To go out with the setting sun on an empty beach is to truly embrace your solitude.
Jeanne Moreau
Montaña de Oro, or MDO, is a beautiful state park in central California. Approximately a 30-minute drive from San Luis Obispo, this park offers breathtaking views of the California coast. It offers areas for both recreation and relaxing, so it can mold to what you want to get out of it. If you want to move around and hike a bit, there are plenty of trails for you to do so in MDO. Alternatively, if you want to relax by the water, you can park and walk to one of many sand dunes and set up for the day.
The day I took these pictures, I opted to relax on the sand with a few friends. We found a sand dune that granted gorgeous views of the Pacific Ocean and a trail that led down to some tide pools. It was a pretty steep hill to get to the tide pools, but it was worth it to get closer to the ocean and to explore around there for a bit. Arriving in late afternoon, we stayed until sunset and got to witness the entire coast having classic golden light cast across it. MDO is rather large, so you are able to find places with few to no other people there. This allows it to be a serene getaway that offers refreshing breaths from the hustle and bustle of daily life.
Thanks for reading! To see more of my adventures, visit my Instagram page @california_exploration
CALIFORNIA EXPLORATION 