Fort Ord National Monument

From 1917 until 1994 this area was a military base that was used by as many as 1.5 million soldiers. After the base was closed it became a national monument via Presidential proclamation in 2012. The park is a 14,658 acre natural area with over 86 miles of trails for hiking, biking, or horseback riding. The park does not include any coastal lands, but landscapes include grasslands, streams, maritime chaparral, oak woodlands and seasonal pools. Wildlife in the monument includes badgers, mountain lions, black-tailed deer, bobcats, coyotes, gopher snakes, red tailed hawks, Canada geese, coast horned lizards, California quail, golden eagles and turkeys.