Morro Rock
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- Morro Rock should not be confused with Moro Rock in Sequoia National Park.
| Morro Rock | |
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 Morro Rock looking northwest. |
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| Elevation | 576 ft |
| Location | Morro Bay, California |
| Coordinates | |
| Age of rock | 20 million years |
Morro Rock is a large geological formation called a morro located a few hundred feet off the shore of Morro Bay, California along the California coast. It stands 576 feet tall at the entrance to the Morro Bay Harbor and a causeway connects it with the shore. The area around the base of Morro Rock can be visited. Every few years, someone tries to climb the rock. They are often caught since they usually cannot get down without assistance. Climbers risk more than fines or jail time as the rocks that form Morro Rock are loose and fall down regularly. The base of Morro Rock is littered with fallen boulders.
[edit] History
Morro Rock was first charted in 1542 by Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo, who called it "El Morro," which is Spanish for "the pebble." Since then, it has become an important landmark to sailors and travelers. Morro Rock is considered a sacred site by the Chumash Indian tribe. They have the rare exemption to legally climb Morro Rock for their annual Solstice ceremony.
Previously, it was surrounded by water, but the northern channel was filled with material from the rock to make the harbor. The "Rock," as locals call it, was quarried from 1889 to 1969. There is no public access to the rock itself, because it is now a reserve for the locally endangered peregrine falcon.
Morro Rock is the best known of the Nine Sisters of San Luis Obispo County, a series of ancient volcanic plugs which line the Los Osos Valley between the cities of Morro Bay and San Luis Obispo.
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