We were on our way home from a great, long weekend on the Central Coast. My wife Edie had been at an annual four-day music camp event in Cambria, and I had been camping with friends in Morro Bay. But now, while enjoying a ride home on a beautiful January day and catching up on our respective weekends, suddenly a phone call came in—Edie had left her guitar at camp. Since we were already in Paso Robles, a return to Cambria would mean at least an additional 90-minute round trip to traverse the winding and hilly roads we had just climbed. A discouraging moment, to say the least.
A seaside getaway
This is only the second time Edie has attended this camp. The first time, in 2020, I had decided to drive her there in our campervan, then have an adventure of my own while camping, hiking and kayaking at Morro Bay. Located just 20 miles down the coast from Cambria on Highway 1, Morro Bay is the perfect place to spend a few days. Considering how much there is to do in the area, I decided to do the same thing this time.
The official city website says “Morro Bay is a seaside getaway located right off scenic Highway 1 on the Central Coast of California. More than that, it’s a backdrop for the perfect coastal adventure.” That is indeed true, and the only question was, “what to do first?”
Bishop Peak
On my last trip to Morro Bay, while hiking Black Hill in the state park, I met a fellow hiker who said, “If you like hiking to high viewpoints, you’ve got to go climb Bishop Peak in San Luis Obispo.” Now, five years later, I was finally making good on that plan to climb the tallest of the morros (hills) in San Luis Obispo County.
The Hikespeak website describes the hike: “Sometimes called Bishop’s Peak, but more formally known as Bishop Peak, this mountain is the most sought after summit in San Luis Obispo. Bishop Peak is the tallest of the Nine Sisters, the picturesque volcanic Morros (hills) stretching across San Luis Obispo. The iconic mountain has a rocky crown shaped like a bishop’s miter, which provides panoramic views over the city and nearby peaks. The single-track trail to the 1,559-foot summit is demanding and rewarding – a truly excellent hike.”
Back on track
Since I had recently recovered from an attack of severe back pain that had left me bedridden for almost a week in late December—and then walking very gingerly for some weeks afterwards—I was excited about challenging myself to make it to the top of this mountain. Driving about 15 minutes southeast on Highway 1 from Morro Bay State Park, we reached the Patricia Drive trailhead for Bishop Peak by about 10:30 a.m. It was a perfect day for hiking, with temperatures in the low- to mid-60s and a mostly sunny sky.
My friends Kris and Dennis hiked with me all the way up to the final intersection where hikers must decide if they’re going for the summit, or splitting off onto one of the other trails that traverse this natural reserve. As they headed towards the Felsman Loop trail, I bid them farewell and began my climb on the Summit Trail.
Because of the steepness of the trail, and how often I stopped to take photos and enjoy the views, it took me about two hours from that point to reach the top, and I enjoyed every minute of it. As the trail wrapped around the mountain in a clockwise circle, the views were ever-changing, and at times I was hiking even higher than the soaring birds of prey that rode the air currents below. After having gotten a glimpse in December of what it feels like to be almost completely disabled, to be up there soaring with the birds felt all the sweeter.
Going off trail
Reaching the top of the trail, a bench is encountered, which reads, appropriately enough, “End of Trail.” It’s a bit anticlimactic though, since the better views are obviously on the rugged rocks and boulders that extend higher up to the east and west, through dense underbrush with no obvious trails to follow. As I looked around for a way to climb higher, I noticed a plaque attached to a rock that said, “In loving memory of Jefferson Adam Bruckner, who fell to his death while hiking off the trail on August 9, 2005, at age 20.”
With that stark warning in mind, I made my way carefully up the rocky boulders of the summit until I reached a unique, cave-like formation that opened up to a dramatic view over the lush, green landscape below. This was the perfect place to have lunch, and savor the climb of Bishop Peak, something I’d had on my to-do list for a long time. Later, after enjoying more time surveying the various viewpoints of the summit, I began the 90-minute trek back down to the trailhead to meet up with my friends and head back to our camp at Morro Bay.
Kayaking Morro Bay
One of the great things about staying at Morro Bay State Park is the opportunity to kayak on the bay, a protected marine estuary. The shallow bay is protected from the Pacific Ocean by a sand spit to the west—the Morro Dunes Natural Preserve. It was this area of tall, sculpted dunes that would be my goal on this day. Reaching the dunes by kayak seems deceptively easy, yet challenges can appear. Although the paddle to the dunes is not very far, low tide can make the water too shallow to safely paddle without the risk of getting stuck on the mudflats. And strong afternoon winds coming from the west can impede all progress. With these conditions in mind, I decided to get on the water as early as I could, which was 10 a.m. Although this was still three hours before the high tide, I had been told by park staff that the bay depth should be fine at that time, and that avoiding the afternoon winds was more important.
This turned out to be great advice, since I had originally been planning to do my kayaking to coincide with the high tide at 1 p.m, which would have meant dealing with significant wind. At 10 a.m, though, the bay was flat calm with no wind. In other words, perfect conditions for kayaking. I enjoyed an easy and relaxing paddle out to the dunes, dragged my boat up onto the beach, and proceeded to explore the vast dunes.
At that early hour, the dunes were almost completely unspoiled by human footprints, and had more wind-driven ripples and animal footprints than anything else. When I did see human footprints, I attempted to walk in them, so as not to create any more disturbance. It was an absolutely beautiful environment, and as I climbed the dunes and made my way to the oceanside, it struck me that this was one of those times where the reality of a place was even better than what I had imagined.
