17-Mile Drive

17-Mile Drive loops through the Del Monte Forest between Pacific Grove and Carmel, on land owned by the Pebble Beach Company. It is a private road, so you pay at a gate and get a map of the stops. Inside, the road runs past the open Pacific, rocky points crowded with seabirds and sea lions, groves of Monterey cypress and pine and several of the world's most famous golf courses. Large estates sit behind hedges between the viewpoints.

Our Monterey and Carmel guide fits the drive into a full peninsula day. This page covers the drive in detail: getting there, the 2026 fee and rules, which gate to use, the best stops in order, where to eat and a sample day.

Getting there from Palo Alto

The gates are about 80 to 85 miles from Palo Alto. Plan on about two hours each way. Take US 101 south past San Jose and Gilroy, then Highway 156 west and Highway 1 south past Monterey. For the classic loop, leave Highway 1 at Highway 68 toward Pacific Grove and enter at the Pacific Grove Gate, or use the Highway 1 Gate just off the freeway. The Carmel Gate at the south end opens straight into Carmel-by-the-Sea.

The alternative is Highway 17 to Santa Cruz and Highway 1 around the bay. It is pretty but slower. Neither route has tolls. Leave Palo Alto early, since weekday traffic through San Jose can add half an hour.

Gate fee and rules

The Pebble Beach 17-Mile Drive page lists these terms in November 2026:

Fees change from time to time, so check the page before you go. A few more practical rules apply once you are inside:

• Stay on the road and park only in marked turnouts. Many of the homes and all of the golf courses are private.
• Keep your gate receipt if you plan to eat at the resort, since you need it for the credit.
• Do not climb the fences at the Lone Cypress or walk onto the rocks at the seal and bird viewpoints.
• Cyclists should check with the gate staff for current bicycle rules, which the main page does not list.

The best stops, north to south

The map you get at the gate numbers the stops. Starting from the Pacific Grove Gate, these are the ones most worth your time:

1. Shepherd's Knoll and Huckleberry Hill, inland viewpoints in the forest with views over Monterey Bay on clear days.
2. Spanish Bay, a sandy cove with a boardwalk over the dunes. The Inn at Spanish Bay sits behind it.
3. The Restless Sea and Point Joe, where currents collide over hidden rocks. Early sailors wrecked here after mistaking it for the entrance to Monterey Bay.
4. Bird Rock and Seal Rock, offshore rocks covered with cormorants, gulls, harbor seals and sea lions. Bring binoculars.
5. Fanshell Overlook, a white sand cove where harbor seals give birth in spring. It closes from April 1 to June 1 each year.
6. Cypress Point Lookout, a high view down the coast toward Point Lobos on clear days.
7. The Lone Cypress, the windswept Monterey cypress on a granite outcrop that has become the symbol of Pebble Beach. Pebble Beach says it has stood there for more than 250 years. You view it from a fenced overlook.
8. The Ghost Tree at Pescadero Point, bleached cypress trunks on the rocks.
9. The Lodge at Pebble Beach, next to the 18th green of Pebble Beach Golf Links, with shops, restaurants and a terrace over Carmel Bay.

Plan on 1.5 to 2 hours with stops. Driving straight through takes well under an hour.

Golf and big events

Pebble Beach Golf Links will host the 2027 U.S. Open from June 14 to 20, 2027. The AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am is held each winter. During major tournaments, roads near the Lodge can close or fill with event traffic and hotel prices across the peninsula jump. Monterey Car Week in August brings the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance and the same crowds. Check the resort's event calendar if your dates are flexible. Golfers can see our golf guide for courses closer to Palo Alto.

Where to eat

Eating inside the gates is the easy way to get your gate fee back. Pebble Beach Resorts lists these among its restaurants and shops, with hours shown on its dining page in November 2026:

• Stillwater, the seafood restaurant at The Lodge, listed from 7:30 a.m. to 10 p.m.
• The Tap Room, the clubby pub at The Lodge, listed from 11 a.m. to 11:30 p.m.
• The Bench, overlooking the 18th green, listed from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.
• Gallery Cafe, a casual breakfast and lunch counter, listed from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m.
• Pebble Beach Market, for coffee, sandwiches and snacks, listed from 7:30 a.m. to 7 p.m.
• Roy's at Pebble Beach and Pèppoli at Pebble Beach, both at The Inn at Spanish Bay.

The resort's STICKS was listed as temporarily closed. Hours shift with the season and events, so confirm on the dining page. For cheaper food outside the gates, Pacific Grove and Carmel-by-the-Sea are each a few minutes from a gate.

Best time to go

September and October usually bring the clearest days on the peninsula. Summer mornings are often foggy, though the fog can make the cypress groves look wonderful. Late afternoon light is the most beautiful on the western shore, but remember that the gates close at sunset, so enter early enough to finish the loop. Winter storms bring big surf at Point Joe and the Restless Sea. Weekdays are calmer than weekends. Our weather guide explains why the coast is so much cooler than Palo Alto.

A sample day

1. 7:30 a.m. Leave Palo Alto on US 101 south.
2. 9:30 a.m. Coffee in Pacific Grove and a walk along the shoreline at Lovers Point.
3. 10:30 a.m. Enter at the Pacific Grove Gate and drive the stops from Spanish Bay to the Lone Cypress.
4. 12:30 p.m. Lunch at The Bench or the Gallery Cafe at The Lodge, using your gate receipt for the credit.
5. 2 p.m. Leave through the Carmel Gate and walk down Ocean Avenue to Carmel Beach.
6. 4 p.m. Drive to Point Lobos for a short walk if time allows, then head home.

That is four hours of driving plus the loop, which is a lot for one day. You can compare hotels on the Monterey Peninsula and add the Monterey Bay Aquarium the next morning. See all our day trips from Palo Alto.

Tours and activities

Hotels on a map

Frequently asked questions