Pools of Gold

Exploring the Tide Pools of Montaña de Oro State Park

08.16.2018

Montaña de Oro: The name means mountain of gold, but the real treasures here lie underwater. Luckily you don’t have to venture into the ocean to see all the cool creatures. Plenty of them are hanging out in readily accessible tide pools.

Start your visit at the Spooner Ranch House visitor center to get current tide info and pick up a trail map. Before heading to the tide pools, take the stairs down from the parking lot to check out Spooner’s Cove (the main beach area of the park), where you can climb around on impressive rock formations or just relax and enjoy watching the pounding surf. Then hop back in your car to drive to the tide pools. Follow the main road back toward the park entrance until you see the Hazard Reef trailhead on your left. It’s easy to miss; there’s no designated parking lot, just a small sign. Carefully park along the road and then follow the approximately .75-mile (one-way) Hazard Reef Trail until it ends at the beach. Feel the cool sea breezes blow as the trail passes through forested canyons filled with eucalyptus trees before winding its way along wildflower-covered bluffs overlooking the wild coast.

The trail ends at the rocky shore, which is composed of Miguelito shale, 5- to 6-million-year-old rock that was once part of the sea floor. Countless tide pools form here during low tide. Watch your step as you explore the pools—lots of crabs are crawling around, and they blend in with the rocks. Anemones, sea stars, mollusks, crabs … these pools are a veritable Sea World! Use caution on slippery rocks and watch out for sneaker waves. Bonus: On a clear day, you can see towering Morro Rock to the north. In other words, look down, look up, and all around—treasures are everywhere at Montaña de Oro.

From US-101 in San Luis Obispo County, take exit 200A onto Los Osos Valley Rd. and head west for 9.8 miles. Take a slight left onto Pecho Valley Rd. and continue 3.8 miles to the park. Day-use hours are 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. For camping information, visit Reserve California. No dogs, except on Spooner’s Cove Beach.  

Trending Stories NorCal

View all Stories
  1. Field of Light at Sensorio in Paso Robles

    Light This Way

    Hidden in the bucolic hills of Paso Robles lies one of the greatest light shows on earth. The lighted art exhibition, Sensorio, is as if the rainbow magic of the aurora borealis was plucked from the sky and planted in the fields.

    View
  2. Surfboards and tents for shade are set up on the beach at Cull Canyon Regional Recreation Area in the Swim Lagoon Area

    Switchbacks and Swimming Holes

    Hike hard, play hard! This 7-mile out-and-back in Cull Canyon Regional Recreation Area is a great workout with payoff vistas and a relaxing post-hike picnic and dip in the water.

    View

  3. Hike the Rainbow

    Catch all the colors of a rainbow at Calero County Park on this 10-mile hike currently showcasing the season’s best blooms.

    View
  4. Hike Purisima Creek Open Space Preserve

    Purisima Charisma

    Hundred-foot redwoods, a shaded canyon, and views overlooking Half Moon Bay. This 10-mile loop hike in Purisima Creek Redwoods Open Space Preserve is a roller-coaster of uphill and downhill along with easygoing stretches through some of the Bay Area’s most beautiful landscape.

    View

Trending Stories SoCal

View all Stories
  1. People on a guided horseback tour with Central Coast Trailrides at Santa Margarita Ranch near Paso Robles

    Saddle Up with Central Coast Trailrides

    Untouched and sweeping, the mountainous scenery and deep valleys of Santa Margarita near Paso Robles are just begging to be explored. So saddle up for a scenic adventure with Central Coast Trailrides (CCT) at the 14,000-acre Santa Margarita Ranch.

    View
  2. A woman on a hiking trail with huge open space and yellow flowers around her at Wildwood Park in Thousand Oaks

    Going Wildwood

    Consider this your invitation to get a little untamed. In just one walk through Wildwood Park in Thousand Oaks, you can chase the sound of a cascading waterfall, duck into a shadowy cave, and soak in big hillside vistas. The mostly flat 4.25-mile loop makes wild feel wonderfully accessible.

    View
  3. Two people fly fishing on the Truckee River with guides from Reno Fly Shop

    Zen and the Art of Fly Fishing

    Learning to fly fish is one of the most fun and beautiful ways to connect with nature, family, friends, and yourself. It’s also a great way to truly experience the magic of a place. Make that place Reno Tahoe, where a fly fishing adventure with Reno Fly Shop is like being planted in a plein air painting of dreamy outdoors.

    View
  4. A woman on the overlook deck overlooking the Truckee River at Oxbow Nature Study Area in Reno

    This Way to Oxbow and Dickerson Road

    Just west of downtown Reno—tucked right alongside the Truckee River—is a nature haven for wildlife spotting and waterside relaxing. The 22-acre Oxbow Nature Study Area is ideal for those seeking solitude and a short hike. Afterwards, explore the creative hub of Dickerson Road.

    View