Morro Bay, California

Morro Bay is a small picturesque coastal town located halfway between San Francisco and Los Angeles on Highway 1. A town of 10,350 people, Morro Bay is a historic fishing village located within San Luis Obispo County.

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Morro Bay is particularly popular amongst outdoor enthusiasts who frequent the coastal town for bird watching, fishing, camping and surfing available throughout the year.

The most prominent landmark in Morro Bay is undoubtedly Morro Rock, the last in a chain of long-extinct volcanic plugs—known as the Nine Sisters—along the California Coast. Morro Rock was named in 1542 by Portuguese navigator Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo who explored the Pacific Coast for Spain. Cabrillo called the rock “the moor” because it resembled the head of a Moor, a people from North African known for the turbans they wore. Morro Rock is sometimes referred to as the Gibraltar of the Pacific and is California Registered Historical Landmark #821.

During Mexico's rule of California, huge land grants were made including Morro Bay and its surrounds, however it was not until 1864 when Franklin Riley and his wife moved to Morro Bay from San Simeon Creek and built the first house there, that the real settlement of the town began.

At this time vegetation in Morro Bay was scarce due to the loose sandy soil that would whip into houses, clog wells and was nearly impossible for horses to move through. To combat this problem, Riley bought Eucalyptus seeds and sold the seedlings to citizens of the town and soon the town was covered with trees and other vegetation.

Beginning in the 1870s the town rapidly grew as schooners from the surrounding areas entered the bay and visited the town to pick up necessary supplies for daily living. The silhouette of Morro Rock was changed dramatically when rock from Morro Rock to form a jetty, creating a breakwater to protect vessels.

In the 1940s Morro Bay developed into a center for abalone, today however-due to a decline in abalone stock, it exists as a fishing port for halibut, rockfish, sole and albacore. While Morro Bay is a natural embayment, the harbor itself is in fact artificial and was constructed by the US Army Corps of Engineers.

Today Morro Bay's most popular attraction is Morro Bay State Park, a protected reserve featuring a lagoon and a natural bay habitat. Brochure (pdf)

The park provides opportunities for sailing, fishing, hiking, bird watching, camping and even has a museum of natural history on site.

Morro Rock itself exists as a reserve for Peregrine falcons. Additionally, Egrets and Blue Herons are often spotted here.

One of Morro Bay's most popular events is the Winter Bird Festival held over Martin Luther King weekend each January attracting ornithologists from the surrounding areas and beyond.

A short drive from nearby San Luis Obispo and Cal Poly, Morro Bay has a number of good seafood restaurants and many motels with bay views that make it a good option for parents visiting students at the college.

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