Montaña de Oro State Park

How to Get There

From San Luis Obispo, CA (14 mi): Take Los Osos Valley Road west for approximately 11 miles until it becomes Pecho Valley Road; continue 3.5 miles to the park entrance near Spooner Ranch House.

Overview

Montaña de Oro State Park (“Mountain of Gold”) is an 8,000-acre park on the Central Coast, six miles southwest of Morro Bay, with cliffs, seven miles of shoreline, sandy beaches, dunes and hills. The state bought the former Spooner ranch land in 1965 and dedicated the park on April 24, 1965. It is popular for hiking, mountain biking and horseback riding, and its golden wildflowers in spring give the park its name. Visitors come for the tide pools and rugged coastline, the coastal trails, and the summit hikes with sweeping views of the Pacific.

Access

The park is on Pecho Valley Road at the south end of Los Osos, about 14 miles west of San Luis Obispo and 6 miles from Morro Bay. From Highway 101 in San Luis Obispo, take Los Osos Valley Road west, which becomes Pecho Valley Road, and continue about 3.5 miles to the Spooner Ranch House and turn left into the campground. Pecho Valley Road ends at the Coon Creek parking lot, so visitors must leave the way they came in. Dogs are allowed only in the campground, on roads and at Spooner’s Cove Beach, and not on trails.

Seasons

Spring is the signature season, when golden wildflowers cover the hills and the weather is usually mild. Summer days are often about 30 degrees cooler than inland areas, and fog is common, so dress in layers. Fall can offer clear, warm days and fewer crowds, while winter storms bring high surf and muddy trails. The ocean is cold year-round, and surfers typically wear wetsuits. Poison oak and ticks are present in the area.

Things to Do

• Bluff Trail: an easy, scenic coastal path.
• Summit hikes: Valencia Peak (1,347 feet), Oats Peak and Hazard Peak.
• Spooner’s Cove: a popular beach, with a primitive campground across the road.

Visitor Centers

The historic Spooner Ranch House serves as the park’s visitor center, with period furnishings, exhibits, trail maps and a nature store. It is about 500 feet west of the campground, and hours are not posted online, so call (805) 772-6101 for current details. Rangers and volunteers can recommend trails and explain tide pool etiquette.

Camping and Lodging

Islay Creek Campground has 47 primitive sites for tents and RVs up to 27 feet, with fire rings, picnic tables, water spigots and toilets nearby but no hookups or showers. The park also has a small horse camp and four environmental camp sites reached by a short hike. Hotels, inns and restaurants are in Los Osos (about 2 miles), Morro Bay (about 6 miles) and San Luis Obispo (about 14 miles), with more lodging in Pismo Beach and Cayucos within about 30 to 45 minutes. Reservations for campsites are recommended.

This article uses material from the Wikipedia article "Montaña de Oro State Park", which is released under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share-Alike License 3.0. Additional information from California State Parks.