When you are visiting Pismo Beach, there are many excellent California State Parks in our area for you to explore. Here is a round-up of our favorites offering educational activities, historic museums, amazing wildlife, and spectacular coastal views:
Oceano Dunes State Vehicular Recreation Area: This off-highway vehicle enthusiast paradise offers a wide variety of beach activities that include off-road adventures, camping, kite surfing and fishing in a dynamic coastal dune environment. The Oceano Dunes SVRA is open daily from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. for vehicle day use. Day use passes are sold on a first come first serve basis at the beach entry kiosks at Grand Avenue and Pier Avenue. Day use passes are $5 per vehicle. Please monitor the district's Facebook and Twitter for updates on day use capacity. Post 2 is one mile south on the beach from Pier Avenue and marks the beginning of the OHV area. All OHVs must be transported to this point before off-loading. Fenced and signed areas are closed to vehicular use either because the property beyond is private or because the area contains sensitive plant and animal life.
High tides, heavy rains, and blowing sand determine whether or not you can drive down the beach without getting stuck. Access to the OHV and camping area may be restricted periodically by Arroyo Grande Creek which is subject to water releases at Lopez Dam and increased flow during winter storms.
The Oceano Dunes District Visitor Center is located at 555 Pier Avenue, at the entrance to the Oceano Campground. Visitors are encouraged to stop by the visitor center to learn more about the park and pick up a free park map brochure as they plan their adventure for the Oceano Dunes SVRA. Knowledgeable State Park Staff are available to answer questions and kids can pick up a free activity booklet. Open Tuesday through Saturday (closed Sunday & Monday) from noon to 4pm.
Pismo State Beach & Monarch Butterfly Grove: This beach on the Central Coast offers camping, hiking, swimming and surf fishing, as well as the opportunity to observe the annual winter migration of Western monarch butterflies at Pismo State Beach Monarch Butterfly Grove, one of the largest Western monarch overwintering sites in California.
Monarchs seek places with ideal microclimates for their winter habitat. They require a sheltered area buffered from cold temperatures, storm, and wind. The coastal environment along Central California and specifically along the coast at Pismo Beach provides the perfect microclimate for the western monarch to rest during the winter months. At the Pismo State Beach Monarch Butterfly Grove, the tall eucalyptus and Monterey cypress trees provide the shelter and canopy for thermal stability. Although cool temperatures are needed to slow the use of stored energy reserves, monarchs cannot survive long periods of freezing temperatures. Unusually warm temperatures trigger a search for food and mates. Adjacent to the grove of trees is a natural garden with native flowering plants that provide nectar for the adult butterflies.
Join California State Park interpreters at the Pismo State Beach Monarch Butterfly Grove for a 45-minute program designed to help students better understand the annual migration of monarch butterflies, their life cycle, population changes over time, and the importance of protecting monarch habitats including overwintering sites. Students will rotate through three different activities, with each stop on the rotation lasting around 15 minutes. All activities take place outdoors. Please take the weather into consideration, as rain or high winds will cancel this field trip.
Montana de Oro State Park: Located 15 miles west of San Luis Obispo, the park features rugged cliffs, secluded sandy beaches, coastal plains, a historic ranch house, and the golden wildflowers that bloom in spring and gave the park its name (Mountain of Gold). Popular for hiking, beachgoing, mountain biking, wildlife viewing, horseback riding, camping and tide pooling. With over 8000 acres, including seven miles of shoreline, Montaña de Oro is one of the largest state parks in California. Spectacular views, fresh breezes, and the sound of the pounding surf add up to invigorating, memorable visits.
Montaña de Oro State Park features starry nights, rugged cliffs, secluded sandy beaches, coastal plains, streams, canyons, and hills, including 1,347-foot Valencia Peak. Naturalists and backpackers enjoy the solitude and freedom found along the park's many back country trails (Camping is not permitted outside of the campgrounds). There are also mountain biking and equestrian trails for the more adventurous. The best-known beach is Spooner's Cove, across from the campground. The park's name, "Mountain of Gold," comes from the golden wildflowers that bloom in spring. Wildlife in the park includes black tailed deer, bobcats, raccoons, California quail, black oystercatchers and much more!
Morro Bay State Park: This is a coastal park with rich history and diverse natural resources, featuring the iconic Morro Rock, an estuary, volcanic peaks, campground, and the Morro Bay Museum of Natural History. Popular for birdwatching, kayaking, hiking and wildlife viewing, Morro Bay State Park is located 13 miles west of San Luis Obispo. The park features lagoon and natural bay habitats. On the lagoon's northeastern and eastern edges, there are saltwater and brackish marshes that support thriving bird populations. Two of the Nine Sisters chain of volcanic peaks leading from San Luis Obispo to Morro Bay, Black Hill & Cerro Cabrillo, are within park boundaries. Black Hill has a trail winding through dense stands of Monterey Pine trees and offers a panoramic view of the greater Morro Bay area at its summit. Cerro Cabrillo has even more trails to explore all along its base.
The bay's most prominent landmark is Morro Rock (please note that climbing this landmark is prohibited). Morro Bay State Marine Reserve & State Marine Recreational Management Area are two marine protected areas located offshore from Morro Bay. Much like underwater parks, these marine protected areas help safeguard ocean wildlife and marine ecosystems. The park offers several recreational opportunities such as kayaking, fishing, hiking, bird watching & wildlife viewing. The Museum of Natural History has exhibits that cover natural features, cultural history, Native American life, geology, and oceanography. The park also has a café, marina and an 18-hole public golf course.
