*Docentdotinfo
Morro Bay Outdoor Activities
Morro Bay offers numerous exceptional outdoor activities, many of which cost next to nothing to experience. This section exposes you to details, photographs, and hints not easily found elsewhere.
- Morro Rock
- Note: Climbing on Morro Rock is not permitted
- Banding Peregrine Falcon Chicks, May 14, 2001
- Watch the Peregrine Falcons The Peregrine Falcons of Morro Rock by Judy Sullivan
- Location of the Peregrine Falcons 3-25-2001 (annotated photo - very large)
- Curt Beebe's falcon watching sessions (updated 5-25-01)
- Watch the waves crash on the breakwater
- See the Cormorants and Gulls perched on Pillar Rock, which is the outcropping on the northwest side of Morro Rock -- view from the north-east parking lot (photo)
- Watch the surfers, or surf yourself, on the northeast side of Morro Rock
- Natural History Museum
- San Luis Obispo Coast District State Park-related
Activities and Events: How
to Become a State Park
Docent
--
Museum
of Natural History and the related CCNHA organization
--
Docent-led walks
Monday
morning "Mindwalks" (April
2006)
(4/06)
slostateparks.com now contains
Press Releases, and additional
activity,
event,
trail/walk, and
lecture (including Mindwalk) information --
similar to, and in addition to, what appears at
ccnha.org
and
morrobaymuseum.org (these latter two web sites are actually the
same - they just use different "branding").The following "photo essays" document some of the ongoing, almost daily, docent-led activities from the Adventures with Nature series associated with the Museum of Natural History, Morro Bay, CA State Park. These Docent Volunteers are with the California State Parks in the San Luis Obispo Coast District. The Central Coast Natural History Association, a non-profit cooperating association serving the district, financially supports many of these docent activities.
Daily docent-led walks (see the "Docent Pages" for much more...)
(see also Montaña de Oro)
- Los Osos Oaks Preserve
read "All about Poison Oak" by docent Curt Beebe.- Morro Strand (map) (photos) (reference)
- Hazard Reef
- Salt Marsh to Mudflats
- Birding the Bluff
- Birds and Nature at Morro Strand
- Birding Islay Creek
- Stories of the People of the Pecho #2 "The Ranch"
- Shark Inlet to a Beach Picnic
- The Franciscan Mélange at Estero Bluffs
- Morro Bay State Park
- Morro
Strand State Beach
Everything you ever wanted to know about Morro Strand State Beach is probably in this State Parks 173 page document --
- Museum of Natural History
- Campgrounds
- Surfing
- Morro Rock/South Morro Strand State Beach
- WebCam
from Duke Energy showing Surf Conditions (very good; with zoom,
histories; jpeg, java (better)!)
more Morro Bay webcams... - Surf Report
- Tide Predictor
-
Kurtis USA - Surf
Goggles etc.
http://kurtisusa.com/
- Kayaking and Canoeing, Standup Paddling
- Yaklogic.com, a kayaking/fishing site
- The Ultimate Kayak Buying Guide – Find The Kayak That You Can Trust
- Central Coast Standup Paddling - 257 Morro Bay Blvd, Morro Bay, CA. See the Central Coast Standup Paddling Facebook wall.
- Kayak paddlers in the Morro Bay area - KayakMorroBay Yahoo! Group
-
Kayak
paddlers in the San Luis Obispo area -
(SLO_Paddlers Yahoo! Group)
[Effective Jan 2004, the SLO_Paddlers Group merged into the kayakmorrobay Group) - Baysong -- kayak ecotours on Morro Bay (no longer operating out of Morro Bay State Park Marina)
- See Santa Lucia Chapter of the Sierra Club
calendar for paddling, hiking, and more outdoor events
(Jack Beigle 773-2147 is the leader for the local paddling group) - Kayak Horizons (rent or buy) 551 Embarcadero, (805) 772-6444 (new owner 2005)
- Canoe and Kayak outfitter "Sub Sea Tours and Kayaks" (rent)
-
Rock Kayak Company
-- Tony Foster's rental and sales business (new, 2004) --
Wilderness Systems
dealer
Rock Kayak rockkayak.com has all the information you need.
