Montana de Oro State Park
About
Visit Montana de Oro State Park. Take Los Osos Valley Road 10 miles west of town to a park named one of the state's best-kept secrets by the L.A. Times a few years back, and with good reason; it's filled with an abundance of hiking, mountain biking, and equestrian trails both along the ocean along the bluffs and inland into the coastal peaks; a dramatic cove with caves that kids and adults love; and miles of sandy beach and tidal pools. Trails range from casual ambles along the bluffs to the steep climbs up Valencia and Oats Peaks. Oats is the longer hike (about 5.5 miles) but more rewarding, as it offers views of Valencia against the Pacific, as well as northward and eastward to the Nine Sisters and Cuesta Ridge; the trail also is less steep. A terrific nine-mile loop can be made by continuing over the summit to the Coon Creek trail, then crossing back in front of the range along Rattlesnake Flats Trail. TAKE WATER! The "Mountain of Gold" also reigns as a popular out-and-back destination for the many road cyclists in the county, but cyclists ride westward early as strong winds pick up through Los Osos Valley in the early afternoon.
