Montaña de Oro State Park preserves about 8,000 acres of undeveloped coastline on California’s central coast, where cliffs, beaches, dunes, streams, canyons, and open hills support recreation and scenic views. Long before it became a park, this coast was part of the homeland of the Chumash and Salinan peoples, whose communities were disrupted by the mission era. The land later passed through Mexican and American ranch ownership, including Rancho Cañada de los Osos and later larger combined holdings, and was used for grazing, ranching, and dairy operations. California acquired the property in 1965, and it remains important for both public use and protection of coastal and marine ecosystems.