You can explore one of the nine volcanic plugs jutting from the earth in San Luis Obispo County.

Cabrillo Peak via the quarry trail – an expansive bayview view-fest in Morro Bay State Park – is a lovely coastal hike that takes you to and past a rock resembling ancient Polynesians. Arrive there by taking South Bay Boulevard and hanging a turn east onto Parkview Drive (look out for the road signage). Park in the dirt-and-gravel parking lot.

Along the flanks of Cerro Cabrillo’s rutted walkway is about 2.5 miles of round trip beauty amongst the “sister chain” that’s just oh-so SLO.

Popular with rock climbers, sunsets here are particularly epic, as you can watch the fog roll in-and-out of the bay.

To reach the summit, pass by a number of unique rock formations on the side including Tiki Rock, which has a real unique Polynesian flare. This is your basic SLO County proper trail, wide and flanked with sages, monkeyflowers and other coastal scrub, with the outstanding red-to-orange hued rocks outside.

The real draw here is the obvious proximity to the coast and namely to the Morro Bay estuary. Since elevation gain happens instantly, take in the sights of the sunset-laden bay on your way down for that low-tide photograph. It’s truly a nice place to hike, since the coastal breezes keep the fog there when you need it, yet it’s also really neat to have such a nice little hike right off the road in the Los Osos and Morro Bay areas.

Hiking starts off relatively steep but ends up quite steep at roughly 911 feet near the final ascent to the top, where expansive views of Morro Bay Estuary await.

When you think of hiking at Cerro Cabrillo, get ready for a unique coastal experience that’s very well-maintained, clean and befitting with the area’s unique character.

Watch out for: Poison oak, loose rock, mountain bike traffic

Marvel in the: Morro Bay views, near-idyllic temperatures

Take in the sights and sounds of: Morro Bay air and coastal native flora like sage and monkeyflower

Dogs allowed? Yes, on-leash only