Later, when kayaking back across the bay to return to the kayak launch site, I encountered a strong wind coming off my left side, causing choppy conditions on the bay and some difficulty in keeping the boat pointing in the proper direction. Though I had no real trouble getting back to the dock, I was so glad that I had started earlier, and avoided this wind for my paddle to the dunes. It had been the perfect kayaking day on Morro Bay.
Montaña de Oro
Another piece of good advice that I got from staff at Morro Bay State Park was to visit Montaña de Oro State Park while in this area. Located just 9 miles south of Morro Bay, the park is described on the official website: “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.”
This region of the coast was once the domain of the ancestors of the Chumash and Salinan people, who lived in the area for at least 9,000 years. In 1769, Don Gaspar de Portola led an expedition up the coast and claimed the land for Spain. The missionaries followed closely behind, and then in 1821 Mexico gained independence from Spain. The Mexican government secularized the missions, and eventually granted large tracts (land grants) to generals and political allies. The land grant that comprised today’s Montaña de Oro changed hands several times over the years, operating for decades as the Spooner Ranch—a farm, dairy and hog-raising operation. The last private owner of the property, Irene McAllister, called her ranch “Montaña de Oro,” a Spanish name meaning “Mountain of Gold,” a name that the state park kept when it purchased the land in 1965.
The rugged and wild coast
On the day we visited Montaña de Oro, my friends and I decided to hike the Bluff Trail, a 2.5-mile hike that brought us from the main road, Pecho Valley Road, down to the rugged coast and its crashing waves. There, hikers can stick to the main trail, which is wheelchair- and bicycle-friendly, or take any of the multiple spur trails that bring you much closer to the dramatic seaside cliffs, where the sea spray shoots high in the air as black Cormorants stand impassively on the rocks below. Heading north on the trail, then east, we made our way to the Spooner Ranch House, which offers a look into what life was like for the Spooner family in the early 1900s. Today the house serves as a visitor center for the park, and maintains period furnishings from the ranching days. While in this area, we also walked through the nearby Islay Creek Campground, which offers 47 primitive campsites for tent camping and recreational vehicles. “Primitive” just means that there are no showers or flush toilets, but there are toilet facilities, running water, fire-rings, picnic tables, and firewood available from the camp host. I always like to check out campgrounds like this for a possible future stay.
We only spent a few hours in beautiful Montaña de Oro State Park, but it was enough to be impressed by the vastness, wildness and beauty of this special part of the Central Coast. It was only because of the recommendation of a park staff person at Morro Bay that I made a point to go out of our way to visit this park before heading back up to Cambria, but I’m so glad we did. It’s a good reminder to always talk to park staff and rangers, because you’ll often get ideas and recommendations you wouldn’t have thought of yourself.
Elephant seals
No visit to the Central Coast would be complete without a visit to the Piedras Blancas Elephant Seal Rookery, particularly during the peak birthing season of December through January. In the 19th century, elephant seals were hunted for their blubber, and faced near extinction. Since then, they have recovered and repopulated their traditional haul-outs along the California and Mexico coasts. In 1990, elephant seals began arriving at the Piedras Blancas beach, and now about 25,000 of the estimated total population of 250,000 use the seven miles of beach here. A long boardwalk allows visitors to view the amazing sight of thousands of elephant seals and their pups on the beach below, without disturbing them. Interpretive signs and friendly docents help educate visitors on these massive animals that visit the beach year-round for mating, birthing, nursing, molting, resting, and battling for dominance.
Refreshed, but…
Heading home from such a wonderful weekend away, it was hard not to notice how refreshed and energized Edie and I were; she from her inspiring four-day music camp, and I from my weekend of outdoor activities with friends in Morro Bay and San Luis Obispo. We were on our way home, filling up with gas in Paso Robles, when a phone call came in—Edie had left her favorite guitar at the camp in Cambria. Somehow, with all the activity of saying goodbye to everyone and packing up her backpack, sleeping bag, blanket and pillow, the most valuable item had been left behind. As I topped off the tank with gas, I imagined all the wasted time and gas we now had to spend doing a 90-minute round-trip back to Cambria to get the guitar. But what can you do? Sometimes you have to accept the reality of an adverse situation and try not to let it spoil your mood. As I contemplated this, suddenly Edie came over and said “good news!” As luck would have it, one of the few people left in camp, Carolyn, lives in Oakland and would bring the guitar with her, and arrange a pickup with Edie later. This was a particularly good piece of luck, since participants at this camp came from all over the state and country, and so the chances of one of the last people left being from the town right next to us were pretty remote. Good mood restored, we settled in for our 3.5-hour ride home, unencumbered by any worries about a left-behind guitar.
If you go
Morro Bay State Park is 224 miles south of Alameda, about a four-hour ride via highways 880 and 101. Visit the park website before you go. Camping reservations can be made online at Reserve California.
I have my own kayak, but for the sake of convenience, I chose to rent a kayak from “A Kayak Shack,” located at the marina at Morro Bay State Park. The rates are very reasonable; more information can be found online at A Kayak Shack.
Information about the Bishop Peak hike I did can be found online at Bishop Peak Trail from Patricia Drive, California.
While in the area, don’t miss a visit to beautiful Montaña de Oro State Park. It may remind you of the rugged coast near the town of Mendocino, but with even less development. Visit the park website at Montaña de Oro State Park.
For more information on the Elephant Seals of Piedras Blancas, including live beach-cams, visit Friends of the Elephant Seal online.
Contributing writer Steve Gorman has been a resident of Alameda since 2000, when he fell in love with the history and architecture of this unique town. Contact him via [email protected]. His writing is collected at AlamedaPost.com/Steve-Gorman.
