Montana de Oro State Park
add photos11 Reviews for Montana de Oro State Park
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'11, '12
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"Awesome view on an easy hike!"
We came with our three little lovelies (4yo, 2yo, and 5 mo)recently. We did the Bluff Trail to Corallina Cove to check out the tidepools, about .5 miles one way. The trailhead is across from the Visitors Center. It was a nice and easy walk for little legs while I carried our youngest in the Ergo baby carrier. There were some sections of the hike with just a rope away from a sheer cliff drop so be sure to watch the kids if they are especially active and adventurous. We were able to spot the giant Morro Rock in the distance and watch the waves crash against the cliffs. The kids enjoyed spotting sea stars, anemone and hermit crabs in the tidepools. It was getting cold and windy during our short hike, so layers and hoodies are helpful. It's refreshing to be out in nature with the kids!
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0 families found this helpful
"All time favorite beach!"
I LOVE LOVE LOVE this small beach. If you're lucky you can have the small beach area to yourself. This would be a great place to spend the day with the whole family of all ages.
There is a camp ground, however, I can not rate the camp ground as I've never stayed over night. I love to spend the morning on one of the many hikes in the area. One of the hikes follows the bluffs and you have amazing views of the ocean and cliffs! Just be careful if you take little ones to not let them get too close to the edge.
Down on the beach area there are many rocks and shells. I love to just find a nice shady spot and admire all the beautiful rocks and shells. I'm not sure what the name of some of the rocks are but we found out that some have a funny texture and stick to your tongue (don't ask how we found that one out).
There is also a natural "rock slide". I would not recommend this for small children as it could be dangerous but for us adults and the teenagers we had a good time making a fool of ourselfs. Afterwards our short were extremely dirty and it looked like we all had accidents in our pants, lol.
I would recommend packing a picnic as there are no stores or restaurants near by. I think it would be a perfect place to spend the weekend for a family. Camping, hiking, swimming, and picnics. How much better can it get then that?
0 families found this helpful
"Truely a Mountain of Gold!"
This is an absolutely beautiful state park, and the best part is that access is freee! One of my favorite places to visit is Coralina Cove which has amazing tide pools. I've see the greatest number of intertidal creatures here, more than I've seen anywhere else. Check in at the old Spooner farm house up the hill from Spooner's Cove and ask the ranger or deocent there about great hikes, talks and their Junior Ranger program.
1 family found this helpful
"Great tide pools!"
I love Montana de Oro, especially for its tide pools.
I deducted a star because this isn't exactly family friendly, and I most likely wouldn't come here alone with my daughter.
I went in May when my girl was 4 months old, and had her in a wrap as usual, but I couldn't get through the trail comfortably down to Corallina Cove, which is where the locals told us to go.
A few days ago, we tried again. At 8 months, my girl can hold her head up effortlessly so we went back, with the wrap. Although it was much easier than the last time, it was still uncomfortable and slightly difficult to access, unless we went at a bad time, or went the wrong way...
A good, well-labeled map of this area would have been helpful!
So even as we hiked not really knowing what to expect, the tide pools we found (about a quarter to half mile from our parked car) were breathtakingly beautiful, even at a fairly high tide. There was still very interesting geology to examine as well as some limited marine life-crabs and snails mostly, along with some bivalves. We didn't see any stars or fish at the +2 tide, which is to be expected.
All this said this is a very beautiful piece of shoreline, but it is somewhat secluded. Paranoid mothers like myself might want to bring mace, or your trusty husband. I probably wouldn't go here with my daughter alone, unless there were a lot of people around in the early afternoon.
As I say this, know that as we left, around 7:30 pm (dusk) this guy with his two children on bikes were on their way down! We found this very odd, but what do we know? We're not very outdoorsy people. Maybe it's normal to ride a bike with young children on this somewhat dangerous trail after the sun sets? My husband and I were confounded by this, but they looked like they've been doing this every night for years. Yeesh.
