When on a highway 1 trip, its always nice to stop in at the Estero Bluffs where there are views of the bay and Morro Rock. This park provides a great opportunity for wildlife viewing and opportunity to enjoy the beach near the San Geronimo Creak at the end of a rocky trail. At this park you can also enjoy tidepools, grassland, bluffs and wetlands. And during low tide you can see a breached fishing boat that you can take pictures with or if you are tall and brave enough stand on but be careful as rusty. The boat is found on the southern end of the park. Go during low tide to see the boat and enjoy the tidepools. Multiple parking lots are located off highway one. The best access to the beach can be found at the intersection of highway 1 and San Geronimo Road. read more

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During Camp Keep we went to the tide pools. We were able to climb rocks and look for sea life. A lot of the kids did find mussels, snails, barnacles, even a sea star. It was just a great experience for us all. The naturalist was great, she was informative and so patient. The rocks could be a bit slippery so make sure you have the right shoes. read more

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Climbing a rocky beach is the best work out. Traipsed all over this beach for a few hours in early August. It was a great way to be active, and since we climbed down to the beach, we had way more fun checking out tide pools and seeing cool rocks than if we had stayed on the trail. Definitely one of the best beach hikes I've experienced and I can't wait to go back. read more

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A relatively young state park (established in 2000) but definitely worth a stop bc there's a great shipwreck!!! And it's full of wildlife - great for birding - and tons of easy trails with views of Morro Rock and the gorgeous Pacific! I visited during low tide and saw the ship completely out of water and then during the king tide we had (Jan 2023) when it was being swallowed up...quite a sight! There's a lot of mystery surrounding the Point Estero shipwreck - some rumors say it's an old WWII schooner, some say pirates lol, and some say the owner (or his friend?) ran it aground whilst drunk (my fave version of events hahaha) and it was too heavy to retrieve. There's no definitive story to be found which adds to the fun! But the park is also full of biodiversity...many different habitats, lots of marine life around like seals and otters, and even home to protected Snowy Plovers. The trails were all pretty much flat until you get to the cliffs and then it's a bit of a climb down to get to the beaches. These crazy storms we had definitely took a toll. The trails had a lot of washout and one of the trails is almost falling into the sea near the cliffs now (see photo). Such as it often is along these California bluffs. It can also get a little muddy after a rain. There are several entrances with plenty of gravel parking right off highway one and information signs. You can see Cayucos pier and town as well as Morro Rock off in the distance. I didn't see any bathrooms but it's a very central location close to towns. Fun stop with great views and especially great with the shipwreck! read more

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Took the kids to check out the shipwreck and look for treasures and we all loved it! Even got to see a cool giant sea slug.

Love the Bluffs for a morning walk with the pup! We live in Cayucos and it's a short drive to get here and easy, beautiful walk. read more

Estero Bluffs State Park - Hiking Near Me - Cayucos, California

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If I could give it 10 stars I would! The best view ever! Love Cayucos and it's an easy walk for anyone. A must see!

a cute and discreet hiking trail that leads to one of the most beautiful beaches ever!!! read more

Estero Bluffs State Park - Hiking Near Me - Cayucos, California

This place is awesome! The ghost ship is interesting, and there's lots to see if you walk along the shore.

ESTERO BLUFFS is located in Estero Bay, Cayucos. Estero Bluffs was established as a State Park in the year 2000 to preserve and protect a very scenic part of the Central Coast. I would say about 300 acres consisting of tide pools, wetlands, indigenous plants, forever views and hiking trail, sea life in all its forms. Estero Bluffs is one of nature's many jewels located on the Central Coast. I've enjoyed the Bluffs for the past 15 years. What I find amazingly beautiful is how the Bluffs continue to change due to high/low tides, the win, sun. Every visit to the Bluffs showcases a different side of itself. Family and I enjoy kiting, hiking, beach combing, picnics at the Bluffs. I visit alone sometimes just to decompress :-) As you drive North or South on HWY 1, between Cayucos and the lil Town of Harmony, make time to stop, visit and enjoy this jewel :-) read more

