17-Mile Drive
Encyclopedia
The 17 Mile Drive is a scenic road through Pacific Grove
and Pebble Beach, California
, much of which hugs the Pacific coastline and passes famous golf course
s and mansion
s. It also serves as the main road through the gated community
of Pebble Beach. Inside this community, non-residents have to pay a toll to use the road. Like the community, the majority of 17-Mile Drive is owned and operated by the Pebble Beach Corporation. The 17-Mile Drive is 9.6 miles (15.4 km) long, between the entrances at California State Route 1
and Sunset Drive.
and 17-Mile Drive marks the entrance to Pebble Beach.
From the Sunset Drive/Pacific Grove gate, the 17-Mile Drive runs inland past Spanish Bay, then adjacent to beaches and up into the coastal hills, providing scenic viewpoints. Travel along the road takes as long as the traveler likes, a minimum of 20 minutes south to Carmel
without stops. There are numerous turnouts along the road to stop, take pictures, or get out and stroll along the ocean or among the trees. Visitors receive a map that points out some of the more scenic spots. In addition, a red-dashed line is marked in the center of the main road to guide visitors, and help prevent them from venturing into the adjacent neighborhood streets.
Chief among the scenic attractions is the Lone Cypress Tree (36.568738°N 121.965321°W), a salt pruned
tree which is the official symbol of Pebble Beach and a frequent fixture of television broadcasts from this area. The road also provides access to Spyglass Hill
, Cypress Point
and Pebble Beach
, and other golf courses around the community. After reaching Carmel Way, and the exit to Carmel, the 17-Mile Drive then heads northeast to where it eventually terminates at the Highway 68/Highway 1
interchange.
The only services open to the public in Pebble Beach (gas stations, restrooms, restaurants) are at the Inn at Spanish Bay and at the Lodge at Pebble Beach; there are plenty of comfortable and scenic spots to picnic. Spyglass Hill and Poppy Hills golf courses also have restaurants open to the public.
, one of the founding members of the Carmel
Art Association, was an American Impressionist noted for his canvases depicting this scenic area, including View of 17 Mile Drive, and The Cove, Pt. Lobos, circa 1930.
Pacific Grove, California
Pacific Grove is a coastal city in Monterey County, California, USA, with a population of 15,041 as of the 2010 census, down from 15,522 as of the 2000 census...
and Pebble Beach, California
Pebble Beach, California
Pebble Beach is an unincorporated community in Monterey County, California. It lies at an elevation of 3 feet . Pebble Beach is a small coastal resort destination, home to the famous golf course, Pebble Beach Golf Links....
, much of which hugs the Pacific coastline and passes famous golf course
Golf course
A golf course comprises a series of holes, each consisting of a teeing ground, fairway, rough and other hazards, and a green with a flagstick and cup, all designed for the game of golf. A standard round of golf consists of playing 18 holes, thus most golf courses have this number of holes...
s and mansion
Mansion
A mansion is a very large dwelling house. U.S. real estate brokers define a mansion as a dwelling of over . A traditional European mansion was defined as a house which contained a ballroom and tens of bedrooms...
s. It also serves as the main road through the gated community
Gated community
In its modern form, a gated community is a form of residential community or housing estate containing strictly-controlled entrances for pedestrians, bicycles, and automobiles, and often characterized by a closed perimeter of walls and fences. Gated communities usually consist of small residential...
of Pebble Beach. Inside this community, non-residents have to pay a toll to use the road. Like the community, the majority of 17-Mile Drive is owned and operated by the Pebble Beach Corporation. The 17-Mile Drive is 9.6 miles (15.4 km) long, between the entrances at California State Route 1
California State Route 1
State Route 1 , more often called Highway 1, is a state highway that runs along much of the Pacific coast of the U.S. state of California. It is famous for running along some of the most beautiful coastlines in the world, leading to its designation as an All-American Road.Highway 1 does not run...
and Sunset Drive.
Route description
At the north end, the road originates in Pacific Grove at the intersection of Del Monte Blvd and Esplanade Street. The famous portion of 17-Mile Drive then begins a few miles south of this point. The crossing of Highway 68 (Holman Highway/Sunset Drive)California State Route 68
State Route 68 is a state highway that runs from Pacific Grove to Salinas in Monterey County. It is about long.-Route description:This route is part of the California Freeway and Expressway System and is eligible for the State Scenic Highway System. However, only the part from SR 1 to the Salinas...
and 17-Mile Drive marks the entrance to Pebble Beach.
