County of Monterey Overview

From 120-foot Salmon Creek Falls in Big Sur to the postcard splendor of Monterey Bay in the north, along with the rural landscape made famous in John Steinbeck's Cannery Row and East of Eden, Monterey County—or “County of Monterey,” as it prefers to be called—got many of its place names when Sebastián Vizcaíno explored the region in 1602. The area boasts such natural protected areas as Los Padres National Forest, Salinas River National Wildlife Refuge and Ventana Wilderness. It is also ranked as one of America's 10 most expensive counties. Today, the county's economy thrives on tourism on the coast and agriculture in the Salinas Valley, known for its lettuce, broccoli, spinach, celery, mushrooms, strawberries and more.