Carmel River State Beach
Carmel · Monterey County · West · Evening
The beach and lagoon where the Carmel River meets the sea, below the mission, with Point Lobos on the skyline to the south.
West-facing, open beach at the river mouth.
The Monastery Beach section at the south end has dangerous currents and a steep drop-off.
The site
Orientation
West
Tree cover
None / Open
Fog exposure
Coastal
Best light
Evening
The practical details
Commercial photography
Handled through the statewide California Film Commission permit system. No location-specific figures are published.
Prohibited
Beach fires are banned. Self-contained gas camp stoves are the only cooking permitted.
Parking
Reached by Rio Road, then Santa Lucia, to the Carmelo Avenue lot.
Permit authority
Monterey District Special Events Coordinator, California State Parks. (831) 624-3407, fwilson@parks.ca.gov.
Pricing
Not published for this unit.
See it on your wedding date
Set your date and this page fills in with the tides, what the weather is usually like, sunset, and where the sun will be.
Checked against the agency's own page on September 7, 2026
Sunrise, sunset, and twilight computed for this location. The marine layer rating reflects the time of year on this coast. Orientation and cover recorded for this spot.