From the Sunset Drive/Pacific Grove gate, the 17-Mile Drive runs inland past Spanish Bay, then adjacent to beaches and up into the coastal hills, providing scenic viewpoints. Travel along the road takes as long as the traveler likes, a minimum of 20 minutes south to Carmel
Carmel-by-the-Sea, California
Carmel-by-the-Sea, often called simply Carmel, is a small city in Monterey County, California, United States, founded in 1902 and incorporated in 1916. Situated on the Monterey Peninsula, the town is known for its natural scenery and rich artistic history...
without stops. There are numerous turnouts along the road to stop, take pictures, or get out and stroll along the ocean or among the trees. Visitors receive a map that points out some of the more scenic spots. In addition, a red-dashed line is marked in the center of the main road to guide visitors, and help prevent them from venturing into the adjacent neighborhood streets.
Chief among the scenic attractions is the Lone Cypress Tree (36.568738°N 121.965321°W), a salt pruned
Salt pruning
Salt pruning is the process by which saline mists generated by seawater are driven ashore by winds to alter the shape of trees or shrubs over considerable times throughout the growth cycle of the affected plant. The process of salt pruning selectively degrades foliage and branches on the windward...
tree which is the official symbol of Pebble Beach and a frequent fixture of television broadcasts from this area. The road also provides access to Spyglass Hill
Spyglass Hill Golf Course
The Spyglass Hill Golf Course, also known as "the Glass", is a golf course located on the Monterey Peninsula in California, United States. The course is part of the Pebble Beach Company, which also owns the Pebble Beach Golf Links, The Links at Spanish Bay, and the Del Monte Golf Course.Spyglass...
, Cypress Point
Cypress Point Club
Cypress Point Club is a private golf club in California. The club has a single eighteen hole course, one of eight on the Monterey peninsula near Monterey, California. The course is well known around the world for its series of three holes that play along the Pacific Ocean: the 15th, 16th and 17th,...
and Pebble Beach
Pebble Beach Golf Links
Pebble Beach Golf Links is a golf course located in Pebble Beach, California, on the west coast of the United States.Pebble Beach is widely regarded as one of the most beautiful courses in the world. It hugs the rugged coastline and has wide open views of Carmel Bay, opening to the Pacific Ocean,...
, and other golf courses around the community. After reaching Carmel Way, and the exit to Carmel, the 17-Mile Drive then heads northeast to where it eventually terminates at the Highway 68/Highway 1
California State Route 1
State Route 1 , more often called Highway 1, is a state highway that runs along much of the Pacific coast of the U.S. state of California. It is famous for running along some of the most beautiful coastlines in the world, leading to its designation as an All-American Road.Highway 1 does not run...
interchange.
The only services open to the public in Pebble Beach (gas stations, restrooms, restaurants) are at the Inn at Spanish Bay and at the Lodge at Pebble Beach; there are plenty of comfortable and scenic spots to picnic. Spyglass Hill and Poppy Hills golf courses also have restaurants open to the public.
Lone Tree
In 1990 the Monterey Journal reported that Pebble Beach's lawyer, Kerry C. Smith, said "The image of the tree has been trademarked by us," and that it intended to control any display of the cypress for commercial purposes. The company had warned photographers that "they cannot even use existing pictures of the tree for commercial purposes." Other legal commentators have questioned the Pebble Beach Company's ability to invoke intellectual property laws to restrict others' use of such images.An inspirational thoroughfare
Various artists over the years have found inspiration for their paintings of flora and fauna along this famous coastal landmark. For example, Arthur Hill GilbertArthur Hill Gilbert
Arthur Hill Gilbert was an American Impressionist painter, notable as one of the practitioners of the California-style. Today, he is remembered for his large, colorful canvasas depicting meadows and groves of trees along the state's famed 17 Mile Drive...
, one of the founding members of the Carmel
Carmel-by-the-Sea, California
Carmel-by-the-Sea, often called simply Carmel, is a small city in Monterey County, California, United States, founded in 1902 and incorporated in 1916. Situated on the Monterey Peninsula, the town is known for its natural scenery and rich artistic history...
Art Association, was an American Impressionist noted for his canvases depicting this scenic area, including View of 17 Mile Drive, and The Cove, Pt. Lobos, circa 1930.
Toll
To drive the section of the 17-Mile Drive Road that exists within the Pebble Beach Gated Community requires a payment of US$9.50 (motorcycles are not allowed) by all visitors (as of May 30, 2011.) Residents are not required to pay this fee, nor are guests of residents required to pay the fee if they are granted access in advance of their visit (the guard house can either call the resident or look at a list of names). This is the section of road that is home to the Lone Cypress Tree mentioned above and the Pebble Beach Golf Course.External links
- Official site of the 17-Mile Drive
- Photographic description of the whole of 17-Mile Drive.