Climbing Near Morro Bay, California

I'm pretty sure this is the boulder that fell off Morro Rock just recently. It's slabby, pocked, and flakey on one side, smooth on the other. The rock has a sharp edge on top, running its entire length, making it strongly resemble a stone-aged cutting tool. At one end the rock comes to a point, while on the other it has a flattened butt. About 9-10' tall at the highest point. Good traverse/practice rock for beginners, with a few potential boulder rproblems on the steep side of the rock and the flat end. Ledge traverses, slab traverses, pockets, not-to-be-trusted flakes, a pointy probiscus arete. Finally, something to tool around on in Morro Bay. Thanks Morro Rock! If you know how to get to Morro Rock, skip the next paragraph.From Highway 1 take the Main Street exit in Morro Bay. Turn (R) on Main Street (R) again at Harbor Street and (R) on Embarcadero. Follow the road out to Morro Rock, The Monolith that is now dominating your field of view.Once at Morro Rock, take the road to the left, passing the Harbor Boulder with the Aid Route on it to your left. Park your car or wheel your bike along with you and walk out toward the rock jetty. Look for the first big rock resembling the knife of a giant caveman.

This boulder is worth checking out if in the Morro Bay area. The rock quality is great and because of the salt water has polished it a bit it almost feels like limestone with interesting pockets. Not the highest boulder, but some great problems for the size. Go to the Morro Rock dirt parking lot and park on the south side of the rock. Walk west along the paved road on the south side of Morro Rock until you reach the beach that is in front of the breakwater. Drop down to the beach and you'll see the boulder on the very east end of the beach.

This is the large rock (576') in the bay in Morro Bay. It used to be a lot larger, but one-half of Morro Rock was quarried to create the breakwater and the causeway that connects Morro Rock to the mainland, as Morro Rock was once an island. 1.5 million tons of dacite was removed. Though it sports many appealing lines, numerous climbers have been killed in the past, and it is a confirmed home to nesting peregrine falcons, making it off limits to climbers.It is one of the Nine Sisters or the Morros (which include Morro Rock, Cabrillo Peak, Black Hill, Hollister Peak, Cerro Romauldo, Chumash Peak, Bishop Peak - 1559', San Luis Peak, and Ishlay Hill) that are a chain of volcanic mountains of San Luis Obispo County of Central California. The rock type is primarily dacite, a rock of volcanic origin. Drive north from San Luis Obispo on Highway 1, exit Morro Bay Blvd and head to the Embarcadero (due west). Follow the road and park at the base of the Rock. Look up. Do not climb.