O n a recent trip to Santa Barbara, I spent the night at my
sister
’s house in Grover City. Early the next morning, we got up early
to go for a hike at a special state park nearby.
O n a recent trip to Santa Barbara, I spent the night at my sister’s house in Grover City. Early the next morning, we got up early to go for a hike at a special state park nearby.
Montana de Oro State Park is a hidden gem located on the coast six miles south of Morro Bay. The park is 8,000 acres of hills, coastal plains, streams and canyons. But its biggest attraction is the seven miles of secluded coastline that includes a succession of intimate sandy coves and trails along the cliffs that separate them.
The three-mile drive from the park entrance to the Visitor Center takes you through dense stands of eucalyptus trees that were planted many years ago by Alexander Hazard in a vain hope to cash in on California’s demand for lumber. When we arrived Sunday morning, the few visitors that were there were walking the coastal cliffs leaving the upland regions virtually deserted.
My sister had brought me here to walk up the conspicuous 1,347-foot Valencia Peak, a two-mile hike from the parking lot near the beach. Montana de Oro State Park is noted for its spring wildflower displays, but on this August day, only a few fall flowers were in bloom. Several varieties of buckwheat were flowering, and I saw a just couple brilliant red-orange California fuchsia blossoming in between the California Sagebrush and Coyote Bush that dominated the hill.
Looking up the mountain through the thin mist left behind by the retreating morning fog, our goal appeared twice the height and distance away that it was billed to be. Down below, the lingering fog was teasing the coast, alternately advancing just to shore and then retreating, but we could see why so many chose to walk the coastal cliffs. The shore is scalloped by a succession of inviting intimate little coves, many with small sandy beaches at the foot of their scalable cliffs.
Our walk to the summit was spectacular. With each step, more of the coast and inland hills was revealed to us. The grade of the trail is ideal, making the two-mile walk a pleasant, not grueling, experience. Valencia Peak and most of the surrounding country is coastal scrub, a community of shrubs dominated by Coyote Bush, California Sagebrush and Black Sage. To the north, this community was interrupted by Mr. Hazard’s now extensive stands of eucalyptus trees. The absence of large natural trees in the area changes dramatically on the next major ridge to the south, which was covered with pines.
One of the three people we saw on our two-hour round trip was a park volunteer. I asked him about the pine-covered ridge. What kind are they? While he told me that there were three species of pine in the park (Bishop, Monterey and Torrey), I think he was mistaken. The trees on that ridge were surely Bishop pines, a tree scarcely distributed in scattered groves along the California coast. I had only seen them on Inverness Ridge in Pt. Reyes National Seashore and near Mendocino, but they do range as far south as Santa Barbara County. According to the sources I checked, Torrey Pines and Monterey Pines do not occur naturally in that area.
By the time we got back to the car, the church-goers and Sunday-brunchers were starting to arrive. Perfect timing. I like to be going when everyone else is coming.
Montana de Oro State Park has 50 campsites that accommodate RV’s and trailers up to 27 feet. Hikers, bikers and equestrians are welcome. It is a beautiful meeting of land and sea with something to offer in every season. Whether you like sand between your toes or dirt under your waffle-soled shoes, this park has you covered.
Ron Erskine has lived and worked as a builder and brewery owner in South Valley for 20 years. He lives in Morgan Hill with his wife and two children.
