Fort Ord National Monument
Various entrances in Seaside, Salinas and Marina
(831) 582-2200, blm.gov/visit/fort-ord-national-monument
Open world video games as we know them today stem from 2001’s Grand Theft Auto III, where the player can go anywhere in a virtual realm, within certain restrictions. Fort Ord National Monument is very much the real-life equivalent of an open world game, with more than 14,600 acres of land to explore. If you can see it, you can likely get there. Just follow the more than 86 miles of trails, please, for your safety – this was once an active military training facility, and remnants are still being cleaned out. It’s a mountain biker’s dream, and plays host to one of the largest annual biking events in the world: the Life Time Sea Otter Classic.
