Join State Park Interpreter Victoria and explore tidepools just prior to the King Tides! We will also be participating in a community science project called Solstice Sea Star Search documenting Sea Stars in this area to assist researchers who are tracking Sea Star populations.

Please be sure to download iNaturalist iOS or Android and create an account if you don’t already have one. Join our iNaturalist project at this link: https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/winter-solstice-sea-star-search-2025-hearst-san-simeon-state-park-bioblitz

Come prepared for chilly weather wearing layers. Bring a bottle of water, sunscreen, and make sure to wear non-slip shoes that can get wet. We will be meeting in the parking lot of Leffingwell Landing by the stairs that lead down to beach access (35.581769, -121.121048 ) .

Rain or stormy weather will cancel this event.

You are invited to contribute to science, and all you need is a smartphone or camera! Drop by our table in front of the Morro Bay Museum of Natural History anytime from 8:30 – 10:00 am to learn about the King Tide happening that morning.  Then, contribute to “The California King Tide Project”, by photographing the tide by Windy Cove, the marina kayak launch, and along the Marina Boardwalk Trail. By taking part in the California King Tide Project, your photos will help document high water levels and improve our understanding of how coastal environments may change in this beautiful location. During this event, we invite everyone to take a snapshot of King Tide water levels in Windy Cove and around the Morro Bay State Park Marina, so that we can gain a fuller picture of how marine waters encroach upon different environments. We hope to see you there. This event is hosted as a collaboration between California State Parks and the Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo’s College of Civil and Environmental Engineering and School of Marine Sciences. If you take a photo at all 3 locations, you will earn a Jr. Ranger sticker!

Join California State Park Volunteer Sharon for a guided beach walk to discover what gets washed up along the sandy shoreline and compare the fresh items with those deposited earlier during high tide. Find and identify items left behind by the tide. Learn about how to identify these fun and fascinating items, such as shells, barnacles, seaweeds and more! Explore their relationship to each other and the sandy beach environment.

Meet at the tables next to the campground kiosk at Morro Strand State Beach, off Yerba Buena Street and Highway 1 in Morro Bay.

Wear closed toed sturdy shoes and sun protection; dress in layers for the coast and bring plenty of water. All ages welcome for this easy-paced walk, which includes moderately strenuous terrain with walking through soft sand.

1 mile; 2 hours

Rain or stormy weather will cancel.

Join interpreters Victoria and Lily for a two-mile guided walk along the Moonstone Beach Boardwalk to witness the king tides!  Along the way, we’ll take in the beautiful views while learning about what we are seeing, while also participating in a community science project called the California King Tides Project (https://www.coastal.ca.gov/kingtides/).  Meet us at the Santa Rosa Creek Parking Lot, located on the southern end of the Moonstone Beach Boardwalk, at 9:00 am. Please dress in clothing and shoes appropriate to walk 2 miles in chilly weather.  Rain will cancel this event.

Tuesday, December 9th 9:00 – 9:45 AM

Registration is required at https://ports-ca.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_f401P5f-RjS2DJ2DJgVKzQ#/registration

Join California State Park Interpreter Bre for a deep dive into the fascinating lives of Northern Elephants Seals from Hearst San Simeon State Park during this live, virtual field trip! We will observe elephant seals from the Piedras Blancas Elephant Seal Rookery – the largest mainland elephant seal rookery in the world, while investigating the incredible adaptations that allow elephant seals to migrate thousands of miles per year, go months without eating, and dive thousands of feet deep.

To learn about PORTScasts offered at state parks all throughout California, please visit https://ports.parks.ca.gov/2-portscast/portscasts-calendar/

Join California State Park Volunteer Sally to learn how plant communities thrive along the central coast and maritime environments. Enjoy a 1.5 mile walk along the lush Coon Creek riparian corridor, located at the far south end of Montaña de Oro State Park. Learn how to identify diverse plant species and a bit about the history of this beautiful canyon.

Meeting site: Meet at the farthest south parking lot in Montaña de Oro State Park, located 1 mile south of Spooner’s Cove. Arrive early as parking is limited and may fill up.

Materials: Wear closed toed sturdy shoes with good traction and dress in layers for the coast. Hiking poles are recommended for anyone needing extra stability on the initial steep decline down into the canyon from the parking lot; the rest of the trail this program will cover is relatively flat and considered easy to moderately strenuous. Bring water, camera, and binoculars.

1.5 miles, 2 hours.

*There is limited cell phone service coverage in this area of the park.

Join California State Park Volunteer Sharon for a guided beach walk to discover what gets washed up along the sandy shoreline and compare the fresh items with those deposited earlier during high tide. Find and identify items left behind by the tide. Learn about how to identify these fun and fascinating items, such as shells, barnacles, seaweeds and more! Explore their relationship to each other and the sandy beach environment.

Meet at the tables next to the campground kiosk at Morro Strand State Beach, off Yerba Buena Street and Highway 1 in Morro Bay.

Wear closed toed sturdy shoes and sun protection; dress in layers for the coast and bring plenty of water. All ages welcome for this easy-paced walk, which includes moderately strenuous terrain with walking through soft sand.

1 mile; 2 hours

Rain or stormy weather will cancel.

Tuesday, December 30th 11:30 AM – 12:30 PM

Join California State Park volunteer Sally for a guided walk through coastal scrub and sand dunes to the beach to see seaweeds and marine animals and learn about the geology of the area.

Park address is 3550 Pecho Valley Rd, Los Osos, CA 93402. Meet in the Hazard Reef Trailhead dirt parking lot on the right side of the road, 1.6 miles south of the main Montana de Oro State Park entrance sign. It’s the large dirt parking lot across the road from the park residencies.

There is a short but steep hike down through the canyon to the beach that includes traversing large stairs. This program is considered moderately strenuous, as there is some walking required through wet, slippery streams, through soft sand, and out on the rocky shoreline with unstable footing.

Wear sun protection and closed-toed sturdy shoes that can get wet. Dress in layers for the coast. Bring water, camera, and binoculars. 1 mile; 2.5 hours.