The trail has been fenced off, for the most part, but there are areas without fencing, and there are CLIFFS just a few feet from the path. There are cliffs everywhere. Do not bring children that tend to "wander off" here. I am one of those wandering types, and my husband had to remind me every few yards to stay on the trail. Just FYI! This is why I really don't understand how that man could let his young children bike on this trail. My husband is a risk-taker but he thought as well as I that this was not a very smart thing to do.
0 families found this helpful
"Love this Park"
This has been an all time favorite adventure location since I was a kid myself. There's so many trails and places to explore, the beach is nice as well as the tide pools. The kids love it as well. It's a nice campground and there are equestrian trails as well.
1 family found this helpful
"Fun for all ages!"
Plan in advance and you could take a horseback ride with one of the independent companies or rent a sand board and glide down the sand dunes! If last minute is more your pace, their are a ton of hiking and biking trails leading up to a few different peaks, through the valleys and trees, or to the beach. The coastal habitat is great for observing different types of animals as well as the tide pools. Our favorite beach is Spooner's Cove because of the tide pools, beach (although rocky), and really fun rock you can climb! Non-portable bathrooms would be nice though.
2 families found this helpful
"Amazing!!!1"
Montanya De Oro offers unlimited experiences for you and your family. The campground is beautiful and provides a nice place to stay on a family vacation. The bluff trail is great for young kids and is absolutely stunning. My 3 year old loves to hike to the tidepools in search of sea creatures and tiny treasures. My husband loves the endless mountain biking possibilities and I enjoy the nurmerous hiking trails. This is one of those places that you really must experience. A big thumbs up!!!
1 family found this helpful
"Pt. Buchon is a MUST"
After nearly 30 years an incredible trail within Montana De Oro state park has finally opened...This is the Pt. Buchon trail and its just spectacular... meandering down the coast untouched coves, sea otters off shore, prevailing south winds, california poppy's enveloping the ragged cliffs gray whales breaching, and ground squirrels running figure eights...this trail leaves little to be desired. This is a private property trail owned by PG&E and the Diablo Nuclear Power Plant who have given us the ability to access the land. After a 7 mile drive to the end of Pecho Valley Rd. one parks at the beginning of the trail witch starts with a very steep decline on a paved road to an equally steep incline to the check in station...this trail is amazing, wide, flat and so picturesque...you must take a look...it is ONLY open Sat.-Mon. during the week, enjoy and watch out for rattlesnakes n the summer season.
1 family found this helpful
"Bluff walk trail is excellent"
The Bluff trail remains our favorite. There are more challenging hikes for more intrepid adventurers, but the bluff walk is easy, flat, and has breathtaking views. You can easily use a stroller (BOB recommended) but you'll have to carry it over the first bridge. After that, it's a piece of cake.
Wildflowers abound, depending on the season, and you can see lots of squirrels, lizards, and birds. Careful of poison oak, although after the initial stretch there is little of it. Lots of fennel, New Zealand spinach, and rattleweed/locoweed, along with California poppy and wild radish. (There is a garden of native plants across from the beginning of the bluffs trail where you can learn the names.)
But mostly people just look at the surf and the layers of rock visible along the bluff. There is good tidepooling at the beach that is about halfway out (walk down the staircase). And the Spooner's Cove beach is an easy place to picnic.
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"Fun with the Family"
It is considered the Central Coast’s premier park for hiking, nature walks, tide-pooling, horseback riding, camping, and shore fishing. The Spanish name means “mountain of gold,” referring to the golden fields of poppies, mustard grass, and wildflowers enveloping the hillsides every spring. You can easily spend a day at this incredibly beautiful, 8,000-acre paradise.
5 families found this helpful
"a beautiful beach"
Nice for hiking and picnicing, but not a good beach for swimming or surfing. There is a nature center with exhibits about the local wildlife.
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