Adventure 16 Blog » Trip report - Montana De Oro State Park

Last week I visited one of my favorite little escapes in California – Montana De Oro State Park near San Luis Obispo.

There are no big peaks in the park. No majestic waterfalls. And no deep canyons. The draw to this small park that sits in the shadow of Morro’s rock is the park’s seclusion and the serenity of watching waves crash into the rocky bluffs that makes the Central Coast so famous.

This is one of the few places in Southern California where you can sit on top of a desert-like dune and soak in the views of a dense forest and a beautiful beach at the same time.

The park is not for the ultra-adventurous. All of the main hikes through the park are just a few miles. But if you do need that sense of adventure, there are four “environmental” walk-in sites scattered in the park. The sites are about a ½-mile from the parking lot. These sites are extremely popular and you should reserve the site weeks in advance to get one.

On this short two-day trip the Santa Anas were blowing pretty firm, so my friend and I walked the dunes towards Morro Rock to check out the huge waves at Hazards, a popular surf spot among locals.

Surfers looked like ants compared to the 7- to 10-foot waves. And the winds were gusting strong enough to peel off the tops of the waves. Unfortunately the winds were kicking up all sorts of dust and sand so I didn’t want to bust out my camera gear to take pictures.

A wave rolled up on me while I was exploring the rocks that jet out into the water. Walking back to camp through the sand dunes wasn’t pretty. I became a muddy mess from the knees down.

By late afternoon, the winds died and we took the bluff hike to check out the tide pools and catch the sunset. Tide pools were full of life – sea cucumbers, hundreds of hermit crabs and anemones galore.

And the sunset… I’ll let it speak for itself.

On the way home, we made a stop in Pismo Beach to gorge on the best chowder I’ve found on the 101 freeway. The Splash Café near the pier is the most scrumptious chowder you’ll ever have. It was better than the chowder in Monterey Bay and it rivals the stuff you get in San Fran.

Toasted bread, a thick, creamy sauce and the intense flavor of fresh chowder draw crowds every time I’m here. There’s usually a long line that spills out the door on weekends. If you’re ever in town, it’s a must-have on the 101.