845 Embarcadero #11, Morro Bay, CA 93442 (805) 772-2906) - Sea for Yourself (Kayaking, Cambria)
- backbayinn.com Baywood Park in Los Osos arranges kayak tours from their lodge
- Central Coast Kayaks (Shell Beach)
- Fast Kayak
- Buy the book,
The Essential Sea Kayaker: A Complete Guide for the Open Water
Paddler, Second Edition
by David Seidman - Steve Harrell's Morro Bay paddler's information site
- Jim Lile's Morro Bay region photo tour may be of especial interest to paddlers
- Baywood Navy
- Back Bay Tidal Cycles
- California Kayak Friends
- http://centralcoastoutdoors.com/ Central Coast Outdoors, offers kayak tours (and other guided tours and trips; biking, hiking... see "Commercial" tab)
-
Marc Schulman operates six custom-built 17'
outrigger canoes at
Orchid Outriggers
(805) 528-2773 Los Osos, CA -
excellent for photographers needing a stable dry platform to observe
wildlife in Morro Bay.
- Boating, Tours, Fishing
- Morro Bay Charters Dos Osos tour, canoes, kayaks (exploremorrobay.com expired)
- Marina (exploremorrobay.com expired)
- Sub Sea tour
- Tiger's Folly II Daily 1 hour harbor cruises, Sunday champagne brunch, sunset dinner cruise, private charters. (805) 772-2257
- Sports Fishing and Whale Watching at Virg's virgs.com and morrobaysportfishing.com
- Local fishing conditions from fishreports.net
- Safe Boating learning resource by Safer Seas
- Morro Bay Yacht Club
- Be a safe and responsible boater -- Learn
to Sail, from Morro
Bay Yacht Club
* Buy the companion textbook for the above class -- The Complete Sailor: Learning the Art of Sailing, by David Seidman
* Take CA Dept. Boating and Waterways' free Boating Safety & Education courses, including a free Home Study Course -
Bird Friendly Boating
- Michele Leary [centralcoastsportfishing [at} yahoo d o t com] is owner and captain of the Rita G. www.centralcoastsportfishing.com Central Coast Sportfishing (Sportfishing and Charters, Scenic Tours, Whale Watching, Burials as Sea. (805) 704-2084
- Biking Paths & Related Biking Organizations
- Morro Bay (note: Atascadero to Embarcadero route requires fording Morro Creek)
- SLO
- San Luis Obispo County Bicycle Coalition
- Central Coast Concerned Mountain Bikers
- Local Hikes
- The book Day Hikes in San Luis Obispo County, California by Robert B. Stone is the best reference guide available (has the best maps too) for hikes in San Luis Obispo county. The Morro Bay area is very well covered in this book. "DAY HIKES IN SAN LUIS OBISPO COUNTY is a concise guide to 72 of the best day hikes found throughout this central California coastal county. The variety of hikes accommodate every level of hiking experience, with an emphasis on spectacular views of the scalloped coastline and the interior valleys and peaks. Visitors and locals alike will enjoy the opportunity to experience firsthand the varied ecological habitats and incredible scenery throughout the county."
- Bishop Peak with morro-bay.com hiking Group
- Hike 900 feet up Cerro Cabrillo (Cerro Cabrillo is the third visible volcanic cone, or butte, southeast of Morro Rock. It is located within the section of Morro Bay State Park bordered by Turri Road, South Bay Boulevard and Chorro Creek.) and visit Tiki rock (photo) for one of the best views of Morro Bay (photo).
- Black Hill -- in Morro Bay State Park
- Turtle Hill (also called Chorro Hill) in Morro Bay State Park
- Cerro Alto
- SLOPOST -- San Luis Obispo Parks Open Space & Trails Foundation's Morro Bay Trails
- City of San Luis Obispo, Parks & Recreation parks directory .pdf map of parks Islay Hill Park Open Space (inc. Bishop Peak Natural Preserve) Bishop Peak Details Felsman Loop on Bishop Peak
- Chorro Flats Floodplain (Trespass by Coastal Resource Conservation District Watershed Coordinator guide Malcolm McEwen 805-772-4391 only, every fourth Saturday, 10 AM) (map) (photos taken 3-24-2001)
- Seven Sisters Hikes by Los Osos Fitness (a good way to hike some of the otherwise non-assessable properties) (guidelines) Elyse is contact Drawing of Chumash Peak by Robert Reynolds Info
- Sierra Club Information on "The Nine Sisters of San Luis Obispo County"
-
Montaña de Oro
- Sierra Club Introduction
-
Topo Map of Montaña de Oro with Trail Overlay
- Map
from Montaña de Oro State Park Brochure,
obtained from Park HQ & Visitors Center (detailed map) located in the old Spooner ranch house. Note: Manzanita Trail is closed for the foreseeable future for restoration.