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I'd never thought to do a review for Estero Bluffs before. We spent some time at the coast during the recent king tides and this was one of the places we stopped at during the super low tides. The Cayucos Shipwreck (that's been there since 2017) was completely out of the water. If you've never stopped by to see the shipwreck, it's definitely worth a stop. Someone had recently put a pirate flag on it before our visit. Arghh! On a previous visit, there was one beach area near there that was completely covered with tiny round shells. That was pretty cool to see! Sometimes the trek to the beach is do-able and easy. Other times, not so much. Watch the kids when you're near the cliffs. And it's always a good idea to do a tick check on your clothing after the walk to the ocean edge and back to your car. We were quite startled the first time we found those hitchhikers when we got back to the parking lot. read more

Nice little walk and trail. Pretty cool to see the "pirate ship wreck" so close to land. Kids enjoyed it

We visited this state park, located just north of the Town of Cayucos, on our vacation. There are numerous pullouts to park on Route 1 along its 4 mile length. We chose the trailhead across from San Geronimo Road which is easily located by looking for a restored windmill on the ocean side. After a short walk down to the bluffs, we took the trail to the left and were rewarded with one beautiful vista after another. The trail is easily navigated with lots of side trails bringing one closer to the rocky coastline and crashing waves though at no time were we more than 300 yards away. Though we encountered a few people along the way, we generally felt we had the trail to ourselves. read more

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I absolutely loved the secrecy and serenity of this place and that the city took the time to block off the area to preserve and maintain the wildlife. It was a pleasant surprise to turn out to this hidden gem of a place and it seemed like an excellent spot for engagement photos as well (for all you folks that might be in search of that). If my road travels should ever take me past this spot again, I'm definitely going to stop here every time. read more

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Fantastic place to stretch your legs and get some good Bluff walking in. If you use the google map marker you can see one of the many parking lots for these trails. If you miss that one, there are a few more North ( actually preferred). No matter where you park, there is a trail leading to the bluffs. Keep in mind that there will be no shade along these trails. My recommendation would be to walk toward the large hill as that makes for a good vantage point to view the whole Estero Bluffs park. If you have small kids, or are afraid of unprotected high places, this hill climb maybe not the best for you. The top is a box of rocks with rubble cascading down the hillsides. Great view, but a little scary too. - NOTE, be cautious around the bluffs. Someone not paying attention could fall off the cliff and get seriously hurt. One (Suicide) trail is basically a tight wire path which leads to a small outcropping of land. With about a food of stable width, one misstep right or left and you could die. Though it seems to be well used.. ( See picture ) read more

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I always love coming to Estero Bluffs. It may not seem like much from the road, but once you exit the car and walk a bit, you'll definitely appreciate the amazing coastline. It's always pretty empty here, and parking is easy. None of the trails down to the beach and very hard, and everything is clearly marked so you won't get lost. I highly recommend coming here, especially in the spring when the mustard is in full bloom. read more

This is a fantastic place to get some exercise. It's one of the vista stops between Morro Bay and Cayucos. It stands out from the others since you can see the long winding trail leading from the parking lot. Hike a few miles along a windy trail along a beautiful ragged cliffs of the coast. Just be careful and watch the ground as you walk. It's splitting apart into pitch black cracks and I'm sure in the future will be sliding off into the ocean. Scary stuff... enjoy it while you can and try not to break an ankle. Would not recommend taking kids on this hike due to the very dangerous hazardous conditions. read more

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Beautiful coastline right by the small town of Cayucos off of HWY 1. There are several parking lots to Estero Bluffs located along the stretch of the coast line and each lot allows easy access to the seaside with magnificent view of the coast and beach fronts overlooking the bluffs. This place is truly a hidden gem because not many people seem to stop by here. The reason may be because it just looks like a normal stretch of desolate green pasture by the coast. Once people get close enough by the bluffs looking down then they would realize the beauty that lies beyond these short cliffs. There are pockets of gradual slopes where people can descend down to the beach. The beach is pristine and very open with a wide assortment of rocks, seashells and coastal wildlife. Many locals come here to walk or run along the coastline. It's wonderfully relaxing to just sit on the rocks and enjoy the view. read more

