There are a couple of ways to mozy about this place, but the main boardwalk loop is a nice starting…read morepoint. Two nice vistas and Rose's Grove (a sanctuary space in the pigmy oaks) offer a nice place to pause. There are also ample benches throughout the walk if you want to take a break, or just enjoy the adjacent flora and fauna. It's one of my regular trails when walking, early morning or late afternoon. Both the sunrises and sunsets are beautiful!

The Elfin Forest trail is named after the beautiful grove of Pygmie Oaks off the boardwalk of this…read morebeautiful trail. Park along one of the many residential streets with signs marked Elfin Forest. Please be mindful of the neighborhood. The trail is flat with a boardwalk with directional signs everywhere. If you take one of the trails on the sand that runs along the freeway you will be able to see the beautiful groves of trees. This is an easy flat hike except for a few steps off the boardwalk. Benches are located at the lookouts. Bring your binoculars for bird and wildlife watching at the lookouts.

I am so glad we discovered this park as it is my favorite park thus far…read more It had the best view of the Morro Bay rock as well as that boat. The kids can climb on with so much fun. It was clean with lots of little squirrels and places to sit.

Tidelands Park is a small park at one end of the Embarcadero adjacent to the boat launch area…read more There is a grassy area to enjoy, relax, stretch ones legs, or have a picnic. Concrete picnic tables and sitting benches are available. Restroom facilities are near by. The parks department keeps them clean and presentable. A sand filled playground is equipped with concrete sea animals, walls, and a ship to climb on. The City of Morro Bay Playground Rules stipulate the play area is intended for use by children ages 2 to 5, but with concrete play structures, be very vigilant with their climbing and jumping around. Children must be supervised by an adult. Tidelands Park offers a beautiful view of the harbor and Morro Rock with a symphony of sounds by Mother Nature and her seagulls, otters, other visitors, and water movement playing in the background.

What a great little park! Clean facilities and wonderful walking trails that will take you all the…read moreway down to the beach if you'd like. Our daughter loved the swings and seeing all the wildlife (ducks, squirrels, seagulls). The playground looked clean and well maintained and safe for little ones to play around on. Although we did witness a seagull completely dig into someone's bag for an open bag of chips! So watch your food-these birds are aggressive! Haha! Restrooms were cleaned and stocked too. Plenty of parking and good midway between Cayucos and Morro- but closer to Morro. Short drive in either direction.

This community park truly has it all! There are wonderful paved trails that lead you out to the…read morebeach. If you prefer to stay on the trail you can easily walk miles walking the expanse off paths and spots where you can birdwatch or take a break on a bench and enjoy the view. There are BBQ pits around the large grass area where you can also bring the kiddos to play on the climbing structure. The park is always busy and active with people on bikes, rollerblades or simply out walking their pets on leash. Dogs are welcome to come enjoy the several grassy areas where they are encouraged to explore, always on leash! (Please clean up after your pet. Bags are located by bathrooms) Last, but not least, make sure you bring layers because it tends to get windy out along the coast. Cloisters park A++

There is really few things in the world as nice as stopping by this Pier after having a fun time at…read morethe Baywood Farmers Market. One can find all sorts of seabirds, insects, and plants. Of course, it is best to photo them after having a great sandwich at High St. Deli.....along with a cold one. One my last photo session, I used my Sony A7RV plus some nice lens which while not macro, they do a good job. Lens Models: E 28-200mm F2.8-5.6 Lens Model: FE 16-35mm F2.8 GM II

This is our family's go-to "sunset spot". I love walking here at all hours of the day, but sunsets…read moreare the best.

Exceptionally quiet and peaceful 32-acre coastal wetland…read more The preserve was created to protect bird habitat, which means you'll see an impressive variety of species year-round. The trails are flat and easy, and a boardwalk leads you out to a panoramic viewpoint. Along the way, the path winds through eucalyptus and cypress groves that make the most beautiful sound when a gentle breeze moves through them. The overlook gives you a wonderful view of calm waters and Morro Rock in the distance. It feels intentionally designed for reflection. I found this place while staying at a nearby hotel recently and ended up coming here every morning. I had it all to myself each time, and one sunrise I was lucky enough to see a family of deer moving quietly through the brush. It's small, yet magical. It's also free, with easy street parking right out front. Open from dawn to dusk. If I lived nearby, I'd probably be here every morning.

