I’ve lived in Northern California for awhile and visit Carmel often. But even so, I’d never heard of the Secret Forest which I discovered today. It’s a little hard to find so I’ve added a map at the end. A secret that local residents have long withheld from visitors is Mission Trails Park. No signs will direct you here, but it’s worth the effort to find. Within this forest are miles of walking trails that are all dog friendly. They wind across foot-bridges, through red-wood groves and meadows filled with wild flowers. I did a short hike today but will be back. I’ve heard there are ocean vistas and deer grazing the hillsides.