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I FINALLY GOT TO GO HERE!!! IT WAS AWESOME!!! Seriously though, this place is underrated when it comes to trails. It takes you right up to the edge of the bluffs with serious dips into the earth allowing you to get a full lower body workout. The trails, thankfully, were well made as I wasn't continuously guessing where the heck I was going. You could see where each trail would lead you and wow, what an adventure it was for every one I went on. There are a ton of parking spots between Harmony and Cayucos for these trails and what's so great is how interconnected all of them are. It's got that whole "walk on the beach vibe" without the whole walk on the beach thing. There are some shoddy made trails going down into the bluffs to get to the beach and I would not recommend trying that out unless you are a skilled and confident climber. I shudder at the thought of a 10 year old trying to do it, but we did see a young couple and their cute dog strolling along the beach having the time of their lives so depending on how safe it is, you can make it down there. The trails for the most part are very flat outside of the numerous dips. Again, great workout but take extra care on your ankle. There are also trails that go up semi-steep hills that offer you the most beautiful views of Morro Rock and the ocean. Luckily they're not too steep so they're achievable for the beginner (cough, cough, ME), but wow. These trails would be so much fun to go on with friends or family. I highly recommend checking it out! read more

It's a stunning sight! Just be careful, there are ticks in the brush. I learned the hard way!! Check yourself before you get into your vehicle because they'll just stay in your car and keep getting on you. Speaking from experience! read more

Cannot believe we've been to this area for years and never knew about this place! If you love the beauty of the coast, you will see plenty here. Bring binoculars, bring a camera, wear good walking shoes and be sure to use bug repellent and check for ticks (they go with the territory). Lovely vistas, tide pools, rocks where seals are sunning themselves. If you go early in the day, you might see several cottontail bunnies out eating breakfast in the grass. No trees here - wear a hat and sunscreen. You will be glad you went! read more

Beautiful area, path starts just north of cayucos. Beautiful scenery and path is easy to walk. Just a FYI, be careful, in some areas the cliff side is starting to slide into the ocean. read more

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Nice lil rocky chill beach spot between Cayucos & Cambria ;D read more

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Simple hike along the coast line. Very beautiful! Though it was very foggy the hike was well worth it! This hike is for beginners, just be careful when you reach the rock where it's very narrow to cross, one bad step and you fall off! Went 7/21/17 read more

Estero Bluffs State Park - Hiking Near Me - Cayucos, California

A relatively new state park (2002) Estero Bluffs is an area I really like. In the early 70's I would jump the fence, it was private property then, and get to the tidal area and walk along the cliffs to a special spot where at ultra low tides I could get abalone. Ah those were the days. Now the property was deeded to the state and has become preserved for all time. After you leave Cayucos you will find several parking areas on the ocean side of Highway One. Pick one to your liking and find the start of the trail to get to the cliffs. Please use existing trails to preserve the plant life. It grows pretty slow. On my last trip I was greeted by a brisk breeze on the short walk to the bluffs. The waves were breaking powerfully and the birds were flowing easily with the wind. I noted a grouping of about 20 egrets and moved down the bluffs to get a bit closer, but not so close as to disturb them. It was wonderful. A side note some think the egrets only eat fish. Well they like rodentia too! When you see them in a field away from the water they turn into hunters from fishers. It is incredible to see them get a ground squirrel and swallow it whole! Enjoy the stroll, hike, or walk as the coast unfurls for you. It is simply exhilarating to stand on the bluffs and enjoy the panorama. read more

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I absolutely adore this place and have been a couple of times over the years. Incredible place to take in the views (my favorite it twilight). You are bound to see plenty of wildlife. Unfortunately, the last time we went we were covered in TICKS! So can't say I'll be going back any time soon. Take precautions if you want to see this place. read more

Certainly you have an unobstructed view of the Pacific, but the best part of the hike was that we were the only ones there as far as the eye can see in the middle of summer. But these bluffs weren't nearly as impressive as the ones just south of Los Osos 30 minutes away. Still, the walking path was very easy, flat and well maintained. It's just one of the less striking vistas in the area and if you're in that area just briefly, I'd walk around Morro Rock or Montana de Oro State Park in Los Osos, CA for a more dramatic coastline experience. read more

gorgeous little gem on the way down the coast. looked great for the surfers too!