Morro Strand State Beach
Also known as Atascadero State Beach
- 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 restrictions
- 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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Covering about 193 acres, Morro Strand State Beach lies in San Luis Obispo County, about 2 miles north of Morro Bay.
Visitors come for surfing, horseback riding, swimming, fishing, and picnicking. Water access includes a swimming beach. For overnight stays there are campsites (RV sites, tent sites, and showers).
Hours
Park, gate, office and facility hours are listed separately because they often differ. Alerts above override normal hours.
| Facility | Days | Hours | Season |
|---|---|---|---|
| Day use | Daily | 6 a.m. – 10 p.m. | — |
Official wording
Park day use 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
Not allowed in or on: the beach.
Are dogs allowed? • Dogs must be monitored and leashed within the campground. Dogs are prohibited on the beach.
Service animals are generally permitted where pets are not. Check with the park for specific areas.
Camping
Morro Strand Campground
The Morro Strand Campground offers over 70 campsites for tent camping and recreational vehicles. Each campsite has a fire ring and picnic table with water spigots and flush toilets nearby. TOKEN-operated shower facilities are available at the Morro Bay Campground with proof of registration. An RV sanitation station and water-fill station are also available there. Firewood is for sale from the campground host and proceeds go to help the Central Coast State Parks Association.
Note: RV electrical hookups are available at Morro Strand Campground. Please check Reserve California for availability.
Overnight facilities: Tent Camping, RV/Trailer Campsites w/Hookups, RV Access
Max trailer: 24 feet
Max camper/motorhome: 40 feet
From the official park page, checked Oct 29, 2026. Site counts and prices can change; confirm when booking.
Things to do
PicnickingFishingSwimmingSurfingHorseback ridingCamping
Amenities
Facilities
- Restrooms
- Showers
- Drinking water
- Picnic areas
- Parking
Water
- Swimming beach
Camping
- Tent camping
- RV 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
Morro Strand State Beach is a coastal frontage park featuring outstanding picnic sites and camping. A three-mile stretch of beach connects the southern and northern entrances to the beach. Fishing, windsurfing, jogging, and kite flying are popular. The beach is two miles south of Cayucos on Highway 1. Phone (805) 772-6101 for more information.
Camping
Two RV campsites are accessible (#47 & #67) and include full hookups (electricity, water, and sewer). Restrooms within the campground are usable; they are not wheelchair accessible.
Official accessibility information
Conditions change. Contact the park to confirm specific accessible features before your visit.
Getting there
- Address
- Trinidad St & Beachcomber Dr
Morro Bay, CA 93442 - Nearest town
- Morro Bay — about 2 mi north (straight line)
- Coordinates
- 35.4020, -120.8679
- Phone
- (805) 772-6101
Entrances
- Directions point
Google Maps directionsApple MapsOfficial park map (PDF)
Directions from the park
Telephone Morro Strand Campground (805) 772-8812 Museum of Natural History (805) 772 - 6101 Morro Bay Campground Yerba Buena & Highway 1 Morro Bay, CA 93442 From the town of Morro Bay: North on Main St., then merge onto Hwy 1 northbound. Turn left on Yerba Buena St. (Look for the state beach entrance sign). From San Luis Obispo: North on Highway 1 to Yerba Buena St., then turn left (Look for the state beach entrance sign). For those seeking an adventure, an even more scenic route may be taken south from Monterey through Big Sur on a 120-mile journey winding along Highway 1 (When road conditions permit). The Museum of Natural History is 4 miles to the south of the Morro Strand campground, located within Morro Bay State Park (Look for the museum entrance sign).
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: CALIFORNIA - MORRO BAY AREA and SLO County (919147125).jpg — CC0 1.0 (public domain dedication), ALAN SCHMIERER
“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