Former United States Army post on Monterey Bay of the Pacific Ocean coast

General Information

Hours:

Open year-round from sunrise to sunset

Fees:

No fees but purchase of permit required for OHV usage

Pet Policy:

Pets allowed

Closest cities with hotels:

El Centro, 38 miles

Seasons:

Winter, spring and fall - summers are very hot

Location:

Website:

Rating:

★ 5.0

El Centro, CA Weather Forecast

How to Get There

Overview

Fort Ord is a former United States Army post on Monterey Bay of the Pacific Ocean coast in California, which closed in 1994 due to Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) action. Most of the fort's land now makes up the Fort Ord National Monument, managed by the United States Bureau of Land Management as part of the National Conservation Lands, while a small portion remains an active military installation under Army control designated as the Ord Military Community.

Before construction and official designation as a fort in 1940, the land was used as a maneuver area and field-artillery target range during 1917. Fort Ord was considered one of the most attractive locations of any U.S. Army post, because of its proximity to the beach and California weather. The 7th Infantry Division was its main garrison for many years. When Fort Ord was converted to civilian use, space was set aside for the first nature reserve in the United States created for conservation of an insect, the endangered Smith's blue butterfly. Additional endangered species are found on Fort Ord, including Contra Costa goldfields and the threatened California tiger salamander.

At the end of Gigling Road, where the DOD Building is located, is one of many entrances to the Fort Ord National Monument. There are more than 91 miles (146 km) of recreational trails available.

Fort Ord National Monument refers to that land on the former Fort Ord that is administered by the Bureau of Land Management and is open to the general public.

As of May 2018, Fort Ord National Monument has extended its trail system to add bypass and spur trails to popular areas.

Remaining military presence

A small portion of the former Fort Ord still remains under U.S. Army control, originally called the Presidio of Monterey (POM) Annex. It is now called the Ord Military Community.

This article uses material from the Wikipedia article "Fort Ord", which is released under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share-Alike License 3.0.