#Montana de Oro

[lies]

Sometimes when I'm birdwatching

[hellomynamejose94]

The stick picture is by far my favorite one out of the half dozen you see before you something as simple as a stick and it looks amazing

[bririnehart]

A Guide to : Montana de Oro State Park

My mama celebrated her birthday last week + wanted to go to Montaña de Oro State Park. So of course, I couldn't say no to this little adventure.

We made a day trip to the state park -- which was more like a 1/2 day by the time we arrived. It still gave us enough time to explore the Spooner house + hike their smaller trail.

Here's a breakdown of our day:

🥾 Since we arrived later in the day, we decided to hike the bluff trail - which is the smallest trail. It's 3.4 miles long + has the most gorgeous views. The trail is alongside the cliffs, so it's hard to not stop + take pictures at every viewpoint.. especially if this is your first time there

🐚 On this trail, there is a stairway that leads to the beach + tide pools. I recommend taking a break on the beach + check out the tide pools

🏠 The Spooner house is the original ranch house of the Spooner family. It is now a free museum + pretty cool to check out

🐍 Be aware of the wildlife! If you start at the spooner house, there is a running list of when someone has seen wildlife, the date they saw it + which trail it was. Regardless - be aware, stay on the paths + leave the wildlife alone

I definitely want to go back to this state park. There is beach access if you don't want to hike, + campsites for those who like to camp.

DETAILS:

Location: Los Osos, California

Cost: Free; campsites require reservations

Hours: Daylight to dusk

Things to do:

Hikes

Tide pools

Spooner house

Enjoy the beach

Camp

Be Mindful:

Stay on the designated trail paths

Be aware of wildlife

Be careful of cliff dropoffs

[maxhield]

[vintagecamping]

Pristine spot in beautiful Montana de Oro State Park.

California

1990

[wandering-jana]

Montana de Oro State Park, California.

Oct. 2020

Explore California's coast:

[snototter]

A striped shore crab (Pachygrapsus crassipes) in Montana de Oro State Park, CA, USA

by marlin harms

[cheaprv]

Montana De Oro State Park, Los Osos, California. Photo by Madison Detwiler.

[dudewhoabides]

Montana De Oro State Park Morning View Photographer Jon Pinter

[stumbleimg]

The rocky shoreline of Montana de Oro State Park during a winter sunset, California[2048x1365][oc]

[wingedjewels]

Western Tailed Blue, Montana de Oro, California by gennadykozlov Via Flickr: Western Tailed Blue, Montana de Oro, California

[hellomynamejose94]

Some landscape Pano early in the morning to mid day and one late at night

[bririnehart]

Visiting the Spooner Ranch House

The Spooner Ranch House gets its own appreciation post because I thought it was a pretty cool place to check out before going on our hike in Montaña de Oro State Park.

What was once the main Spooner household is now a museum, gift shop, + tourist information center. There is limited parking in front of the house. We were lucky to get the last spot in front of the house.

When we visited, the house was also hosting an exhibit dedicated to Pioneer Women* in one of the wings of the house. It was an interesting exhibit to look at and read the stories of the women who made the trek to California from various parts of the world. The other half of the house is open to explore. You can walk in and out of rooms, learn more about the Spooner family and other little facts about the ranch.

It's fun to explore the house + admire the views they had. Could you imagine in 1892, when the house was built, how the views were back then!? Probably even more incredible!

I did learn something new about houses while I was walking around -- the California cooler. I have never heard of this, but thought that it was the coolest thing. How did they discover that the cool coastal air would keep their perishables cool + last longer with a cabinet.. in the wall..?? Basically - the California cooler was the answer to a root cellar. It was built on an exterior wall of the kitchen with two vents that opened directly to the outside - one up and one down. The idea was the cool coastal air would flow through the vents and circulate around the shelves keeping perishable items cool.

I recommend checking the ranch house out if it is open when you're at Montaña de Oro State Park!

*As of June 2022

DETAILS:

Cost: Free

[maxhield]

[guardianasdelrpg]

White Haven, el pueblo que sobrevive en los interiores de Montana, abre sus puertas a todo aquel que quiera conocer y maravillarse con las ruinas de lo que alguna fue la ciudad minera más grande del estado. Pero, ¿qué ocurre cuando hay quien no se conforma con recordar la historia y quiere revivirla?

Las minas de oro, que hace décadas mantuvieron al pueblo unido, pueden regresar a la vida para dividirlo. ¿Quieres descubrir más? Avanza por la carretera estatal 287 hasta cruzarte con la  Avenida Principal, ¡Bienvenido a White Haven!

[snototter]

A wild turkey (Meleagris gallopavo) crosses the road in Montana de Oro State Park, California, USA

by marlin harms