From the tip of Valencia Peak (1347ft) down to turbulent Spooner's Cove, Montaña de Oro State Parkhas 8000 acres of invigorating views. Get acquainted with the drama queen of California's state parks on the Bluff Trail (2 miles one-way), which follows cliffs that overhang the swirling turquoise ocean. You’ll roam with fog-draped hills on one side and wave-smashed cliffs on the other; it's the perfect introduction to the Pacific and all its mood swings.
The level, gravel trail begins north of Spooner's Cove, a wild beach where water sloshes through natural rock arches. The pathway unspools along sandstone bluffs that are prickly with chaparral (hardy West Coast shrubs) and you’ll see dozens of wrens and warblers darting between the bushes. If you go tide-pooling, you'll see starfish, limpets and crabs – be sure not to touch them. Nearby is a primitive campground.
At the Pecho Ranch lookout there's an especially tumultuous view of the sea, with foam crashing onto nut-brown sand. Make it as far as Quarry Cove, snag the picnic bench and get up-close views of folded rock layers sticking up from the waves, betraying the immense geological pressure that shaped this shore. The trail wends inland (mixed-use for cyclists and pedestrians) but many walkers simply head back along the cliffs.
