Hiking Valencia Peak, Coon Creek, Bluff Trail Loop in Montaña de Oro State Park, California

Valencia Peak, Coon Creek, Bluff Trail Loop GPX Track

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May 21, 2019 — Montaña de Oro State Park sits on the coast near San Luis Obispo, and it's really quite a spectacular little spot. I was hoping to do one big hike in the area to see some of the highlights, and I think it was a success. This route hits Valencia Peak, Oats Peak, Coon Creek, and the Bluffs Trail. I'd say the highlight was the traverse from Valencia Peak to Oats Peak. Everything was incredibly colorful.

Starting from the Valencia Peak Trailhead, I hiked up the well marked and popular trail to Valencia Peak, the Pacific Ocean behind me. Near the summit, the ridgeline had some spectacular views. From the top, I went back a a short way and took a lesser-visited trail that hugged Valencia Peak's northern slope. This somewhat brushy trail led down to the Oats Peak Trail, which I followed through some gorgeous scenery to Oats Peak. Looking back at Valencia Peak really struck me for some reason. From Oats Peak, I continued down the Coon Creek Trail, heading south down a ridge from Oats Peak. A pretty jaunt down this ridge and I got to a trail junction at Coon Creek, where the trail became a bit deteriorated and I got a few ticks and a couple of stinging nettle hits. I continued west along Coon Creek, which overall was nothing particularly interesting, but it did serve as a nice way to make this hike into a loop. Eventually, I got to the Coon Creek Trailhead, and rather than walk back along the main park road to my car, I took a detour along the Bluff Trail, passing some nice views of the ocean and the eroding cliffs.

PEAKS ON HIKE
Elevation (ft) / Prominence (ft)

Peaks on hike

Elevation

Prominence

Valencia Peak

1347 ft

507 rise

Oats Peak

1373 ft

173 rise

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Starting up the Valencia Peak Trail.

Valencia Peak peeking out on the right.

Nice views of the ocean on the way up the Valencia Peak Trail.

The Valencia Peak trail heads up the peak's west ridge. The summit is visible on the right.

Looking back along the ridge.

Close-up of the ridge.

Valencia Peak ahead. There's a trail junction at the top of this ridge before the trail cuts to the right - that junction is where I went to get to Oats Peak after getting to the top of Valencia.

Looking back down Valencia Peak's west ridge.

Nice views along Valencia Peak's west face, the ridge I just came up visible on the right.

Close-up of the ridge.

View north as I head up to Valencia Peak.

Another shot of the ocean. Great views.

Just below the Valencia Peak summit, view west. The ridge I came up on visible on the right.

Valencia Peak summit, view east toward Oats Peak (far right).

Back at the trail junction, headed to Oats Peak. The trail was a bit brushy. Oats Peak itself is hidden behind the false peak on the right.

Working along the trail to Oats Peak.

Looking back toward Valencia Peak.

I loved the views looking back toward Valencia Peak on the way to Oats Peak.

Continuing up toward Oats Peak.

You can see the trail in the center from where I came down from Valencia Peak.

Oats Peak false summit ahead.

Looking back toward Valencia Peak.

Oats Peak visible on the right.

Approaching Oats Peak summit.

Looking back toward the way I came on the Oats Peak summit.

Headed down the Coon Creek Trail.

Great ridgeline along the Coon Creek Trail.

Looking back up toward Oats Peak.

The trail has a million tiny switchbacks the whole way down, keeping the trail's grade pretty moderate.

A few nice forested sections along the Coon Creek Trail.

Coon Creek visible on the left, the ridgeline I had been following on the right.

The Coon Creek Trail meets this junction. I headed west to follow the Coon Creek Trail back to the park road.

Overall not super eventful along the Coon Creek Trail.

Bridges facilitating easy creek corssings.

Fairly overgrown at points.

Approaching the mouth of Coon Creek.

Looking back into Coon Creek.

Approaching the Coon Creek Trailhead.

Looking back from the Coon Creek Trailhead toward Coon Creek.

Along the Bluff Trail, which started just across from the Coon Creek Trailhead.

Looking back toward Valencia Peak (left) and Coon Creek (right).

Pretty eroded cliffs along the Bluff Trail.

Looking down toward the Montana de Oro Tide Pools.

Close-up at an interesting natural bridge.

Hike Valencia Peak, Coon Creek, Bluff Trail Loop Montaña de Oro State Park, CA

Valencia Peak, Coon Creek, Bluff Trail Loop GPX Track

Hire me or show me some love!

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