Last year when we visited Pismo Beach, I checked the San Luis Obispo county Instagram account. And found the place I never saw anywhere else. The sea arches on the photos had unusual forms, and I started to google it immediately. The name of the place was well-known for me – Montana de Oro State Park.
On Christmas weekend in 2014, we made a road trip (and it was a complete failure) along the coast. We hiked Montana de Oro dunes. It was hot and exposed, the most prominent memory of it – was the horse riders on the beautiful white horses.
I couldn’t believe that my memory and the photos I saw where from the one place.
It was only a matter of time for us to driving there.
The plan for that weekend trip was evident and short: we should leave on Sunday before the midday, drive 101 South down to the SLO, and stop at Bluff Trail parking near the Point Buchon Trailhead.
Point Buchon is a PG&E land, that is open Wed to Mon from 8 am to 5 pm during Summer season. The place has fantastic scenery.
The plan was simple, but the timing was critical, and it’s a problem for two of us at the same time. So we left later than expected, stuck on 101 south of Gilroy for 30 (!!!) mins, and were in the parking lot after 4 PM. When we walked to the check-in station my watch showed 4:27, when we started to talk with the watcher – 4:28, and when he told us he will not let us in – 4:30 PM. I knew about the rule about checking out at 4:45 – 15 mins before the closure, but never read that admission stops 30 mins before the shutdown. Oh, how sad I was!
So, we returned to the next step in the plan: Bluff Trail that starts immediately from the same place and was open for visitors.
The short walk to the edge of the bluff and I lost my breath. The huge cave in the cliff that looks like a portal overlooked the ocean. Goodness, it was a paradise for me.
The trail follows the edge of the bluff and has a more accessible alternative path further from the cliffs. Each step there opened other angles on the rocks and showed more arches, and strange looking natural wonders.
Spooner’s Cove
We walked few miles of the bluff trail and returned back to the car via dirt path. When we first drove to the parking, we overlooked from the road a lovely cove with the beach. It was Spooner’s Cove.
When we stopped there in the drive back, first we saw few rabbits. Then one more rabbit. There was a dozen of the car park but the place wasn’t crowded at all. The beach is rocky. I took off my shoes and rocks heart a bit my feet. The cove is big and half moon shaped. Most of the visitors stayed in the northern part of it near the huge rock with the cave. Some climbed the rock. There were few photographers waited for sunset. I guess it would be awe-inspiring. But we wanted to eat and needed to drive to the Morro Bay where we planned to overnight.
Another thing that I didn’t remember (but Eugene did) is a eucalyptus trees tunnel. The road here and the shadow of the trees are so picturesque.
