Montana de Oro: California's Best State Park

In California National parks like Yosemite and Joshua Tree draw visitors from all over the world. Less publicized but equally spectacular, our state park system holds some of the best pieces of land in the US. Of the 250+ state parks in CA, Montana de Oro may be the best of them all.


Montana de Oro offers seven miles of pristine California coastline and 8400 total acres. It features three creeks (Islay, Hazard and Coon) that drain the interior mountains into the ocean. It contains the best surf spot and mountain bike trail on the central coast. Being far away from any highway makes it almost impossible to find for the average tourist. If you make it out there, here are my recommendations:

The Best Mountain bike trail in California: Ridge Trail
I've been riding mountain bikes for 24 years (holy shit!). I've never seen a community more dedicated to the sport than the Central Coast Concerned Mountain Bikers (CCCMB). Their army of volunteers build trails all over the county. Ridge Trail is their best work to date.

This trail challenges you both technically and physically, features breathtaking views and the CCCMB engineered it for mountain biking only. Ignore crabby locals nostalgic for the "old" version of this trail, the CCCMB created a work of art. If you ride, put this on your bucket list.


East Boundary and Barranca Trails
Advanced technical riding at it's best. This loop epitomizes the local hardcore trail. Want to ride this fast? You need killer skills and more than one screw loose.








Coon Creek Trail
Follows Coon Creek along the southern border of the park. This trail feels like a tunnel carved through the thick underbrush of Coon Creek. Flat enough to take the kids. Loaded with wildflowers in the early spring. One of the better hiking trails in the Central Coast.







Bluff Trail
Follows the coastline from Spooner Cove to the southern boarder of "MDO". Perfectly untouched California coastline. I pray that we never give this type of land up to developers. Once we lose places like this, we lose what makes California great.


On my to do list:
I want to surf Hazards before I die. Hazards is one of the most dangerous breaks on the central coast. If the late drop and dangerous reef don't hurt you, the locals will. Still lobbying the surfers at Wadsworth to take me out there when I'm ready.


Have fun discovering this California treasure.