Montana de Oro

About 12 miles from San Luis, Los Osos Valley Rd, after cutting through Baywood-Los Osos, turns sharply to the south and becomes Pecho Valley Rd. Shortly thereafter, it enters Montana de Oro State Park, which meanders through the hills and along the coast until it is obstructed by a fence delineating private land.

One of the most obvious features of the park is the dense eucalyptus forest. Originally planted for commercial timber, the trees have taken over much of the park and for much of the drive, completely surround the road.

Where the eucalyptus trees are absent, the hills are covered with grass, scrub brush, the occasional lone cedar or juniper tree, and, in one area in particular, a giant succulent. 

Right around the corner from this giant plant is Spooner's Cove, the most easily accessible beach of the park. Named after a pioneering farming family, the most striking feature of the cove is the giant rock formation in the center of the bay. The sand is also darker and more coarse than that of other beaches in the region.

View to the left of the rock

View to the right of the rock

View from the top of the rock

The white house directly across from the cove is known as the Spooner Ranch House and serves as a gift shop, information center, and museum. There's also a large campground located behind the ranch house.

In addition to beach-going and picnicking, hiking and mountain biking are the most common activities within the park. There's a network of trails with varying difficulty that offer a number of different perspectives of the coast.

For my first hike through the park, I followed Bluff Trail, whose trailhead can be found up the hill from Spooner's Cove. With its wide, groomed trail, it is more of a nature walk than a hike and is the least difficult of all the trails in the park. The path follows the length of the steep and jarring coast (hence the name) and provides amazing views of the shoreline, which has been eroded away in impressive ways. 

The path could pass for a road if it weren't blocked off to cars

There is enormous diversity within Montana de Oro. In addition to the eucalyptus forest, mountains, and rocky bluffs, another portion of the coastline within the park consists of sand dunes. One of the other trails is actually named for this: Dune Trail. I walked this trail only a short distance as hiking in the sand presents its own set of challenges.

Each step disturbed the dune!

At the top of the dune looking back toward Pecho Valley Rd and the eucalyptus forest

Morro Rock and the smokestacks can be seen in the distance

This perspective doesn't quite convey just how steep the dune was

Wildlife is present throughout the park, with frequent reported snake, raccoon, and bobcat sightings on land and seal, sea lion, and otter sightings in the water. All I managed to encounter, however, were sparrows, a pair of turkey vultures overhead, and the gulls seen above at Spooner's Cove.

 

Montana de Oro is expansive enough to require multiple visits to explore its entirety. It's easily accessible and there's no fee for day use (only for camping). The winds can be strong even on a sunny day so a light jacket or sweatshirt is recommended.

Morro Bay

One of the most--if not the most--recognizable landmarks of the central coast is Morro Rock, a volcanic formation that lends its name to the surrounding town of Morro Bay. This natural formation contrasts with the man-made structure that Morro Bay is also known for, the Dynegy Power Plant, with its 400-plus foot tall smokestacks.

 

From San Luis, it's a straight shot up Hwy 1 to arrive in Morro Bay. A quick detour that I like to take as I arrive in town is to immediately turn right after exiting at Morro Bay Blvd. This road, Quintana, follows the path of the highway before running into Main St. A right at Main St will dip under the highway, and then another immediate right and then left will lead to Radcliffe Ave, which is an incredibly steep residential street that dead ends near the top of a hill. It offers a wonderful view of the rock, power plant, and bay.

Heading back down Main St toward the rock, a right at Beach St will dead end at Embarcadero, which is the main waterfront street of the downtown area. To the right, the road continues half a mile or so before terminating in a small parking lot on the south side of the rock.

Climbing the rock is prohibited, but there's plenty of opportunity to walk around it and take pictures. There's a small beach with clear, flat waters as a result of the breakwater that's been constructed off the south side of the rock. The water is usually particularly rough on the opposite site, but when it's calm, it's possible to walk the length of the sea wall.

Beach squirrel!

Placard describing the formation of the rock

The rock is incredibly steep and would be a difficult climb even if it was permitted

 

Looking south from the breakwater

Birdwatching is common at the rock, and the first one or two parking spaces at the end of the parking lot are usually occupied by birdwatchers patiently waiting to catch a glimpse of the elusive Peregrine Falcon, which nests on the rock.

 

A larger beach and parking lot can be found on the opposite side of the rock, serving swimmers, surfers, and other beachgoers.

Cayucos can be seen in the distance

Following Embarcadero from the rock will lead downtown, where there's a number of bars, restaurants (most with a seafood-focused menu), and gift shops. Though there's no continuous pedestrian boardwalk, a number of paths lead to short ones that offer ample views of the harbor. Sailboats, kayaks, and paddleboarders are commonly seen making their way in and out of the harbor.

The dock in the distance on the left was occupied by a group of noisy sea lions

There's also a number of interesting public displays of art.

The inscription dedicates the anchor as a memorial to fishermen lost at sea

 

This bronze casting of a worn classic Ford seat and other miscellaneous parts and tools nearly fooled me

About twice a year, Morro Bay is visited by tall ships Lady Washington and Hawaiian Chieftan. These replicas of late 1700s merchant ships sail up and down the Pacific coast, porting at various cities to educate the public about sailing and US maritime history. The ships can be toured while docked and there's also a two hour sailing tour available. I got a chance to explore the Lady Washington while it was in port, but unfortunately the sea tour was sold out.

Bow

The canons are functioning and are used for demonstrations

 

Stern

Sleeping quarters

 

Stern

The tiller, located at the stern. Crew members push and pull on this to manipulate the rudder and steer the ship. Crowds kept me from getting my own picture, this one was taken from http://2toomanycats.blogspot.com/2010/04/rough-start-to-leaving-westport_25.html

Bow

Looking closely, you can see the crewmembers on the masts rigging the sails. A diesel engine guides the ship in and out of port; sails provide the locomotion otherwise

In short, Morro Bay is a great place for photographers. There are so many photo-ops between the rock, the power plant, the harbor, the bay, and the views of the surrounding coastline. In addition, there's also a number of outdoor activities. Bikes, pedal carts, kayaks, and paddleboards are available to rent. Fishing and sailboat tours leave regularly from the harbor, and there's also an aquarium where you can feed sea lions. It's a great place to spend a day.