Montaña de Oro State Park
- Status
- Open (per official listing)Daily 6 a.m. – 10 p.m.
- Entrance fee
- Statewide rule — see below
- Day-use reservations
- None mentioned
- Dogs
- Dogs allowed, with restrictions6-ft leash
- Camping
- Yes
- Official site
- parks.ca.gov(805) 772-6101
Official page last checked Oct 29, 2026. How we keep this current
Overview
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Montaña de Oro State Park is a 10,251-acre park in San Luis Obispo County, about 5 miles south of Morro Bay.
Visitors come for snorkeling and diving, surfing, horseback riding, historic sites, and fishing. Water access includes a swimming beach. For overnight stays there are campsites (RV sites, tent sites, and equestrian camping). The park says there are no showers.
Hours
Park, gate, office and facility hours are listed separately because they often differ. Alerts above override normal hours.
| Facility | Days | Hours | Season |
|---|---|---|---|
| Park | Daily | 6 a.m. – 10 p.m. | — |
Official wording
Park is open 6am-10pm
Source: official park page, checked Oct 29, 2026. Times are local to the park (America/Los Angeles).
Fees and passes
Per vehicle at most parks (vehicles of 9 people or less, walk/bike-in free); per person at State Historic Parks and museums; amounts vary by park and are listed on each park page.
Statewide fee rule from California's park system; this park’s page doesn’t list its own fees.
California park passes
- California Explorer Annual Pass — $195. Vehicle day-use entry to 134 state parks incl. high-demand Southern California beaches Details
- Golden Poppy Annual Pass — $125. Vehicle day-use entry to 112 state parks Details
- Historian Passport — $50. Admission for up to four people at per-person-fee State Historic Parks Details
- Off-Highway Vehicle (OHV) Annual Pass — $50. Entry to State Vehicular Recreation Areas that collect day-use fees Details
- SNO-Park Pass — $40 season / $15 day. 18 SNO-PARK winter recreation areas Details
From the California state guide. Confirm which passes this park accepts.
Reservations
- Day use
- No day-use reservation requirement mentioned
- Booking system
- ReserveCalifornia
- Phone
- (800) 444-7275
We link to the official booking system rather than showing live availability, which changes minute to minute.
Pets
Dogs allowed, with restrictions · leash up to 6 feet
Not allowed in or on: trails; the trails or beaches.
Are dogs allowed? Yes: Dogs are allowed only in the campground, roadways, and Spooner’s Cove Beach. Dogs are allowed only on leash in these permitted areas and are not allowed on trails. • DOGS are permitted in campsites and on park roads and must be on a six-foot maximum leash held by an adult. Dogs are NOT ALLOWED on the trails or beaches (except for Spooner’s Cove Beach). Dogs may not be left alone in a campsite and must be kept in a tent or vehicle at night. Please pick up after your pet.
Service animals are generally permitted where pets are not. Check with the park for specific areas.
Camping
Campgrounds & Environmental Camps
The Islay Creek Campground offers 47 primitive campsites for tent camping and recreational vehicles. The maximum length for an RV is 27 feet. Each campsite has a fire ring and picnic table with water spigots and toilets nearby. Firewood is for sale from the campground host and proceeds go to help the Central Coast State Parks Association.
The Hazard Canyon Horse Camp offers 4 campsites designed solely for horse camping (You must have a horse present to camp at this campground). Each campsite has a fire ring and picnic table with water spigots, chemical toilets, horse stalls and watering troughs nearby. Firewood is for sale from the campground host at the nearby Islay Creek Campground.
The Environmental Camps require a hike of approximately 100 yards to half a mile to reach. These 4 campsites have pit toilets but no potable water. Campfires are not permitted at these sites.
Note: RV electrical hookups, RV sanitation station/water-fill station, and showers are not available at Montaña de Oro SP. Please check with the Morro Bay Campground for nearby amenities.
Overnight facilities: Equestrian Campsites, Tent Camping, Remote Camping, RV Access
From the official park page, checked Oct 29, 2026. Site counts and prices can change; confirm when booking.
Things to do
Historic sites and toursPicnickingFishingRanger and interpretive programsSnorkeling and scubaSurfingGeocachingHikingBikingHorseback ridingCamping
Amenities
Facilities
- Drinking water
- Picnic areas
- Nature center or museum
- Parking
- Showers: not available (stated by the park)
Water
- Swimming beach
Camping
- Tent camping
- RV camping
- Equestrian camping
Recreation
- Horse trails
✓ listed by the park · ✕ the park says it is not available. Anything not shown here isn’t mentioned by the official source — that means unknown, not unavailable.
