The countryside is traversed by miles of beautiful trails, with more being developed. There are several riding stables on the Peninsula, in Carmel Valley and Big Sur. Deep sea fishing, rock and surf fishing are part of the ocean activities along the Monterey Bay shoreline. Freshwater fishing is popular in the streams of the Los Padres National Forest, the Carmel River, and the reservations and tributaries of the Salinas River. Varied game is found in the fields and forest of the County.
Annual seasons provide dove, duck, pheasant, quail, rabbit, wild boar, pigeon and deer.
The Monterey Bay Aquarium established a worldwide reputation within a few years of its opening in 1984. Its 100 galleries and exhibits accommodate 525 species of marine life. The kelp forest exhibit is three stories tall and holds 335,000 gallons of ocean water. Engineering and biological expertise have combined to utilize and demonstrate Monterey Bay geology and oceanography in dramatic and lively display. A major addition opened in early 1996 which features the animal and ocean life found in the depths of the 11,000 foot deep Monterey Bay Canyon, most never before seen up close by mankind.