Morro Dunes Natural Preserve

Located in the city of San Luis Obispo, Morro Dunes Natural Preserve is a two-mile-long and two-mile-wide beach that is a part of a park with the same name.  Morro Dunes Natural Preserve is situated at the northern end of the sand spit between Morro Bay and the North Pacific Ocean. Morro Dunes Natural Preserve is a nature preserve area that is home to many dunes that are used by birds to bury their eggs during nesting each year. Morro Dunes Natural Preserve is an awesome destination for birdwatching and beachcombing.

Morro Dunes Natural Preserve offers a couple of amenities including dunes and trails. If you are looking for additional amenities, you can drive 10 minutes south to a free campground named Islay Creek Campground in front of Montana de Oro State Park - Spooner's Cove Beach.

There are many fun activities at Morro Dunes Natural Preserve including hiking, birdwatching, beachcombing, and beach walking. Visitors can see incredible views of the city of Morro Bay and Morro Rock from the northern end of the beach.

The only way to access Morro Dunes Natural Preserve is walking north from Montana de Oro State Park - Sandspit Beach that is situated at the end of Sandspit Road and there are free street parking spots available along the road. After parking, you will need to hike north for about an hour to get to Morro Dunes Natural Preserve. Please note that some portions of this hiking trail are closed from March to September for Snowy Plover nesting season.

If you are looking for attractions near Morro Dunes Natural Preserve, you can drive 30 minutes to Central Coast Aquarium, a small non-profit aquarium that provides hands-on marine life educational programs and interactive experiences.  Monarch Butterfly Grove is a nature preserve center and home to thousands of monarch butterflies that visitors can see starting from late October to February. If you like hot springs, Avila Hot Springs is a public swimming pool that was discovered in 1907 and offers a hot mineral soaking pool, a freshwater pool with slides, RVs, camping sites, and bike rentals. Another incredible attraction near Morro Dunes Natural Preserve is the Museum of Natural History, a local history museum that provides interactive ecology exhibitions.

If you get hungry, there are many restaurants within a 20-minute drive of Morro Dunes Natural Preserve. The upscale vegetarian-friendly fine dining restaurant Gardens of Avila Restaurant offers scallops, pork belly, burritos, beets, shrimps, and wines. If you like Thai food, Papa’s Thai Café serves Pad Thai noodles, satay, and curries along with drinks and ice cream. Another great restaurant near Morro Dunes Natural Preserve is Ox and Anchor, a steak house featuring beef, fish, pork, and beers.

If you are looking for a hotel near Morro Dunes Natural Preserve, you can drive 27 minutes to the 4-Star pet-friendly hotel Garden Street Inn, A Kirkwood Collection Property that offers beautiful French-décor inspired rooms and suites with Jacuzzis. The upscale 3-Star hotel Avila Village Inn features a pool, sauna, spa, gym, tennis courts, and hiking tours. If you are looking for an affordable hotel near Morro Dunes Natural Preserve, Inn At Avila Beach has a rooftop bar.