Leffingwell Landing is part of the San Simeon State Park providing access to Moonstone Beach and…read moretide pools, northern starting point to the Moonstone boardwalk (walking trail), picnic tables, restroom, and gorgeous bluff views. Absolutely gorgeous views. And get this...parking and access is free. FREE! I walked down to the tide pools. I didn't venture out too far. It was low tide and I didn't see much of any marine life. But still fun. Then I walked up to the bluff and looped around the walking trail and portion of the boardwalk. Terrific views. Pretty native flowers blooming. There are several benches and picnic tables to sit and look out to the ocean... well actually 360 panoramic view. Ocean, beach, tide pools, meadow, bluff, treeline, people watching. Breathing in all this beauty and calm. If you go into the tide pool area. Please do me two big favors. One is to be aware of the tides. Don't get so engrossed that you turn your back on the ocean and kiddos. Second is that observe and no need to harm the marine life. Take a picture (physical or mental) and leave everything as is.

Great tide pools! We walked down the stairs and found tide pools up high on the rocks with all the…read moretypical tide pool wild life! Came around 1 since low tide was set to be 1230 on June 24th

Shamel Park is a community park in the coastal California town of Cambria nestled in the burbs…read morealong Moonstone Beach. It's a six acre park that has a large grassy field, kids play area, swimming pool, reserved picnic table area with a Santa Ana grill, individual picnic tables with smaller grills, gazebo, restrooms, and direct access to Moonstone Beach. There is no fee to use the park including the parking. When I dropped by recently in the summer, the grassy lawn was crunchy brown. I don't know the reasoning for the lack of irrigation. But it was open for folks to use still, some folks were playing soccer. The swimming pool was surprisingly smallish size for a community pool; it was covered up and not in use. Possibly closed just for the day. I'm sure the schedule is posted on the San Luis Obispo parks district website. The pool is next to the children's play area, gazebo, and restroom. The play area and picnic areas are shaded by beautiful old growth trees. This is one of my favorite beaches, in Cambria, due to the restroom situation and combo park and beach access. There are several walking beach access points from the park. But most I recall involve stairs. The stairs are not numerous but they're there. The beach has sleeper currents and strong riptides. So if you go into the water be careful especially since there are no lifeguards here. To the far right behind the restrooms is a ragged tag self made old dirt trail leading to the Santa Rosa creek where it connects to the beach.Beautiful views. Movie worthy cinematography scenes. Regarding the dog policy, dogs are not allowed on the beach. But they are allowed in the park, leashed that is.

This park is a fine place to stop if you want to let the kids or the dog out for a bit…read more Most of the grassy area was taken up by a large group of gentleman playing soccer while we were there but there is a small, unfenced area where you can let your dog off leash for a bit and let them relieve themselves. Most people kept their dogs on leash though Be careful though as it's close to the street and people go around the corner there much faster than I would like, especially for a residential neighborhood. The bathrooms were clean and there is a playground area for kids. You can also access the beach from this park. There is a pool are that was closed, so as busy as it was when we visited, I imagine it gets even busier.

Exceptionally quiet and peaceful 32-acre coastal wetland…read more The preserve was created to protect bird habitat, which means you'll see an impressive variety of species year-round. The trails are flat and easy, and a boardwalk leads you out to a panoramic viewpoint. Along the way, the path winds through eucalyptus and cypress groves that make the most beautiful sound when a gentle breeze moves through them. The overlook gives you a wonderful view of calm waters and Morro Rock in the distance. It feels intentionally designed for reflection. I found this place while staying at a nearby hotel recently and ended up coming here every morning. I had it all to myself each time, and one sunrise I was lucky enough to see a family of deer moving quietly through the brush. It's small, yet magical. It's also free, with easy street parking right out front. Open from dawn to dusk. If I lived nearby, I'd probably be here every morning.

One of my favorite places to visit in Los Osos! I'm always…read morepleasantly surprised by the wildlife I come across here--birds, butterflies, and more. The people on the trail are also incredibly polite; I'd say 9 out of 10 will greet you, which is something I rarely experience elsewhere, especially compared to LA. The trail itself is fairly small--you can walk through it in about 20 minutes--but if you pause to enjoy the scenery or spot wildlife, it can easily take much longer. Part of the trail is a boardwalk, while other sections are uneven sand, so if you're wearing flip-flops, be prepared. On windy days it can get quite chilly, so bringing a windbreaker is a good idea. A peaceful little spot that feels welcoming and full of life. If you come early enough you might catch deers that run in the neighborhood. Its parking is plenty along the reserve , street parking .