One of my favorite places to visit in Los Osos! I'm always…read morepleasantly surprised by the wildlife I come across here--birds, butterflies, and more. The people on the trail are also incredibly polite; I'd say 9 out of 10 will greet you, which is something I rarely experience elsewhere, especially compared to LA. The trail itself is fairly small--you can walk through it in about 20 minutes--but if you pause to enjoy the scenery or spot wildlife, it can easily take much longer. Part of the trail is a boardwalk, while other sections are uneven sand, so if you're wearing flip-flops, be prepared. On windy days it can get quite chilly, so bringing a windbreaker is a good idea. A peaceful little spot that feels welcoming and full of life. If you come early enough you might catch deers that run in the neighborhood. Its parking is plenty along the reserve , street parking .

I can absolutely see why this park is so highly rated within the city. Between the zip line, the…read morecardboard hill you slide down, the huge slides, the smaller toddler play area, wide open grassy spaces, walking trails, tennis courts, a baseball diamond, and clean bathrooms--this is easily one of the best parks I've ever been to. I was anticipating my brother coming into town early Saturday, but he arrived a bit later than planned. That actually worked out because my daughter and I were able to check the park out ahead of time. When we returned on Sunday with my nephew, both kids were completely enamored. My brother and sister-in-law were just as impressed--the park is truly amazing. It's not overly crowded, feels very safe, and there's plenty of parking. We brought our own snacks and enjoyed a little picnic, which made the day even better. The weather was beautiful, and we already can't wait to return. This will definitely be our go-to park whenever we have the time. Absolutely love this place.

Super fun park in SLO and definitely one of the best playgrounds. Located right next to the…read morebaseball field, this park has two different playgrounds, one for the little kids and a separate one of the bigger kids. Several large enclosed slides which are great for hotter days. There's a fun hill you can slide down on cardboard boxes as well as a small zip line. There's a number of benches and tables for adults to sit. Some are in the shade while others are not. There's some beautiful redwood trees on the periphery of the playground to do a nice picnic under. Parking lot is shared with a pool but there's plenty of space as long as there's no baseball game. There's also tennis courts next to the playground. The playground was redone in 2017 but it's held up pretty well. Overall very enjoyable place to bring kids with lots to keep them busy for a few hours of outdoor fun!

My enchanted forest!!!…read more ...and you don't have to travel far to the Fairy Tale Land, the Los Osos Oaks State Reserve is located right off Los Osos Valley Rd. with a small parking lot fits maximum maybe 10 cars. Look at the trail map, you will get a brief idea. Even though some reviews stated trails are not well marked, it's in fact very simple and hard to get lost. There's no scale on the map, it's smaller than I had anticipated though. The whole loop (started from Loop trail, connected to Oak View Trail and back from Los Osos Creek Trail) took me about 35 mins despite I stopped here and there to take photos and just enjoying the fresh smell of the wood after the rain. The more deep into the wood, where the Loop trail and Oak View Trail connects, the 800 years old Costal live oaks made me feel like everything would come alive when the sun goes down...and I absolutely love my solitude. Once you are closer to the entrance, you will start hearing the cars driving by Los Osos Valley Road and you know you are heading the right direction. I wouldn't consider it's a workout but absolutely good for all hiking levels and a short escape from the people. Side note: Poison oaks are natural part of the area, however, it's winter I was pretty much covered.

Located near Montana De Oro, Los Osos State reserve is a great place to hike trails and just enjoy…read morethe outdoor Beaty that the Central California Coast offers. I absolutely love those twisted oaks, they are gorgeous. Also a great place for family pictures

Life's a Beach Sorry…read moreto piss on the local gatekeeper's parade, but I have to extoll the virtues of this little beachfront park. While looking on a map Pasadena Park might be unimpressive, it is a great little plot of land with great views and access to the total flats and would be fantastic spot to launch a kayak. The parking is a bit dicey as there's no official parking lot or spots, but you should be able to find one *gasp* in front of someone's home. Sorry people, we all pay our taxes so the roads and beaches belong to everyone.

Why the low rating? Well, there is no need for excessive tourism in the Baywood area. There are…read moreseveral nice parks in the Los Osos-Baywood area, and this is one without anything in the way of services, nor parking beyond 2-4 cars. It is a nice place to take a walk & look at the view toward Morro Bay. Not too many people & most of those are local. Not really a beach that is good for walking barefoot nor swimming. The sand is very mucky & muddy....which is for the birds, not humans. It seems more marsh like. It is a nice stop if you are crusing around the area...especially on Mondays for the nearby Farmer's Market.