Accessibility
Overview
Naturalists and backpackers enjoy the solitude and freedom found along this park’s rugged trails, secluded beaches, canyons and hills. Primitive and environmental camping is available. The only potable water is in the campground. Park entrance is seven miles south of Los Osos on Pecho Road. Phone (805) 528-0513 for more information.
Camping
Islay Creek Campground: Campsites 5, 35, and 48 are accessible. The restrooms near these campsites are accessible however, they are vault-style restrooms. Water is provided in accessible locations nearby.
Picnic Area
Accessible picnic sites, including accessible parking and restrooms, are located at the Coon Creek area and at Spooner's Cove.
Trails
The Sand Spit Trail is a generally accessible trail for 0.30 miles with views of the ocean and Morro Bay. The trailhead, accessible parking, and a generally accessible vault-style restroom are at the Sand Spit lot off Pecho Road.
Read more from the park
The Bluff Trail is a 2.38 mile accessible trail along coastal bluffs. The trail consists of a 0.79 mile loop at the north end and 1.5 mile spur from the loop to the Coon Creek parking lot. The surface is compacted aggregate. There is one armored crossing on the trail that water flows over during rain events that might be challenging for some users. The trail is generally flat at less than 5% slopes with intermittent sections between 5% to 8% and one section for 7 feet at 9%. Along the trail there are five overlooks that provide seating opportunities. There are several interpretive panels along the trail. Accessible restrooms are located along the north loop of the trail and at the southern trailhead at the Coon Creek parking lot. Accessible parking is located at the north and south trailheads.
Trail Name Running Slope Cross Slope Trail Width Trail Surface
Bluff Trail 3% Average 2.9% Average 6.5 FT Average Aggregate, Rock, & Wood
9% Maximum 5% Maximum 3 FT Minimum
Beach/Shore Access
Spooner's Cove, located just below the Spooner Ranch House, provides accessible beach level parking with a firm surface route onto the beach. A beach wheelchair is available for use. Phone (805) 528-0513 for more information.
Official accessibility information
Conditions change. Contact the park to confirm specific accessible features before your visit.
Getting there
- Address
- 2886 Pecho Valley Rd
Los Osos, CA 93402 - Nearest town
- Morro Bay — about 5 mi south (straight line)
- Coordinates
- 35.3002, -120.8629
- Phone
- (805) 772-6101
Entrances
- Directions point
Google Maps directionsApple MapsOfficial park map (PDF)
Directions from the park
Telephone Montaña de Oro SP (805) 772-6101 Islay Creek Campground Pecho Valley Road Los Osos, CA 93402 From San Luis Obispo: North on Highway 1 to the South Bay Blvd. offramp in Morro Bay. Turn left, go about 6 miles and turn right onto Los Osos Valley Rd. Continue 1.5 miles until it turns into Pecho Valley Rd.. Continue about 3.5 miles to the Spooner Ranch House and turn left into the campground. From the south on Hwy 101: Northbound on Highway 101 to the Los Osos Valley Road offramp in San Luis Obispo. Turn left toward Los Osos and travel about 11 miles until it turns into Pecho Valley Rd.. Continue about 3.5 miles to the Spooner Ranch House and turn left into the campground. For those seeking an adventure, an even more scenic route may be taken south from Monterey through Big Sur on a 158-mile journey winding along Highway 1 and through the town of Los Osos (When road conditions permit). The Spooner Ranch House is in the park, 500’ feet west of the campground. Please note: Pecho Valley Rd. terminates at the Coon Creek parking lot. There is no drive-through access to the south. To exit, you must leave the park the same way you came in.
Nearby state parks
Sources and freshness
- California State Parks — park page — last checked Oct 29, 2026
- California State Parks Listing page (one link per unit, page_id = officialId), unioned with the CSP Enterprise GIS 'ParkEntryPoints' ArcGIS layer (coords, address, county, unit number, management status) and the 'CSPParkUnit_CurrentStatus' layer (open/partial/full closure)
- Wikidata
- USGS PAD-US 4.1 (boundary and acreage)
- Photo: Vector, a wildlife scent detection dog, searches for the scent of the Morro bay kangaroo rat at Montana de Oro State Park in San Luis Obispo County. (31159574985).jpg — Public domain (US federal government work), Pacific Southwest Region USFWS from Sacramento, US
“Last checked” is when our system last read the official source. No change has been detected since this page was first published. Hours, fees and rules can change without notice — confirm with the park before you go. Methodology