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Morro Rock

1,912 Reviews

#3 of 20 things to do in Morro Bay

Nature & Parks, Geologic Formations

Morro Bay, CA 93442

Review Highlights

“Amazing Natural Resource”

Great view, can’t miss it natural wonder . Walk near it and be amazed at its size. Careful of... read more

Reviewed 2 days ago

Mitjones1954

Solana Beach, California

“Morro Rock”

Sea otters and geologic history all in one. This rock is so amazing, stunning visually and the... read more

Reviewed 1 week ago

KH1966

San Francisco, California

Read all 1,912 reviews

1,021

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Full view

Certificate of Excellence

Traveler Overview

4.5 1,912 reviews

Excellent61%
Very good29%
Average8%
Poor1%
Terrible1%

Travelers talk about

“sea otters”(202 reviews)

“volcanic plug”(48 reviews)

“north side”(34 reviews)

About

Home to flocks of Peregrine falcons, egrets and blue herons, the 50-acre Morro Rock is the last in a chain of extinct volcanoes.

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Morro Bay, CA 93442

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Questions & Answers

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See all 7 questions

tmathews1968

Is Morro Rock before or after San Luis Obispo. I will be coming Big Sur for an overnight at the Madonna inn. Next day driving to Santa Barbara. Just don’t want to miss it.

September 14, 2018|

AnswerShow all 11 answers

From Big Sur, it will be before San Luis Obispo. You can't miss it driving down Highway 1.

tmathews1968

Is Morro Rock before or after San Luis Obispo. I will be coming Big Sur for an overnight at the Madonna inn. Next day driving to Santa Barbara. Just don’t want to miss it.

September 14, 2018|

AnswerShow all 7 answers

Morro Bay is before San Luis Obispo, about 13 miles before

bobbybrandsma

Are you allowed to climb Morris rock by stsiyd

September 11, 2018|

AnswerShow all 2 answers

No climbing is allowed. You can pretty much walk right up to it. You can also enjoy some very nice tide pools at its base.

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1 2 3

Travel Forum Posts

SGF

USA

Need help planning our drive...San Luis Obispo to Monterey (2 Replies)

We are originally starting out in San Diego but driving the main hwy 101 to Santa Barbara for a lunch break and to walk around a little then heading to our first overnight in San Luis Obispo. The first day we plan to take the main hwy and not the slower coastal one as we were told most of the better scenery is further up after SLO. Where we need some help is in planning our second day. We are thinking of leaving SLO by around 7:30am and driving to Monterey but we want to stop off at some...More

March 25, 2011|

Response fromKibbles16|

Hi SGF You should be able to do most everything on your list and still have some time for the Monterey/Carmel area, especially since you'll be leaving SLO early in the day. Yes, you can see Morro Rock as you drive through Morro Bay. Stopping isn't necessary. I would probably skip Cambria altogether in favor of time in Carmel & Monterey, which has more to offer. The drive through the Cambria area is lovely with tall pines trees along both sides of the highway for a stretch before the...More

John F

London, United Kingdom

Tour of California cycle race, Big Sur traffic problems? (3 Replies)

Hi We are driving from San Diego to San Francisco in May and have just noticed that part of our journey coincides with the Amgen Tour of California bike race. It should not affect our trip much in San Diego and LA but one of the stages starts on 18 May from Morro Rock, through the Pacific Coast Highway to the Monterey area. We had planned to leave Cambria that morning, taking our time to stop off at the sights before reaching Pacific Grove to stay overnight. Does anybody know how much...More

February 23, 2016|

Response frombelomiser|

duplicate post Please delete OP by using the link in the post called Report ... and then delete my post

Samantha H

Best Beach for Swimming and Morro Rock Views (8 Replies)

I will be in the Morro Bay area mid-August and am looking for the best beach in the area for hopefully some swimming/laying out (and/or hiking as a back-up, if there are really no swimming beaches in the area), as well as great views of Morro Rock so I can snap a few pictures. I know there are several beaches/parks in the area, so any help would be appreciated!

June 10, 2017|

Response fromTomMalley|

There are always kids splashing around on the beach just north of the rock, but it's not really "swimming", there's a lot of seaweed and gunk as you get out to swimming depth. Avila Beach about 15-20 mins south of Morro Bay is a little better. The water is cold though, until you get about 1.5 hours south in Santa Barbara where it warms up slightly and you'll see more swimmers.

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Reviews (1,912)

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18728

Amazing Natural Resource

Great view, can’t miss it natural wonder . Walk near it and be amazed at its size. Careful of falling rock.

Date of experience: February 2019

Thank Mitjones1954

Sea otters and geologic history all in one. This rock is so amazing, stunning visually and the walk around it is interesting...we saw marine life and pounding waves. It can be cold and fog rolls in depending on time of day and year, so bring...More

Date of experience: September 2018

Thank KH1966

JanetG972

31851

Reviewed 3 weeks ago

Short trip

It is a beautiful place to visit wonderful sunsets around the rock. There is a great place to park at the base of the rock where you can watch surfers in one direction and if you park the other direction you can watch the boats...More

Date of experience: January 2019

Thank JanetG972

Angeles

Burien, Washington

691341

Nice place to walk.

Nice walking and some wildlife. Park on the north side and be entertained by the surfers. Looks best in the evening. Best viewed from the docks in town at sunrise and sunset.

Thank Angeles

Ellen B

Torrance, California, Usa

344

great spot for a quick stop & walk

just stopped to see the rock, but enjoyed good while there watching surfers, and otters! so cool to see them, also clean restroom if needed

Date of experience: December 2018

Thank Ellen B

JiggeeJon

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

11235

Reviewed 4 weeks ago via mobile

Morro Rock @ Morro Bay, California

Nice little rocky walk cum hike once you walk around the bay and it’s a worthwhile trek to hit the tip of the bay that is majestically guarded by the Morro Rock! Otters and seagulls frolic merrily in the sea-spray so be sure to have...More

Thank JiggeeJon

giff64

Paso Robles, California

6313

Reviewed January 15, 2019 via mobile

Watching the big surf and surfers

Me and my wife took a nice Sunday drive to Morro Bay to see the big waves and to watch the local surfers do their thing. It was amazing how many people come for all over to test out the waters locally. Morro Rock is...More

Thank giff64

2TravelersMn

528427

Reviewed January 15, 2019

One never gets tired of it....

If you are lucky to get a clear day, Morro Rock in Morro Bay is even more impressive. Morro Rock is one of nine small volcanic peaks, or morros, in the area. A short walk leads you to a breakwater, with the harbor on one...More

Date of experience: March 2018

Thank 2TravelersMn

Colorado70

Colorado

21744

An iconic place to visit and take a picture in front of the Morro Rock

It's there, you are there, go. Don't make a special trip, but do check it out if you are in the area

Thank Colorado70

TMenon

Chennai

198499

Reviewed January 14, 2019

A scenic, soothing, unhurried place

About 576 feet tall, Morro Rock on its namesake bay, was formed about 23 million years ago from the plugs of extinct volcanoes. The Portuguese explorer Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo named the rock “El Morro” (Spanish for crown shaped hill) in 1542. Morro Rock is one...More

Date of experience: May 2018

Thank TMenon

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Morro Rock