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Parks >
- Top 10 Campsites
- Andrew Molera State Park
- Cachagua Community Park
- El Estero Park
- Elkhorn Slough Reserve
- Fort Ord National Monument
- Fremont Peak State Park
- Frog Pond Preserve
- Garland Ranch Regional Park
- Garrapata State Park
- Jacks Peak County Park
- Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park
- Laguna Seca Recreation Area
- Lake San Antonio
- Limekiln State Park
- Locke-Paddon Community Park
- Los Padres National Forest
- Monarch Grove Butterfly Sanctuary
- Monterey Bay Coastal Recreation Trail
- Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary
- Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park
- Pinnacles National Park
- Point Lobos State Reserve
- Point Sur Lightstation
- Royal Oaks Park
- Salinas River National Wildlife Refuge
- San Lorenzo Park
- Toro Park
- Veterans Memorial Park
- Beaches >
- Arts and Culture >
- Family Adventures >
- Golf >
- Guided Tours
- Historic Attractions >
- Literary Sites >
- Romance >
- Shopping >
- Spas >
- Nightlife and Entertainment >
-
Events
- 2018 Marquee Events
- Music Festivals >
-
Sporting Events >
- Rio Grill's Resolution Run
- AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am >
- Sea Otter Classic Cycling Event
- Big Sur International Marathon
- Ferrari Challenge
- Spring Classic
- Spartan Race
- Superbike World Championship
- California Rodeo Salinas
- Scottish Games & Celtic Festival
- Salinas Valley Half Marathon
- Monterey Car Week & Concours d'Elegance >
- Pure Insurance Championship at Pebble Beach
- Continental Tire Monterey Grand Prix
- California International Airshow
- Monterey Beach SportsFest
- Monterey Bay Half Marathon
- TaylorMade Pebble Beach Invitational
- Food & Wine Events >
- Art Festivals >
- Community Events >
- Holiday Events >
- Submit an Event
- Food & Wine
- Resources
-
Destinations
-
Monterey >
- Hotels
- Monterey on a Shoestring
- Itinerary: Midweek Monterey Getaway
- Monterey Beaches
- Cannery Row
- Old Fisherman's Wharf
- Monterey Bay Aquarium
- WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca
- Monterey Bay Coastal Recreation Trail
- Historic Monterey
- Monterey Wine Tasting Rooms
- Monterey State Beach
- El Estero Park
- Jacks Peak County Park
- Veterans Memorial Park
- Things to Do
- Guided Tours
- Restaurants
- Shopping
- Travel Like a Monterey Expert
-
Big Sur >
- Hotels
- Camping & Hiking
- Big Sur Beaches
- Arts & Culture
- Big Sur Itinerary
- Big Sur Live Webcam
- Big Sur International Marathon
- Andrew Molera State Park
- Garrapata State Park
- Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park
- McWay Falls
- Limekiln State Park
- Los Padres National Forest
- Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park
- Point Sur Lightstation
- Restaurants
- Spas
- Travel Like a Big Sur Expert
- Pebble Beach >
-
Carmel-by-the-Sea >
- Hotels
- Budget Travel in Carmel
- Carmel Itinerary
- Carmel Wine Tasting Rooms
- Arts & Culture
- Carmel Art Festival
- Carmel Bach Festival
- Carmel Art and Film Festival
- Carmel Beach
- Carmel Mission
- Carmel River State Beach
- Point Lobos State Reserve
- Sunset Center
- Restaurants
- Shopping
- Travel Like a Carmel Expert
-
Pacific Grove >
- Hotels
- 36 Hours in Pacific Grove
- Good Old Days Festival
- Feast of Lanterns
- Butterfly Parade
- Asilomar State Beach
- Lovers Point Park and Beach
- Monarch Grove Butterfly Sanctuary
- Monterey Bay Coastal Recreation Trail
- Pacific Grove Museum of Natural History
- Point Pinos Lighthouse
- Things to Do
- Restaurants
- Travel Like a Pacific Grove Expert
- Carmel Valley >
- Marina >
- Seaside >
- Salinas >
- Salinas Valley >
- Moss Landing >
- Sand City >
- Del Rey Oaks >
- Soledad >
- Castroville
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Monterey Zoo, Salinas Valley
In this section
- Top Ways to Grab Life by the Moments
-
Itineraries
- Grab Life by the Moments Itineraries
