Carmel Valley, Rural valley and community in Monterey County, United States
Carmel Valley is a rural, unincorporated community and valley in Monterey County, California, running along the course of the Carmel River. The landscape shifts between oak woodlands, riparian forest, open grassland, and chaparral as you move inland from the coast.
Spanish explorer Sebastián Vizcaíno reached the area in 1602 and gave the river its name. Mexican land grants followed in 1839, when Rancho Los Laureles was established, marking the beginning of formal European settlement in the valley.
Carmel Valley Road is lined with small wineries that welcome visitors for tastings in a relaxed, rural setting. The valley has developed a wine culture over recent decades, and locals treat the road as a kind of informal wine trail.
The valley is accessible via Carmel Valley Road, which runs inland from the coast near Carmel-by-the-Sea. A car is essential to get around, and it helps to stock up on supplies before heading deeper into the valley, where services become sparse.
The Jamesburg Earth Station, sitting in a remote part of the valley, was one of the relay points that broadcast the Apollo 11 moon landing to much of the world in 1969. The dish is still standing today and visible from nearby roads.
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