Estero Bluffs State Park: The purpose of Estero Bluffs State Park is to preserve and protect a rich, diverse and particularly scenic area of the California Central Coast. This viewshed includes sea stacks and intertidal areas, a substantial area of wetlands, low bluffs and coastal terraces punctuated by several perennial and intermittent streams, also containing a pocket cove and beach at Villa Creek. The property's rich diversity of habitat types includes marine, intertidal, estuarine, riverine, coastal salt marsh, freshwater marsh, coastal foredune, coastal and riparian scrub and grassland, collectively providing habitat for several endangered species, including the snowy plover. The property also includes sensitive Native American occupancy sites.
In the 1980s, residents of Cayucos and the surrounding communities joined forces to stop coastal development and preserve this open space. The Trust for Public Lands purchased the property in 2000 and deeded it to the State in March 2002. In order to protect the park’s bluffs and its magnificent viewshed, the Trust gave the Cayucos Land Conservancy a perpetual conservation easement that limited activities and facilities (no restrooms or drinking water) in the day-use-only park. The park offers several recreational opportunities such as sea kayaking, fishing, hiking, bird watching & wildlife viewing. The Museum of Natural History in nearby Morro Bay State Park has exhibits that cover natural features, cultural history, Native American life, geology, and oceanography.
Hearst San Simeon State Park: One of the oldest and most scenic state parks, with coastal bluffs and promontories that offer unobstructed views of the ocean and rocky shore, this park includes natural and cultural preserves, elephant seal viewing areas, campgrounds, beaches, hiking trails and a protected cove with a pier. Hearst San Simeon State Park is one of the oldest units of the California State Park System. The park includes the Santa Rosa Creek Natural Preserve, the San Simeon Natural Preserve and the Pa-nu Cultural Preserve which were established in 1990.
A 3.3 mile trail runs through parts of the San Simeon Natural Preserve and the Washburn Campground. The trail includes scenic overlooks, rest-stop benches, and interpretive panels with information on wildlife and habitat. A portion of the trail along the seasonal wetland is wheelchair accessible. Santa Rosa Creek Preserve is an area which includes valuable riparian forests and coastal wetlands, that provide habitat for endangered Tidewater Goby. San Simeon Natural Preserve, located near the Washburn Day Use Area, consists of vast wetlands, riparian areas, and several undisturbed native plant communities including unique mima mound topography. The preserve is also a wintering site for monarch butterfly populations.
The 13.7 acre Pa-nu Cultural Preserve contains the most significant archeological site within Hearst San Simeon State Park. The site has been dated to 5850 years before present, and it contains significant evidence documenting prehistoric technology, subsistence practices and social organization over the course of several centuries.
A unique opportunity to view northern elephant seals is available at the viewing area at the Piedras Blancas Northern Elephant Seal Rookery (Located 9.3 miles north of the San Simeon Creek Campground). This vantage point provides an ideal location to view these marine mammals from a safe distance. Elephant seals may be seen throughout the year. The largest populations and the most activity are during the months of late January, April and October. Although elephant seals spend most of their lives in the open ocean, they arrive at the rookery to give birth, breed, molt and rest from long migrations in the ocean in search of food. More information on northern elephant seals and other native marine life can be found at the Friends of the Elephant Seal Visitor Center in the town of San Simeon and at the MBNMS Coastal Discovery Center.
The viewing areas are open to the public year-round and are wheelchair accessible. No reservations are required and there is no fee. State Park Elephant Seal Docents are on site to answer questions. Please note that restroom facilities are not available at this location, and the nearest restrooms are 4 miles south of the viewing areas at William Randolph Hearst Memorial Beach. Unable to visit but still want to view the elephant seals? Watch the Piedras Blancas Live Cam on the south beach and the north beach.
Hearst San Simeon State Historical Monument: World-famous estate best known as Hearst Castle, was conceived by media mogul William Randolph Hearst and architect Julia Morgan, and features a magnificent 115-room main house plus three guesthouses, two pools, and 127 acres of landscaped terraces and gardens, and is an accredited art museum featuring over 20,000 art objects. La Cuesta Encantada, "The Enchanted Hill" high above the ocean at San Simeon, was conceived by two extraordinary individuals, William Randolph Hearst and architect Julia Morgan. Their collaboration, which began in 1919 and continued for nearly 30 years, transformed an informal hilltop campsite into the world-famous estate best known as Hearst Castle, a magnificent 115-room main house plus guesthouses, pools, and 8 acres of cultivated gardens. The main house itself, "La Casa Grande," is a grand setting for some of Hearst's impressive art collection. It was also a most fitting site for hosting the many influential guests who stayed at Hearst's San Simeon ranch. Guests included President Calvin Coolidge, Winston Churchill, George Bernard Shaw, Charlie Chaplin, and a diverse array of luminaries from show business and publishing industries.
To start the tour, visitors board a bus at the Visitor Center that takes them to the Castle at the top of the hill. Tours depart from the Visitor Center by bus at the time printed on the ticket. An audio presentation provides background information during the 15 minute, 5-mile trip to the Castle. All of the tours include the two 15-minute bus rides to and from the hilltop. The tour program offers various guided daytime tours and one guided evening tour. The three daytime tours, the “Grand Rooms Tour,” the “Upstairs Suites Tour,” and the “Cottages and Kitchen Tour,” are each 60 minutes in length. Descriptions of other tours can be found at www.hearstcastle.org. Following the guided portion of the tour, visitors are welcome to remain on the hilltop to enjoy the magnificent vistas and to explore the grounds, including the gardens and the Neptune Pool and Roman Pools until closing time. Visitors can also take multiple daytime tours without returning to the Visitor Center between tours. At least two hours should be allowed between tour times when scheduling multiple tours to avoid overlap.
We hope this helps guide your next visit to the Central Coast while enjoying our great California State Parks!