Montaña de Oro State Park
A comfy campout with 2 to 5 mile hikes
Driving to and sleeping at a campground
Ideal for first-timers
Trip · 3-day camping trip
For · Families and new campers
Vibe · Relaxing and chill
Reservations · Reserve a site at Islay Creek Campground
Drive · 3.5 hours from LA
Ideal dates · April to June (for wildflowers!)
Pets · Welcome at camp and Spooner’s Cove beach, but not on other beaches and trails
Montaña de Oro State Park is a stunning 8,000+ acre escape along the Pacific Ocean. It boasts seven miles of coastline, which is mostly covered by an ancient rock called Miguelito Shale. For real: these rock formations are about 5 to 6 million years old. Find cool stones and a sliver of serenity at Montaña de Oro.
Main image credit: Sean Crane Photography
Each campsite comes with a:
Islay Creek Campground has 50 reservable campsites in the summer and 25 spots during the winter (the rest are first-come, first-served). The campsites are well spaced out so you can have your own nook near the coast. You're only a short walk away from the ocean so reserve a spot as early as you can.
Check-in: After 2 PM · Check-out: Noon
Nightly Rate: $25
Image credit: Trey Duffy
Montaña de Oro translates to "Mountains of Gold" in Spanish, inspired by the golden wildflowers that bloom in the spring.
For at least nine thousand years, the Chumash and Salinan people inhabited the San Luis Obispo county coastline, which includes the state park. These people were the original inhabitants of the land, and had a special connection to it, living in harmony with nature and respecting its resources. We can learn a lot from this way of life and respect for nature.
Montaña de Oro State Park has at least a dozen marine terraces, which are formed by waves eroding the coastline over time, eventually creating a marine platform at the base of a sea cliff.
You won't be saving money, but you'll save space and weight with these camp sandals.
Clothes
Sleepover! This is a tent you can stand up in and have plenty of space for air mattresses, doggos, and more.
Shared Gear
A reliable, popular, and relatively affordable dual-burner camping stove that is fairly heavy, but performs well.
Kitchen
It's pricey, but the New York Times' Wirecutter recommended this attachment as a way for wheelchair users to navigate uneven terrain.
Essential Items
Instead of transporting stuff on your lap, use this storage bag to easily store items underneath your wheelchair.
Essential Items
Never dig around your pack to find some hand sanitizer. Instead, hang this one on the outside of your pack.
Personal Stuff
If you're an experienced backpacker, this is the lightest full-size, full-featured, frameless pack made.
Essential Items
Add a little magic to your experience by hanging these twinkling lights around your tent every night.
Shared Gear
Sometimes you just want a camp chair that gets the job done. Nothing glamorous or fancy. Well, this is it.
Shared Gear
The more you backpack the lighter your shelter becomes, and the lighter it is, the more expensive it can be.
Shared Gear
Camp underneath the stars and watch glorious sunrises in Joshua Tree National Park, the second largest national park in California.
