There are lots of beautiful areas along the central California coast, but while swimming and surfing and building sand castles is great…well, there’s just nothing quite as special as exploring tide pools and seeing some amazing sea creatures! If you’re wondering where to find tide pools along the central coast, then the Montaña de Oro tide pools are the perfect place to go. Here is everything you need to know in order to experience these tide pools for yourself!
Where are the Montaña de Oro Tide Pools?
Montaña de Oro State Park is a beautiful coastal area in San Luis Obispo County, and there are lots of different areas of tide pools in the park. You can find tide pools at places like Hazard Canyon Reef and Spooner’s Cove, but my personal favorite place is these tide pools along the Bluff Trail.
The Montaña de Oro Tide Pools along the Bluff Trail are easy to access and at low tide you will have a lot of tide pool area to explore. Most people gravitate to the pools on the right side of this cove, but you can actually find pools on both sides and there are plenty of fun things to see here!
What to Expect at the Montaña de Oro Tide Pools
There are lots of beautiful creatures to see along this stretch of the coast, but what you see will likely depend on how lucky you are (and the tides) as well as how patient you are. Lots of these creatures like to hide in all the tide pool crevices, so you might have to be patient and quite still if you want to see some extraordinary sea creatures!
As long as you go at low tide, however, there are a few creatures you are nearly guaranteed to see. Hermit crabs and snails are plentiful here, and you will see a variety of beautiful shells that they wear from iridescent gray-greens to bright oranges.
Some of the crabs can be a bit shy, and others love to come out of their shells very quickly and walk around. If you do pick them up, remember to put them right back where you found them!
You will also see a variety of beautiful anemones. Some of them are yellow and others are green, and you may have to look for a bit to see them as they can often be closed up (especially if they sense dangerous movement). But if you explore a little and maybe even wait around for them to open, then you will be rewarded with a beautiful sight!
I also enjoy seeing the anemones when they are closed up, as it is fascinating to see the way their outside is decorated with so many tiny rocks for camouflage. Seeing them both opened and closed is definitely a treat!
You will also see a variety of non-hermit crabs of varying sizes. These hide very quickly when they feel vibrations from foot steps, so to see them you will need to stand somewhere for a little while and wait. Many of them are also brown and camouflage into the tide pools quite well, so just try to look for a scurrying movement and you will see them!
And if you’re especially lucky and still and patient, you may even get to see a large crab or one with beautiful coloring. After waiting for a while, I was treated to the sight of this big purple crab. It was almost as big as my fist!
If you’re patient and lucky, you may also get to see other cool animals during your visit. But regardless of what you see, exploring the Montaña de Oro tide pools is a treat!
What to Know Before You Go
Because tide pools are only visible and accessible during low tide, you will need to plan your visit around the tide in order to truly experience all that these tide pools have to offer.
You may also want to wear shoes with good gripping soles (and that you don’t mind getting wet). The rocks and shells make it really uncomfortable to walk barefoot here, and the pools can also be slippery or uneven so wearing good shoes can help. Shoes like these are a good option to help you stay safe and comfortable while exploring the tide pools.
Lastly, there are a few common sense rules that you should follow to be respectful of the animals at the tide pools. After all, this is their home!
- If you touch the tide pool animals, touch them with respect. It’s a good rule of thumb to touch them as gently as you would touch your own eyeball.
- Only pick up organisms if they are easy to pick up and not attached to anything.
- Only handle animals for a short time and then return them to their original position.
- If you find an organism in the water, only handle it in the water. It can be dangerous for some organisms to be exposed to air.
Remember that you must never pick up an organism if you have to use force. This can damage them! Also, do not pick up animals that are actively swimming or moving away from people, or pick up fragile animals (like an octopus) who are easily stressed. You must also not take anything away from the tide pools with you.
If you follow these common sense rules, both you and the organisms who call the tide pools their home will have an amazing time. Enjoy your time here, but please be respectful!
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