Morro Strand State Beach is a split beach running from Hwy 41in Morro Bay to just north of Yerba Buena, and again from north of Toro Creek to the south end of Cayucos. It's a pretty empty stretch of area with nothing but beach and a few places to park. There's a parking lot on the Cayucos side that's for day use only and a camping area just off Yerba Buena in Morro Bay.

The camping area boasts 81 (very tight) camping spots. Take the Yerba Buena exit off Hwy 1 and follow it to the left. The west side spots back up to a sand dune with nothing but beach and ocean on the other side.

The parks rangers are strictly enforcing a "No off-leash" rule for dogs because of the Snowy Plover bird and there's a good size fine that goes with it. These dogs seemed to get by with it though.

This is a great get-away area for locals. They can drive just a few minutes out of town and feel like they're on a private beach. Watching sunsets from here is another favorite.