(big 600K, includes hiking trails, courtesy © 1993 Central Coast Natural History Museum) - Living History docents
- Valencia Peak
with
morro-bay.com hiking Group
- Valencia Peak Poke Holes Cake recipe
- Coon Creek Trail Photos from the Los Osos Fitness Coon Creek Hike Sept. 22, 2001
- Rattlesnake Flats Trail
- Bloody Nose Trail with docents Margaret Diehl and George Mason
- Wildflowers on a Sandy Coast with docents Gloria and Ed Walter
- Reservoir Flats with docent Bill McDaniel
- Birding Islay Creek (notes on the origin of the word "Islay")
- "Eucalyptus" Trail toward Hazard Reef, south of Dune Trail, between Pecho Valley Road and coast (photo)
-
Elfin Forest
The Elfin forest is a County Park that has been adopted by the Los Osos/Morro Bay Chapter of Small Wilderness Area Preservation (SWAP)
-
http://elfin-forest.org/ is
a new SWAP web presence (Jan 2005) created by Bob Meyer
SWAP leads walks every 3rd Sat. Info. call (805) 528-0392 - Trail Map
- Photo Gallery
- (more info)
- Photo Essay
for Curt Beebe's outing Sept. 15, 2001, discussing Poison Oak in the
Elfin Forest
read
"All about Poison
Oak" by docent Curt Beebe.
-
http://elfin-forest.org/ is
a new SWAP web presence (Jan 2005) created by Bob Meyer
- Audubon Overlook (map) (photos coming soon) Also see "Birding"
- Sweet Springs Nature Preserve (map) (photos coming soon) Also see "Birding"
- Baywood Pier (map) (photos) (The Baywood Inn is adjacent to the Pier - another map) (Note: at low tide, there is no water in this part of the bay)
- Out of Area
- Visit the Northern Elephant Seals, 34 miles north of Morro Bay, at Piedras
Blancas. Make a small donation to Friends
of the Elephant Seal and get their newsletter. (photo)
-
You can see am amazing
digital photo sequence (~35 photos) of an Elephant Seal birth at
Piedras Blancas at
http://www.digitaleventphotography.com/birth/ -
-
Buy Carole and Phil Adams' book on
these magnificent Elephant Seals. -
- Watch for Gray Whales migrating from north to south (January) more
-
Richard Rowlett's
Piedras Blancas 2004 whale observation blog
(updated 5/30/04
- Final 2004 entry)
Photo Gallery from MDO walk 12-28-02
- Visit the Northern Elephant Seals, 34 miles north of Morro Bay, at Piedras
Blancas. Make a small donation to Friends
of the Elephant Seal and get their newsletter. (photo)
-
San Luis Obispo Botanical Garden
(review)
near El Chorro Regional Park
(park
map) (interactive
map of all SLO county parks)
- Gardeners: Compost for Gardeners: Cal Poly State University (805) 756-6413 sells great compost for your garden. This is a student enterprise project. All natural, 100% organic material; no chemicals; no green waste; great price for the highest quality compost. Outstanding soil amendment. Run by friendly mature honest students. $20/Cubic Yard; $15/Cubic Yard (6 or more yards). Delivery available. "Full Truck" is 15 Cubic Yards... about $300 delivered to Morro Bay. "Mark" may answer your call.
- Also, see "Birding"
- Central Coast Astronomical Society "Sharing the Skies since 1979"
- To report injured wildlife in San Luis Obispo County, CA call Pacific Wildlife Care at 805-543-WILD
-
Monarch
Butterfly
Trees of Pismo Beach
(map)
(more)
(<= same source is now on a newer web site =>
http://www.monarchbutterfly.org/ .
Docents on hand
Nov.
- Feb.
For info., call Ernie at 925-1619, Virginia at
349-9887 or Connie at 773-8919.
Feb 22, 2003 update: the butterfly count is down to 500 and
expected to dwindle to close to zero by the end of the month!
However, we are still the largest monarch site in the U.S. and have
decided to carry on with our regular schedule through March 2.Monarch Larva Monitoring Project
Pismo Butterfly brochure by fishlip.com
(requires Adobe Acrobat)
another photo of butterflies
-
Poison Oak, All About,
by local expert Dr. Curt Beebe - including
5/06
First Aid