Montana de Oro State Park
Montana de Oro State Park has camping and miles of hiking trails, on cliffs above the sea, shale rock formations in shades of gold and silver, jutting out into an azure ocean. Tide pools are sensational, the brightest green sea anemones and orange turban snails!
Explore the tide pools - From the Ocean Bluffs Trail, climb down to Corallina Cove. You can't miss the giant-size bright green sea anemones, plus turban snails, shore crabs, hermit crabs, and sea stars (resist the urge to poke your fingers in the sea anemones).
Spooner's Cove - Picnic tables, and wide sandy beach. If tables are full, drive to the end of the road, for another picnic area.
Whale watching - Look for gray whales migrating, January to April. Best spot, take the Ocean Bluffs Trail with spectacular ocean panoramas. Bring binoculars.
Play in the sand dunes -
Take Sand Spit Rd. to the end, from the parking lot, it's a short walk down to the sand dunes. Play in the dunes (sand is very soft and fine-grained, bring beach toys), run around piles of driftwood, investigate clam shells and kelp washed up on the shore - it's a long sandy beach that seems to go on forever.
Sweet Springs Nature Preserve (Los Osos) - On the road out to Montana de Oro, stop in the nature preserve November to March to look for Monarch butterflies, spending the winter in eucalyptus trees.
