Beach Guide

Carmel Beach Parking

Lots, garages, rates & the closest spots to the sand

Arrive early
lots fill fast

Parking at Carmel Beach is free at several lots. Compare 2 nearby lots and garages by price, walking distance and how full each one is right now, plus metered street parking. Lot locations, rates and hours are real and geocoded. Tap a pin for driving directions.

Free: 8th Ave Beach Access, Junipero Ave Municipal Lot

Watch the Lots Fill

tap a pin · slide the time

Pouring the water…

12 PM today
OpenFillingTight

2 lots · 120 spaces. Scrub the time slider for the crowd estimate.

All Parking

at 12 PM · nearest first

8th Ave Beach Access

~2 open

40 spaces · Free · Street lot · 1 min

Junipero Ave Municipal Lot

~29 open

80 spaces · Free · Village lot · 4 min

On-street parking

600 metered spaces · Free · Street spots near the beach fill by 11 AM on summer weekends. Pay by plate or ParkMobile.

Local moves

·

Carmel Beach has free street parking throughout the village -- no meters and no time limits after 5 PM.

·

Ocean Avenue is the main access -- street parking along Scenic Road overlooks the beach.

·

The small lot at the foot of 8th Avenue fills first on weekends.

·

The municipal lot on Junipero Ave near Ocean is free and a short walk to the beach.

·

Come early in summer -- by 11 AM most street spots within a block of the beach are taken.

City parking info (831) 624-9423

Parking Questions

How much is parking at Carmel Beach?

Parking at Carmel Beach is free at several lots.

Is there free parking at Carmel Beach?

Yes. Carmel Beach has free parking at 8th Ave Beach Access, Junipero Ave Municipal Lot. Free spaces are limited and fill first, so arrive early or have a paid backup in mind.

Where should I park for Carmel Beach?

Carmel Beach has 2 lots within walking distance; the largest is Junipero Ave Municipal Lot (80 spaces). The lots nearest the sand fill first, so the ones a block or two back usually have room. Use the live map above to compare walking distance and how full each lot is right now.

What time does parking fill up at Carmel Beach?

On warm, sunny weekend days the closest Carmel Beach lots fill by mid-morning. Arrive before 10 AM or after 4 PM for the easiest parking, and scrub the time slider on the map above for the crowd estimate hour by hour.

More Carmel Beach

Beach guideConditionsSunsetWhere to eat

happy hunting

Lot locations, counts, rates and hours are real, geocoded from each address. No live space-count feed is published, so availability is estimated from typical beach crowds and today’s weather. Your location is used only in your browser to sort by distance.

Main parking at Carmel Beach: 8th Ave Beach Access (Free) and Junipero Ave Municipal Lot (Free), plus street parking at Free. Check today’s water, surf and UV on the conditions page.