Morro Bay State Park Camping

Morro Bay State Park Camping

Morro Bay State Park campground is located close to Morro Bay, next to the marina and the Morro Bay Golf Course.The campground has a wide variety of sites for tents and RVs up to 25 feet or 35 feet. There are also several accessible campsites and Hike & Bike campsites.Picnickers may use the picnic areas of the campground.

Facilities

• RV water and electricity hook-ups in sites 1-30
• Campfire center
• Restrooms with coin operated showers
• Sanitation station
• Picnic area

Morro Strand State Beach Camping

Located along the coast between Morro Bay and Cayucos, Morro Strand’s campground is best suitedto RV-style camping. The ocean-front site is on Yerba Buena Street, off Highway 1. The campgroundresembles a parking lot, with adjacent sandy areas where a tent can be pitched. Because the campground is soclose to the ocean it can be windy.

Facilities include restrooms, but no hot showers. Campers may show their campsite receipt at Morro Bay State Parkto gain free access to the campground there and use the showers. There are 75 campsites. RVs are limited to 25′.

Fees: $35or call 444-PARK between 8 AM and 6 PM

San Luis Obispo County Attractions

San Luis Obispo County is filled with great attractions from coastal beaches to inland lakes. Visitors at Morro Bay State Park Campground are in the heart of Morro Bay, close to easy kayaking, wonderful bicycling, scenic beaches, and a charming community.

• Spend a day at Morro Bay, visiting shops, beaches, and other attractions.
• Go stand-up paddleboarding at Avila Beach or Morro Bay.
• Visit old Mission San Miguel.
• Go cycling around Cambria, set out on scenic Highway 1 or pick a quiet country road.
• Fish from Pismo Beach’s 1370-foot pier.
• Explore the tide pools at Shell Beach.
• Head out sea kayaking through the Dinosaur Caves.
• Set out on a wine tasting tour through the San Luis Obispo countryside.
• Hike up the Valencia Peak Trail.
• Watch elephant seals at Piedras Blancas.
• Explore Montana de Oro State Park.
• Take a tour of the famous Hearst Castle.
• See all the animals at Charles Paddock Zoo in Atascadero.

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Islay Creek Campground Montana De Oro State Park

Islay Creek Campground in Montana de Oro State Park is near the park headquarters atSpooner Cove. During the summer all of the sites are open for reservations, while in the off-seasonhalf of the sites are kept available for first-come, first-served campers. Park entry is even miles south of Los Osos on Pecho Rd.

Campground Facilities

• 47 standard campsites for tents or RVs up to 27 feet
• 3 accessible sites, all restrooms accessible
• 4 environmental campsites, , 3 horse sites, 2 group horse campsites
• Restrooms, pit toilets
• Picnic tables, fire pits, food storage locker
• Campfire center

Campers may show their campsite receipt at Morro Bay State Parkto gain free access to the campground there and use the showers. The Islay Creek Campground is within walking distance of Spooner’s Cove and is close to the trailheads for many of the hiking trails in the park. Dogs on leash are allowed on Spooner’s Cove beach, but not onpark trails.

Group and Horse Campsites

Each of the two group horse sites can hold up to 50 campers and 20 vehicles. These are primitive siteswith pit toilets and no potable water. You must have a minimum of 7 horses. Additional horses – up to a maximumof 25 – are $2 each per night. Water is available for horses only.

Environmental Sites

Montana de Oro State Park and Reservations

Fees:

Morro Bay State Park Campground

20 State Park Road

• Overview View Map

  This 135 campsite park is a mixed forest originally plantedby Civilian Conservation Corps crewsduring the 1930s. The Morro Bay State Park is an ideal spot to camp as it features a pristine saltwater marsh that supports a thriving bird population. . The bay’s most prominent landmark is Morro Rock. The park has opportunities for biking, kayaking, fishing, hiking and bird watching. The park museum has exhibits that cover Native American life, geology, oceanography and local wildlife. We also have an 18-hole public golf course and a colorful marina that includes a restaurant and kayak rental shack.

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How Do I Make Reservations

Make Reservations via the Reserve California Site HERE

The Shell Shop Inc. has been owned and operated by the Thomas family since 1955. Laurence Thomas was an abalone diver and commercial fisherman. His 10 year old son, David Thomas, wanted to sell his fathers shells in a lemonade style stand, and successfully earned over $100 that summer selling the abalone shells for .10 cents each. These shells were the natural byproduct of the commercial fishing industry, making The Shell Shop one of the pioneer green businesses that focused on reusing what was discarded by others. Soon after, the Thomas family started importing shells Read More on the Shell Shop Website

The Pelicans in the bay are fun to watch! Morro Bay has an annual Harbor Festival. Read about it all here on the Morro Bay Harbor Festival Website.

This is the chess board that is down town on the Embarcadero.

