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Montana de Oro State Park is located on the California Coast just south Morro Bay. It is composed primarily of rugged wave-cut headlands with a few small bays. Large amounts of wave energy are displayed here and this generates wave-cut benches, steep wave-cut cliffs, sea caves, sea arches and sea stacks. In addition, differential erosion of the steeply tilted sedimentary rocks forms large resistant ridges along side of easily eroded troughs. There is an angular unconfomity between the tilted sediments (probably the Miocene Monterey formation) and the horizontal sedimentary layers on top. This is an emerging coast and the flat surface on top of the cliffs is an uplifted marine terrace (It once was at sea level). An older, higher marine terrace can be seen on the left skyline below the trees in photo 1.To get to the sites of most of these photos go south in Montana de Oro to the end of the road and take the trail to the shoreline.

1.Uplifted marine terraces	2. Prominant sea arch	3. Sea caves	4.Sea arch and sea caves	5.Sea caves
6. Differential wave erosion	7.Wave-cut bench (platform)	8.	9.Sea stack	10.