After weaving through the forest of eucalyptus trees, a stretch of road would give you the essence of Montana de Oro with just a 180 degree turn of your head.
On the left, you’d find towering mountains with peaks like Valencia or Hazard for the hiker and, on the right, Moher-like cliffs dropping off to gorgeous beaches for the marine lover. With campsites spread out throughout the State Park, you can be located in an area closer to your adventure of choice, but you’re never limited because everywhere you look you’ll find something new to do. For a small fee that supports all the good the park does, any Poly student could grab some friends, drive twenty minutes northwest and reach a paradise-like vacation.
Like these pictures depict, we got there at sunset to take some breathtaking photos and watch the stars come out. At night, we tracked constellations and walked in the moonlight. The next morning, we woke up early, played a little guitar and sat on our campsite’s cliff to breathe in the salty air coming all the way from the ocean not far off.
Whether you decide to trek the mountains or to daringly plunge into the waters of Spooner’s Cove, MDO is an experience you’ll want to have at some point in your college years.