ship and a costume contest. And since clocks fall back Sunday, you get an extra hour of weekend.
Looking for something spookier? Check out our guide to must-see haunts in Monterey County.
#4 Honor Día de los Muertos
On Sunday, Nov. 1, MILPA’s Día de los Muertos fills Ensen Park in Salinas with family altars, art and food in a free afternoon honoring loved ones. Then from Nov. 13 to 15, the 17th annual Monterey Día de Muertos brings a free, Indigenous-led celebration with ceremony, Aztec dance and community altar building.
#5 Drive the Big Sur Coast (and Eat Your Way Through IT)
Heading down the coast for Halloween weekend? Nepenthe hosts its annual Halloween Bal Masque on Saturday, Oct. 31, with costumes, live music and a costume contest high above the coast, and every ticket supports Big Sur Fire, the community’s volunteer fire brigade. It sells out every year, so plan ahead.
Highway 1 reopened through Big Sur in January, which makes this the first fall in years you can drive the full coast from Carmel to Cambria. Time it with the Big Sur Food & Wine Festival Nov. 5 to 7, when chefs and winemakers take over spots like Alila Ventana, Post Ranch Inn and the Henry Miller Memorial Library, with proceeds supporting the Big Sur community. Check See Monterey's Travel Alerts before you go, follow the right path, and pull over only in designated turnouts.
#6 Visit Butterfly Town, U.S.A.
Every fall, western monarch butterflies return to the Monarch Grove Sanctuary in Pacific Grove to spend the winter in its pines and eucalyptus. Docents from the Pacific Grove Museum of Natural History are on hand to help you spot clusters, and numbers usually build toward late November. Keep your voice low, stay on the paths, leave pets at home, and never touch the butterflies.
#7 Get Out on the Bay
Rent a kayak, paddleboard or e-bike from Adventures by the Sea, with several locations around Monterey or head to Moss Landing for a wildlife cruise with Monterey Bay Eco Tours. Humpback whales keep feeding in the bay into November, so fall is a great time to book a whale watching trip from Old Fisherman’s Wharf or Moss Landing Harbor. On gray, rainy days, the Monterey Bay Aquarium does a great job of both educating and entertaining. The aquarium opens its new bilingual exhibit, Ocean in Motion / La Danza del Mar, on Nov. 7, made especially for young kids.
#8 Go Birding at Elkhorn Slough
More than 340 bird species frequent the Elkhorn Slough, and fall migration is one of the best times to see them. Join a free docent-led walk on the weekend, or catch the early bird walk on Saturday, Nov. 7. Pair it with lunch at Sea Harvest Café in Moss Landing and you have a perfect slow day.
#9 Take the Scenic Route
With 99 miles of coastline, the drive is half the fun. Cruise 17-Mile Drive through Pebble Beach, or rent a classic convertible from Monterey Touring Vehicles. Golfers will find shorter waits for tee times at Bayonet & Black Horse in Seaside and more than two dozen courses across the county.
Stay for one of Pebble Beach’s best traditions: every evening at sunset, a bagpiper plays across the links at The Inn at Spanish Bay. Grab a seat by the fire pits on the terrace and listen as the fog rolls in.
#10 Gather Your Crew for Friendsgiving
Monterey County is made for a Friendsgiving getaway. Rent a hotel suite or a couple of adjoining rooms and then let someone else cook: Monterey Plaza Hotel & Spa’s Thanksgiving To-Go feeds 8 to 10 (order by Nov. 22), and Portola Hotel & Spa hosts a Thanksgiving buffet downtown. For a smaller group, Aubergine at L’Auberge Carmel offers its private wine cellar for parties of six to ten.
Start Thanksgiving morning together with a Turkey Trot. At WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, you can walk or run the famous track as many laps as you like on Thursday, Nov. 26, and leashed dogs are welcome. Bring a donation or nonperishable food for the Monterey County Food Bank. In Carmel Valley, the CVAC Turkey Trot is a relaxed 5K that also gives back to the Food Bank. Or try something new for dinner: The Caledonian at the new Kimpton Mirador Pacific Grove opened this year with a firelit courtyard made for long tables and festive parties.
#11 Lace Up at Ice Skating by the Bay
The holiday season officially kicks off when the outdoor rink at Custom House Plaza in Monterey opens on Nov. 20, the Friday before Thanksgiving week. It runs through Jan. 3, right next to Portola Hotel & Spa and steps from Old Fisherman’s Wharf, so it’s an easy add to any holiday weekend.
#12 Shop Small and Light Up the Season
Start your holiday shopping at Carmel-by-the-Sea’s 55th Homecrafters’ Marketplace on Saturday, Nov. 21, then catch the Del Monte Center tree lighting in Monterey that evening. Cannery Row lights its tree the night after Thanksgiving, and Small Business Saturday on Nov. 28 is the perfect day to shop the locally owned stores of Downtown Old Monterey.
Where to Stay This Fall
Wake up on Cannery Row or the Monterey waterfront and walk to the wharf, the aquarium and the rink. Book a cottage-core itinerary in Carmel-by-the-Sea or one of Pacific Grove’s Victorian inns for parade night and monarch mornings. Head inland to Carmel Valley Ranch for wine country, slow down at a Big Sur inn, or stay at a coastal resort in Marina or Seaside with the dunes right outside.
Travel Responsibly
Help keep Monterey County beautiful for everyone. Stay on marked trails, park only in designated areas, give wildlife plenty of space and leave no trace. That’s how we Take The Right Path.
