slonews: Montaña de Oro = "Mountain of Gold" in Spanish, named by park owner Irene McAllister in the 1950s. In 1965, the park was purchased by the State of California and it decided to keep the name.
Sara Benson: Great views from the 0.3-mile Black Hill trail. Park at the shorter trailhead at the top of the road that winds uphill through the golf course.
slonews: In 1769, Gaspar de Portola's expedition found large numbers of Grizzly Bears in the valley near Los Osos. "Osos" is the word for "Bears" in Spanish.