State Park Guided Adventures are guided walks and talks facilitated by California State Park Staff and Volunteers. All ages are welcome and encouraged to attend. These fun, free programs are exploratory in nature, revolving around cultural and natural resources in the coastal California State Parks in San Luis Obispo County. No dogs, please. Rain and/or inclement weather will cancel all outdoor events. For a full list of upcoming events, please check our event calendar. We do our best to keep this page up-to-date, but State Park Guided Adventures are subject to change, please check the official California State Parks website before attending.

State Park Guided Adventures
The Grand Dunes Trail
Friday, March 13th from 9:30 AM – 11:30 AM
Join California State Park Docents to explore the habitat of our foredunes on the Grand Dunes Trail. Enjoy a walk through the foredunes and return along the beach. Learn about the diverse plants, animals, and habitats that can be found in this unique ecosystem. Meet at the plaza picnic tables by the restrooms near Fin’s Restaurant at the Grand Ave Parking Lot. Dress in layers with comfortable walking shoes to walk in soft sand. Bring water, and binoculars optional. Moderate walk; 2 miles; 2 hours. All ages are welcome. Space is limited. Please RSVP by calling 805-474-2664.

Guided Beach Walk at Morro Strand State Beach
March 13th & 27th from 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM
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.
Oceano’s Beavers
Saturday, March 14th from 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Join Docent Dan to learn about the beaver’s physical adaptations, their role in our country’s westward expansion, why they were hunted, and their local history. Moderate walk; 0.5 miles; 2 hours. All ages welcome. Space is limited. Please RSVP by calling 805-474-2664
Meet at the Oceano Dunes Visitor Center; 555 Pier Ave., Oceano.
Coon Creek Native Plant Walk
Sunday, March 15th from 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM
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.
Guided Geology Walk at the Bluff Trail (Montaña de Oro State Park)

Monday, March 23rd & 30th from 10:00 AM – 11:00 AM
Join a State Park Interpreter on an easy, 1 hour long walk on the Bluff Trail in Montaña de Oro State Park.
Enjoy scenic ocean views while learning about local geology. Meet at the Bluff Trail trailhead, just south of the historic Spooner Ranch house, at 10am on March 23rd and 30th, 2026. Dress in layers, wear comfortable shoes and bring water. Cameras and binoculars are encouraged!
Rain will cancel this walk.
Guided Geology Walk at the Bluff Trail (Montaña de Oro State Park)

Sunday, April 19th & 26th from 10:00 AM – 11:00 AM
Join a State Park Interpreter on an easy, 1 hour long walk on the Bluff Trail in Montaña de Oro State Park. Enjoy scenic ocean views while learning about local geology. Meet at the Bluff Trail trailhead, just south of the historic Spooner Ranch house, at 10am on Sunday, April 19 and 26, 2026. Dress in layers, wear comfortable shoes and bring water. Cameras and binoculars are encouraged! Rain will cancel this walk.
Guided Tidepooling for Earth Day!

Wednesday, April 22nd from 9:00 AM – 11:00 AM
Celebrate Earth Day with California State Parks! Join CA State Park Interpreter Bre for a guided tide pooling experience. Meet at the bottom of the stairs at W.R. Hearst Memorial Beach. Together, we will walk south of the pier to investigate the tidepools exposed during low tide. While exploring, you’ll have the opportunity to learn about the amazing resiliency of tidepool creatures and use tools such as field guides and iNaturalist to identify your finds.
Please wear sturdy shoes that can get wet. Rain will cancel this event.
Guided Tide-Pooling & Sea Slug Search at Hazard Reef!

Wednesday, May 6th from 8:00 AM – 10:30 AM
Join State Park Interpreter Victoria and explore tidepools while participating in a community science project! The community science project is called Sea Slug Search with a purpose of documenting sea slugs in this area to assist researchers who are tracking sea slug 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: [link will be added soon]
Meet at the Hazard Reef Trailhead Parking Lot, which you can find at this google map link: https://maps.app.goo.gl/Hj6pdLEE91tKUTRG9
We will walk approximately 0.5 miles to and from the parking lot on an unpaved trail with steps to/from the tidepools (approximately 1 mile total in addition to any walking throughout the tidepools).
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.
Rain or stormy weather will cancel this event.
Rookery Refresh: Trash Clean Up in Hearst San Simeon

Wednesday, June 10th from 10:00 AM – 11:30 AM
Help keep the Piedras Blancas Elephant Seal Rookery clean and healthy for both wildlife and visitors! Together, we will pick up trash along the rookery boardwalk and parking lot to help protect wildlife like elephant seals and squirrels and keep the rookery beautiful for visitors.
Meet us at the large interpretive sign on the south end of the parking lot at the main elephant seal viewing area on Wednesday, June 10, from 10:00 am – 11:30 am to join in on the fun. Gloves and trash bags will be provided. The rookery is ADA accessible and parking is free.
Thank you for helping to care for our shared public lands!
Montaña de Oro Mindful Meander

Sunday, June 14th from 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Join a California State Park Interpreter for a hike on the Coon Creek Trail in Montaña de Oro State Park. Meet at the southernmost parking lot in the park on Sunday, June 14 at 10:00 AM for a guided hike that focuses on using mindfulness techniques to deepen our experience in nature while supporting both mental and physical well-being. This is a moderate, 2 mile out and back hike that includes one short but steep elevation change. All ages are welcome. Please bring water, wear sturdy shoes suitable for hiking, and dress in layers to stay comfortable in changing coastal weather.
Guided Tide-Pooling & Snapshot Cal Coast & Solstice Sea Star Search at Hazard Reef!

Saturday, June 20th from 8:00 AM – 10:30 AM
Join State Park Interpreter Victoria and explore tidepools while participating in 2 community science projects! The community science projects are called Snapshot Cal Coast and Solstice Sea Star Search. “By creating a real-time, statewide snapshot of current species ranges, we’re building a community of observers that provides valuable data for scientists at local, regional, and state levels, and answering targeted research questions in support of the California Coast.” (https://www.calacademy.org/calcoast)
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: [link will be added soon]
Meet at the Hazard Reef Trailhead Parking Lot, which you can find at this google map link: https://maps.app.goo.gl/Hj6pdLEE91tKUTRG9
We will walk approximately 0.5 miles to and from the parking lot on an unpaved trail with steps to/from the tidepools (approximately 1 mile total in addition to any walking throughout the tidepools).
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.
Rain or stormy weather will cancel this event.