- Highlights Itinerary
- Outdoors Itinerary
- Family Itinerary
- Girlfriend Getaway Itinerary
- Golf Itinerary
- History and Heritage Itinerary
- Road Trip Itinerary
- Romantic Itinerary
- Shopping Itinerary
- Spa Itineraries
- Steinbeck Itinerary
- Wine and Dine Itinerary
- Three Days in Monterey Wine Country
-
Parks
- Top 10 Campsites
- Andrew Molera State Park
- Cachagua Community Park
- El Estero Park
- Elkhorn Slough Reserve
- Fort Ord National Monument
- Fremont Peak State Park
- Frog Pond Preserve
- Garland Ranch Regional Park
- Garrapata State Park
- Jacks Peak County Park
- Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park
- Laguna Seca Recreation Area
- Lake San Antonio
- Limekiln State Park
- Locke-Paddon Community Park
- Los Padres National Forest
- Monarch Grove Butterfly Sanctuary
- Monterey Bay Coastal Recreation Trail
- Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary
- Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park
- Pinnacles National Park
- Point Lobos State Reserve
- Point Sur Lightstation
- Royal Oaks Park
- Salinas River National Wildlife Refuge
- San Lorenzo Park
- Toro Park
- Veterans Memorial Park
- Family Adventures
- Historic Attractions
- Shopping
Exotic Animal Adventures
Everyone knows Monterey County for its fuzzy sea otters and majestic Monarch butterflies but there are some lesser known species that call this area home. Condors, bats, bears and elephants can also be found roaming this diverse terrain, however; some of these not-so-cuddly creatures are not so easy to find. Lucky for you we have rounded up a few adventures to give you the extra edge at catching a glimpse of these beautiful and rare creatures.
Coastal Condors
Check out the comeback of the California condor at Ventana Wildlife Society's condor base camp. With a wingspan of nearly 10 feet, North America's largest land bird and one of the largest flying birds in the world is truly a magnificent sight to see. On the endangered species list since 1967, the California condor now thrives on Big Sur's rugged coastline. A two-hour guided hike is available at the base camp and is led by a wildlife biologist using specialized equipment to monitor nesting, feeding and flying habits. Extreme enthusiasts can even book the California Condor Sanctuary tour where the Executive Director of the Ventana Wildlife Society guides visitors to a remote location in the Big Sur wilderness for a hopeful peak of these monumental birds.
Bat Crazy
Seeking a rendezvous with a Townsend's Big Ear Bat while roaming 23 million-year-old volcanic rock formations? Hightail it to the Pinnacles National Park. This is ground zero for ranger-led bat walks, "experiential" night hikes and eyeing 20+ condors who reside on this lunar-scape. The National Park sports two "talus" caves - a system of passages snaking under and between house-size boulders - offering a natural habitat for bats. Visitors can strike out solo to the Balconies Cave and Bear Gulch Cave, housing some 14 species of bats including the Townsend's Big Ear bat and Western Mastiff bat, with a wing span of 12 inches. Opened in 1908, the monument is a true character builder for hikers, climbers and nature lovers.
Lions and Tigers and Bears...
"Monkeying around" is redefined at the Monterey Zoo, an exotic animal training facility housing 100+ animals on 51 acres of Monterey County. Centrally located off the scenic Monterey/Salinas Hwy.68, this exotic animal facility offers daily public tours or deluxe private tours ranging from two-hours to a seven-hour Walk with the Animals program. Sign up for a stint washing an African elephant; take the ultimate catwalk with an exotic cat or one of the many other unusual animals. Fun, exciting, educational and safe, Wild Things truly is a one of a kind facility found no-where else in the U.S. today. Guests can even overnight in a safari-style suite on a remote savanna, with breakfast delivered by an elephant.