Fort Ord National Monument: Service on Spectacular Monterey Bay, California

The Trip

Fort Ord National Monument is home to some of the last natural wildlands on California’s scenic Monterey Bay. Located on the former Fort Ord military base, this new national monument -- designated by President Obama on April 20, 2012 -- hosts 35 species of rare plants and animals along with their native coastal habitats, which are protected by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM).

While a former military base sounds like an odd choice for a Sierra Club trip, many are surprised by the sheer volume of undeveloped land found on installations such as Fort Ord. BLM’s mission for the area involves providing both habitat preservation and high-quality, environmentally sensitive recreation opportunities. The roads and trails crossing this landscape of rare Central Coast maritime chaparral and vernal pools are used by a multitude of hikers, runners, bicyclists, and equestrians.

The historical significance of these lands far predates the U.S. military’s presence from 1917 to 1994, when Fort Ord was a major training facility for the army from World War II through Desert Storm. Centuries earlier, the Spanish explorer Juan Batista de Anza forged an overland route from Mexico to San Francisco Bay that passed through what is now Fort Ord National Monument.

More than a million service people passed through Fort Ord when it was an active military base. We particularly welcome to the trip those who spent time at Fort Ord when it was an active base. Hearing their recollections was a compelling aspect of the inaugural trip in 2012. (See also the Sierra Club's Military Families and Veterans Initiative.)

The maritime climate of Monterey keeps the region at moderate temperatures. Fall, however, is the most glorious time of year in the region -- between the summer fog and winter rains -- and the weather is usually pleasantly warm (not too hot) and sunny, with cool evenings. 

The Project

We will work four days in all, taking one day off to explore or relax. BLM personnel will lead us for three days of restoration work which will depend on the needs of the agency when we are there. Possibilities are oak and habitat restoration, native plant landscaping, invasive plant removal, native seed collection, monitoring effects of goat grazing, and even some trail maintenance. We will spend one day working with Monterey County Parks removing invasive ice plant from the area around our campsite in exchange for using this area as our campsite.

We will assemble at the campsite adjacent to the National Monument for dinner on Sunday. Work days will be Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday. Our day off will be Wednesday. The trip will conclude after breakfast on Saturday morning.

Off-Day Activities: There are many options for our day off! Those wanting a wilderness experience can explore the 86 miles of trails on 7,200 acres of land within Fort Ord National Monument, or hike some of the rugged coastal peaks in the area that offer breathtaking views of the Pacific. There are multiple ways to experience the nearby Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary -- scuba diving in the kelp beds, a whale-watching cruise, horseback riding on the beach, or kayaking, to name a few. Literary types might want to visit the National Steinbeck Center in Salinas, 20 miles to the east, which pays tribute to Salinas native John Steinbeck. For history buffs, several of the 21 California missions are a short drive away (Carmel, Santa Cruz, and San Juan Bautista).  And last but not least, there is always a visit to Monterey to experience the most premier aquarium in the world!

Getting There

The Monterey airport is less than 15 miles away, and the campsite can easily be reached via a short taxi ride from the airport. The campsite is accessible by a paved road that we will be able to use, but it is not open to the general public. The San Jose airport is 65 miles to the north, and the San Francisco airport is about 120 miles to the north. The trip leader will provide accepted participants with detailed instructions on how to access the campsite, as well as roster information to facilitate ride sharing. Please do not make travel arrangements until the leader has confirmed you as a trip member.

Accommodations and Food

We will be tent camping at the Former Fort Ord Travel Camp, which is managed by Monterey County Parks. You will need to provide all of your own camping gear, including your tent. This is a very rustic site, with no running water (water will be provided), no electricity, and no flush toilets (there will be Porta-Potties). Think of our week as a hybrid experience between car camping and backcountry camping. This will be a great opportunity to see how you like a "backcountry" experience if you have never tried it. We will have the site to ourselves, with the exception of the occasional runner or mountain biker going by on one of the trails.

This area of California is considered the salad bowl of America and the options to purchase local, organic vegetables are abundant. As much as the budget allows, the cook will use these local sources when planning our menus and purchasing our groceries. Menu planning also has to take into account that the only refrigeration will be coolers with ice, some foods must be protected from animals, and only portable propane stoves will be available for cooking.

The food will be part of the wonderful adventure! We will be providing healthy, nutritious, vegetarian menus based on local produce. We will have a group commissary and (with direction from the cook) everyone will take turns in preparing meals and cleaning up afterward. Before applying for the trip, folks with food allergies, dietary restrictions, and/or strong preferences must contact the leader and cook to see if reasonable accommodations would be possible within the limits of the group commissary. The first meal will be dinner on day one and the last meal will be breakfast on day seven.

Trip Difficulty

All service trips are considered to be moderately strenuous. However, our work will involve only light-duty hand tools and there will be a variety of tasks to suit each person’s abilities. We'll each work at our own pace. Health and safety is a very high priority, and you are the best judge of your abilities.

Equipment and Clothing

BLM will provide the tools for the work project. In addition to your regular camping gear, come prepared to work with sturdy boots, long pants, long-sleeved shirts, and leather work gloves. You will need a day pack to carry your lunch, water, raingear, sunscreen, etc. You will need hiking boots while we are working on the project, although we don't anticipate needing to hike much to get to the work sites.

We will provide food and the necessary equipment for cooking it. You will need personal eating utensils such as bowl, cup, and spoon. A plastic food container (preferably two) with a tight-fitting lid is necessary for carrying your lunch to the work site each day.

We will provide a first-aid kit for emergencies, but you should bring Moleskin, band aids, and Tylenol (or the like) for dealing with the little aggravations of life, as well as any personal medications you require. Please do not forget that all participants must have a current tetanus shot within the past 10 years. This injection is most commonly available from your doctor or at your local public health department for a modest cost.

A full list of needed equipment will be sent to you after you've been accepted onto the trip. If you have questions, please contact the trip leader.

References

Conservation

Your leaders are Sierra Club volunteers who have dedicated time and energy to the enjoyment and conservation of the outdoors. Please don't hesitate to ask your leaders about conservation concerns, and come prepared to share conservation successes and challenges from your local environment with the group one evening.

The Sierra Club is focused on conservation and sustainability of resources, both locally and globally. Our outings seek to empower participants toward greater understanding and participation in the goals of the Club. We will have opportunities throughout our time together to discuss different aspects of resource conservation and learn more about the challenges in preservation and management of Fort Ord National Monument.

We will learn about the different habitat types -- such as riparian forest, perennial grasslands, and vernal pools -- that the BLM is conserving and protecting on the Fort Ord Public Lands. These lands are essential to the survival of sensitive plants and animals. For many of the rare plants, 50-90% of their worldwide habitat occurs here. 

After the Fort Ord military base was decommissioned, a large chunk of the land was given to BLM; however, much of the land surrounding the BLM Public Lands is facing some controversial plans for development. We will also learn about these development issues. 

In 2014 the U.S. celebrated the 50th anniversary of the Wilderness Act, which the Sierra Club played a large role in passing. While the Act was far in the future when our outings program started, we were already promoting the principle behind it: to forever set aside from human development certain special places. This is the basic principle on which the Sierra Club was founded in 1892. The Wilderness Act anniversary gave us a chance to think about the Sierra Club's leading role in promoting the principle, in passing the Act, and in achieving much more designated wilderness since then. The volunteer work-project you do on this trip will further help preserve the ethic and appreciation for the wilderness.

Sierra Club National Outings is an equal-opportunity provider and when applicable will operate under permits obtained from U.S. federal land agencies.