.png){kind=icon}
There are plenty of beautiful locations to explore near Morro Rock such as the Point San Luis Lighthouse. Morro Rock is another popular destination to visit. Did you know that what we now know as Morro Rock was actually formed about 23 million years ago from extinct volcano plugs? Read on to learn all about Morro Rock in Morro Bay, CA.
- Morro Rock gets its name thanks to explorer Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo who named the rock “El Morro” in 1542. The spanish word “morro” means crown shaped hill as the rock resembles a crown.
- Standing about 575 feet tall, for over 300 years the rocks served as an important navigational aid for mariners at it was easy to spot from sea
- Morro Rock is actually the last peak in a chain of peaks that extends from San Luis Obispo all the way to Morro Bay. These volcanic peaks are known as the Nine Sisters
- Today, you can drive to the base of the peak but unfortunately you cannot climb it as it is protected land
- Local Salinan and Chumash tribes actually consider the rock to be a sacred site. The Salinan name for the rock is Le’samo while the Chumash name is Lisamu.
- The rock is currently a reserve for the peregrine falcons, a local endangered species
- Sea lions and sea otters can be seen regularly in the waters around Morro Rock
- The rock was actually quarried up until 1969 and it provided materials for the improvements at Port San Luis Harbor as well as the breakwater of Morro Bay