Travel up the coast a bit and you can see Elephant Seals.From the Parks Dept website

When should you go see this spectacle of nature? See below:

Read more about these elephant seals HERE

MORRO BAY GUACAMOLE MARGARITA FESTIVAL

Weve gone to many of the festivals and had a great time. You can jump on the shuttle stop at the campground and get dropped off right near the festival. My husbands favorite food was the grilled oysters by the restaurant Giovannis.

Santa Maria Valley + Santa Lucia/la Panza Mountains California

Morro Bay State Park encompasses a significant piece of land on the east side of Morro Bay. It includes a large estuary preserve, a golf course, a natural history museum, and this fine campground. Along with its sister campground at Morro Strand, this park provides a much-needed camping resource that is centrally-located to all the attractions of the Morro Bay area.

The campground is a large grid of sites laid out along nine interior roads. The sites are fairly close together with some trees and underbrush for privacy, but this varies a lot from site to site. There are three rows of RV sites with water and electric hookups that are closest to the highway, but these book up very early. There are also two group camping areas located in a grove of eucalyuptus that is also a monarch butterfly nesting area in the winter. The rest of the sites are dry-camping only with a dump station on-site. Available right from the campground are hiking trails, kayak spots with rentals available, a boat ramp, a restaurant, a small museum, a beach that is also a heron nesting preserve and the golf course. The town of Morro Bay is a 10-minute drive from the campground.

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What To Pack For Camping In Morro Bay

If youre planning a trip to Morro Bay State Park or surrounding areas, be sure to pack all the toys you need, like golf clubs, kayaking equipment, or binoculars for wildlife watching.

In addition to the fun stuff, dont forget:

If youre looking for glamping options near Morro Bay, read our complete guide to glamping California.

Get your FREE California Travel Planner including printable checklists and my favorite two-week itinerary for the state.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Meredith Dennis

Meredith is a biologist and writer based in Californias Sierra Nevada. She has lived in six states as a biologist, so her intel on hiking and camping is *chefs kiss* next level. One of her earliest camping memories was being too scared to find a bathroom at night on a family camping trip. Thankfully, shes come a long way since then and she can help you get there too!

Looking for more Central California and camping inspiration? Check out these related posts below!

Morro Bay State Park Overview

Morro Bay State Park campground has 134 campsites for tents, trailers and RVs with 30 campsites have water & electric hookups. Each campsite also has a paved parking spur, a table, fire ring, grate and food locker. Some sites are designated hike/bike campsites. There are also 12 ADA accessible sites. Campsites can accommodate two vehicles and 8 people. There are 2 group campsites, Chorro and Osos . Group sites have water, tables, fire rings and grates. Each group campsite also has a restroom. There are no electric hookups at the group sites.

The campground has a campfire center, picnic area, restrooms with flush toilets and hot camping showers, outdoor showers , drinking water, overflow parking and an RV dump station. There are also water spigots available for RVs to fill up tanks. The Bayside Cafe is also located next to the campground.

Park roads are paved and set up in a one-way loop system. Overflow parking is available with plenty of room to accommodate vehicles of any size, including towed vehicles.

Morro Bay State Park Area Recreation

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What People Are Saying About Morro Bay State Park Campground

This place is great for the whole family. If you like hiking, there are lots of trails around the park, all with stunning ocean views. Restrooms could be cleaner, and if you need to plug in your electronic devices, good luck finding a plug. Have a fire if you like. They sell wood on site. Blair, Google Review

Location

• Morro Bay State Park Campground
• 60 State Park Road,

Morro Strand Sb Campground

Address: 3550 Pecho Valley Road, Los Osos, CA 94402 Phone number: 772-7434Amenities: Picnic table, fire pits, grill, potable water, and vault toiletsWhy its worth camping at: Enjoy quiet beaches and trails among beautiful scenery.

Islay Creek Campground is located in Montaña de Oro State Park. It is an excellent place for a more secluded camping experience in the area with access to coastal hiking trails.

The campground features 50 campsites, six bike campsites, and six horse camps or group sites. The campsites arent directly on the beach but are within walking distance.

Make online reservations here.

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Morro Bay State Park Group Campsites

Morro Bay State Park has 2 group campsites at its campground – Chorro and Osos. Chorro Group Camp can accommodate groups from 9 to 35 with up to 15 vehicles . Osos Group Camp is for from 9 to 25 people and up to 10 vehicles .Fees: Chorro – $165 per night, Osos – $100 per night

Morro Bay State Park Campground

Light Up Your Camp

Sleep Warm and Comfortable

Best Time To Camp In Morro Bay

The best time to make reservations at Morro Bay campgrounds is May through November.

With that said, the coastal climate at Morro Bay State Park and the surrounding area stay almost the same year-round.

The average high is around 65-70 degrees Fahrenheit from May to November, and the average low is about 48 degrees Fahrenheit.

In the winter months, the high changes only slightly the high is in the low 60s, and the low is in the low 40s.

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Key Morro Bay State Park Campground Regulations

Check with Morro Bay State Park for any campground updates.