Morro Bay State Park & Museum of Natural History

Morro Bay State Park offers camping, birding, hiking, and beach activities, and also features the Museum of Natural History, a marina, the golf course, and kayak rentals. And of course, the park includes the famous Morro Rock. Morro Bay State Park features lagoon and natural bay habitat. On the bay’s northeast edge is a pristine saltwater marsh that supports a thriving bird population. Click here to access the State Parks webpage.

The Morro Bay Museum of Natural History

The Morro Bay Museum of Natural History is the only natural history museum in the California State Park system. Opened in 1962, the museum is visited by more than 50,000 people annually, including 5,000 children who participate in the free interpreter-led school group programs that CCSPA supports. These field trips have been designed to meet California’s required science and social studies standards. Exhibits inform visitors about the natural history of the estuary, tidal forces, geology, erosion, human impacts on the land and how to preserve and protect the environment and all its living creatures. Volunteers, curators, and Park staff work together to create a fun, hands-on experience for the public. The museum is in the process of updating and renovating exhibits with grant funding. There is a $3 entry fee for anyone 18 or over. The museum also has a CCSPA-run nature store.

Photos: Mike Baird/Flickr