What better way to celebrate the end of summer than to dedicate review No. 3,000 to Los Osos's…read moremagical Elfin Forest? There may very well be elves who live here, but the name refers to the rare pygmy oaks that very definitely do live here. If you're ever in or near Morro Bay or Los Osos, this is a place you should surely visit, so I don't want to spoil too much of the surprise for you. It's about more than the oaks, though. It's the view and the bay and the wetlands and the feel and sound of walking on a handcrafted boardwalk. And what a boardwalk it is! Because of this labor of love, visitors don't ruin any of the vegetation, and it has the added bonus of allowing wheelchair users to experience the Elfin Forest, although there are some caveats.* The only real problem, and it's not that bad, is that there aren't that many places to park. You can access the Elfin Forest from any of the numbered streets from 11th to 17th, north off of Santa Ysabel Avenue, just be aware that these are residential streets without sidewalks. There are places to park at the end of each street, although there aren't marked spots or stalls except for the accessible parking on 16th Street, and even that is limited. Once you park, just walk on the path north until you hit the boardwalk. The two highlights for me are the pygmy oak area with benches perfect for photos and Siena's View lookout point. Depending on when you come and how nice the weather is, there may be a lot of other people on the trail/boardwalk with you. Be polite, and be mindful that certain areas don't have much room to maneuver, so if you're slow or are blocking something, let people pass. The boardwalk makes a big loop. Most people seem to travel counterclockwise, but other than what I wrote below, there's no real reason for that. The loop is not particularly strenuous, although it's simultaneously deceptively short and deceptively long, somehow. Unless you're really taking your time and/or stopping quite frequently, the entire loop and side paths won't take even an hour. I'm sure many locals walk these trails as a mindfulness exercise or just to get their steps in in a beautiful bay-side setting. *If you or someone you are visiting with has limited mobility, especially if you use a wheelchair or power chair, you should park at 16th Street. This will give you direct access to the boardwalk from the parking area. (From the other streets, you need to walk through sand and dirt to get to the boardwalk.) Almost the entirety of the loop is on the boardwalk, but be advised that the route is nowhere near flat. Traveling counterclockwise around the oval (turning right when you reach it from the parking area) is probably best for those with limited mobility. It's steeper going downhill that way and might be very difficult for people going clockwise and trying to do that steeper part uphill.

There are a couple of ways to mozy about this place, but the main boardwalk loop is a nice starting…read morepoint. Two nice vistas and Rose's Grove (a sanctuary space in the pigmy oaks) offer a nice place to pause. There are also ample benches throughout the walk if you want to take a break, or just enjoy the adjacent flora and fauna. It's one of my regular trails when walking, early morning or late afternoon. Both the sunrises and sunsets are beautiful!

When it's 108 degrees in the Central Valley, it's time to go "Cool" off along the California coast…read more My wife and I happened to attend an city event called (Art in the Park) in the City of Morro Bay. This event was held in a small neighborhood park (Morro Bay Park). Morro Bay Park was one of the first dedicated parks in the city of Morro Bay. Here you will find large open spaces, basketball court, play area with swing, slide, climbing structure, drinking fountain, restrooms, WWII Memorial Monument, and Morro Bay Transit bus stop. Overall a wonderful neighborhood park. Ideal for family gatherings and perfect for the City of Morro Bay's Special Events "Art in the Park & Holiday Tree Lighting Festivities". Enjoy !

While visiting Morro Bay we drove by this park a few times. The playground area looked great for…read moreour almost 2-year-old. We decided to head to the park one evening. The park had many homeless hanging around it. We proceeded to the playground area that was a hit for our daughter. While playing, the homeless started converging and one even came into the playground area that was separate from the rest of the park. She stared at us for a while and made a gesture of a gun, pointed it at us and walked back into the grassy area. We left shortly after as my wife was made very uncomfortable. Great little park. Not the greatest experience.

This is a viewing spot in a residential area. While it is great for sitting on a bench and viewing…read morethe sea life below the cliffs, there is no stairs down to the beach currently. The storm washed them away, so no tide pool rock hopping until the stairs are back. There are otter, herons and seals to watch and an amazing spot for sunsets. If you are looking for a quiet spot to propose to someone, this would be a winner.

We stopped by the park on our way out of town to get one more view of the ocean. Luckily for us,…read morethe tide was out. So we parked in the tiny lot and followed the trail towards the staircase- where we had full access to the beach and tide pools below. There were only a handful of other people exploring. I think unfortunately the stairs and rocky beach puts a limit on who can enter. However don't be discouraged because the views from the benches on the cliff are just as amazing. The hour we spent there was so peaceful and tranquil. My husband and our dog perched themselves on a large rock while I sat on the beach and enjoyed the sun warming my back. We left with a renewed energy and appreciation of the ocean.

There is really few things in the world as nice as stopping by this Pier after having a fun time at…read morethe Baywood Farmers Market. One can find all sorts of seabirds, insects, and plants. Of course, it is best to photo them after having a great sandwich at High St. Deli.....along with a cold one. One my last photo session, I used my Sony A7RV plus some nice lens which while not macro, they do a good job. Lens Models: E 28-200mm F2.8-5.6 Lens Model: FE 16-35mm F2.8 GM II

This is our family's go-to "sunset spot". I love walking here at all hours of the day, but sunsets…read moreare the best.

Take a break during your visit to Morro Bay and rest your legs at the Centennial Parkway! This tiny…read morepark, if you can call it that, was conceived in 1970 to commemorate the city's centennial anniversary. The park's proximity to shops and restaurants along Embarcadero makes it a nice place to chill and kill a few minutes. Like playing chess? There are a few tables here with a chessboard built right in. Want something bigger? On the ground is a giant chessboard, one of the only two outdoor chessboards in the country, as recognized by the U.S. Chess Federation. The large wooden chess pieces are a little weathered, which just means they have character. They're normally kept locked inside a cabinet but are taken out when the chess club meets here - every Saturday from 10am to 2pm. There's also a small grassy area that's too small to do anything on, a couple benches and some metal frames on the ground for locking bike wheels to. Wooden stairs leading up to Market Avenue are nearby, as well as restrooms with hand soap that's not always stocked. Need WiFi? The Sun-N-Buns Bakery next door has you covered. But you'll have to be nice to them or buy something in order to get the WiFi password.

I love unique photo opportunities. When I travel I'm always on the lookout for something that will…read moremake a unique photo. If you're a chess fan you'll definitely find this place interesting. In the little town of Morro Bay near the intersection of Front Street & Embarcadero you'll find a little park called Centennial Parkway. According to their website this is one of only two giant outdoor chessboards in the united states. Even if you're not a fan of chess it'll make for a unique photo opportunity.