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The panoramic summit of Hazard Peak in Montaña de Oro State Park has excellent coastal views. Hazard Peak Trail is the most obvious route to the top and a great choice, rising to the 1,076-foot summit over 3 miles. A junction partway up Hazard Peak Trail makes it possible to add a couple other trails to the approach. Bloody Nose Trail and Hiedra Trail are a combined 0. ...Read more.

Hikes in Montaña de Oro State Park travel along the coast or delve inland into canyons and up peaks. If you want a mix of hiking environments, consider this four-trail loop, which combines South Dune Trail, Bloody Nose Trail, Hiedra Trail, and Hazard Peak Trail for a 2 2/3 mile round trip hike with a little over 300 feet of elevation change. This loop can be added to the hike up Hazard Peak, adding a loop to summit hike for a just over 6. ...Read more.

Today the Irish Hills are like a gold mine for hikers, but the small mountain range in San Luis Obispo historically hosted several mines for chromium and mercury. The ruins of one of these mines can be visited on Old Prospector Trail, which opened in 2015 to join the growing group of trails in Irish Hills Natural Reserve. This hikers-only single track starts in Froom Canyon and is 0. ...Read more.

Oats Peak is the second highest summit in Montaña de Oro State Park, a full 26 feet taller than Valencia Peak, which is probably the park's favorite summit for hikers. Oats Peak is located a couple miles inland of Valencia Peak, sporting smaller ocean views and greater views over the Irish Hills, the canyons and ridges making up the interior of the Montaña de Oro State Park. ...Read more.

Montaña de Oro State Park has every type of hike you could want, ranging from easy oceanfront strolls to difficult summit ascents. If you're feeling like Goldilocks and want something in the middle (just right), check out Reservoir Flats Trail, a 2-mile loop with 200 feet of elevation gain that is conveniently located just behind the park visitor center. ...Read more.

Montaña de Oro State Park preserves a stunning stretch of the California's Central Coast where the Irish hills meet the Pacific Ocean. Picturesque bluffs and sandy coves dominate the coastline. The inland side of the park has charming peaks and canyons. Within the park's largest canyon, Islay Creek Canyon, you'll find Islay Creek Campground. The conveniently-located campground is just a short walk from the beach at Spooner's Cove and can serve as a base camp for hikes on nearby trails like the Bluff Trail, Valencia Peak Trail, Hazard Peak Trail, Islay Creek Trail, and Oats Peak Trail. ...Read more.

If one park is good, than two parks are better, and a trail between those parks brings out the best of both. Opened in the spring of 2013, the Connector Trail between Johnson Ranch Open Space and the Irish Hills Natural Reserve links two of San Luis Obispo County's great parks. The new trail also connects hikers with grassy slopes and oak-covered ridges with views across San Luis Obispo and Edna Valley. ...Read more.

The hike up and down Hazard Peak Trail delivers a heavy dose of ocean views. While it could be argued that this 6-mile round trip hike is the finest trek to the summit of Hazard Peak, you may wish to consider elongating that hike to a 9.2-mile loop that returns to the coast via Islay Creek Trail in the adjacent Islay Creek Canyon. Sacrificing a second helping of ocean views, the loop explores the secluded interior of Montaña de Oro State Park and finishes with a cool down on a wide, gradual trail in a canyon flanked by thousand foot peaks (including the 1,076-foot Hazard Peak). ...Read more.

Montaña de Oro State Park is packed with so many picturesque places that it can be difficult to settle on just one day hike. However, if you are looking for broad, unobstructed view over Morro Bay, you should feel compelled to set out for the top of Hazard Peak. Looking north from this coastal 1,076-foot summit, you won't see anything even half as tall as Hazard Peak for about 15 miles, giving you a full view of the dune-lined coast backed by the iconic Morro Rock. ...Read more.

Montaña de Oro State Park has a couple lengthy level hikes. If you desire ocean views, you can't do any better than the Bluff Trail. If you would rather hike up a canyon flanked by thousand foot peaks along a creek that even has a small waterfall, the fitting trail is Islay Creek Trail. The rolling 3-mile long dirt road has 300-feet of easy elevation change. ...Read more.