How to Camp at Moro Ridge Campgrounds

Lower Moro Campground

At a glance:

Location: Crystal Cove, California

Type: Primitive, Backpacking

Route: Moderate to Difficult (there were very few children up on the ridge trails)

Details: Check-In 02:00 pm, Check-Out 12:00 pm

Reserve: $25/a night plus $8 reservation fee. (updated for Autumn/Winter 2020/2021) Lower Moro Campground, Upper Moro Campground

Map: Crystal Cove Trails Map(pdf) Printed maps given upon checkin.

Amenities: Some sites have wood picnic tables. Camp fires are not allowed. Small backpacking stoves are okay. There is a pit toilet available sponsored by REI (Thanks, REI!). TP not guaranteed. Water is only available at restrooms located at parking lot. Pack out your garbage.

Clean toilet facility, with sponsorship from REI

Snakes: Be careful, there are venomous rattle snakes in the area. They will usually leave you alone. The most common victim is curious 12-16 year olds on the hands and arms.

Note: You have to renew your parking pass in person daily. The station will not be able to print more than one night pass at a time. You will have to hike back down to the station to renew for the next day.

Storytime

“You need to come back down tomorrow to renew the parking permit,” the park ranger informs me as I show him my two-day camping ticket.

“Are you serious?” I genuinely ask, knowing this would be a perfect time for him to set the joke and then leave us laughing. We had two nights planned; one at Lower Moro Campground and the next at Upper Moro Campground.

But he is serious. “The machine won’t let us print multiple day passes.”

My wife who is driving takes the pass and tapes it to the inside windshield. We thank him cordially and drive down a half mile to the parking lot. Ahead of us is a 3 mile hike from sea level to camp on the ridge with an elevation gain of 900 feet. The ranger just told us we would have to hike back down 3 miles and then back up just to renew the parking pass. I wished I had known before hand.

Not a huge issue. We are there for hiking anyways. But the planned hike for the next morning was to be in the completely opposite direction, and with a group of friends that was to meet us at the top of the canyon.

“I will have to do some major hiking.” I think to myself.

At 12 miles my body screams for me to stop at the top of the steep and strenuous Moro Ridge Spur. I have plenty of water but no more energy foods packed. My body is in overdrive to metabolized my stored fat reserves and it is sapping me of all my energy. I still have another mile to get to Lower Moro Campground where my wife is waiting for me. I push on, every step weighted by the distance and my arms propped up by the trekking poles. At last, I arrive into camp and collapse onto the disassembled tent from exhaustion.

View of Santa Catalina Island from Crystal Cove State Park, CA

I can feel my body begin to go into shock. I notice that I am hyperventilating, My breathing is too fast and isn’t slowing down, even after resting for a few minutes. Inhaling through my nostrils and exhaling through my mouth, I work to control my breathing rate. My face is feeling numb and my hands are showing signs of cyanosis. I lie down in the recovery position and eat some dried Turkish apricots to boost my blood sugar which I can feel has dropped dangerously low for the trek. The wind is picking up causing my core temperature to drop. I remove my sweat-soaked shirt and zip up my dry rain jacket.

If I don’t get warmed up and reenergized quickly, this could turn into a real medical emergency. Although I’m completely worn out, I have my wits about enough to know whether or not to have my wife call the ranger station for help. I ask her to watch over me just in case I pass out. The portable oxygen canister was completely empty before the trip; I forgot to check its levels before the trip.

20 minutes passes and I can literally feel my body metabolize the sugars. Energy surges through my veins. My respiratory rate returns to an elevated normal and I struggle to stand up, but I am able to do so with confidence. I still have to hike another mile to Upper Moro Campground and make camp there since Lower Moro was completely booked for our second night.

I end up doing a brutal 15 miles and 30,000 steps in one day.

Canyon View at Crystal Cove State Park

4 Take-aways:

1) For rigorous wilderness treks, be prepared with plenty of clean water and energy bars and fruits. That’s why normal trail mix is a marvelous essential as it contains a variety of carbohydrates, sugars, and fats that will keep you going longer.

2) Be ready for wilderness emergencies. Even though you might not be at a high altitude where the air is thinner, having an emergency backup of O2 can help you in an emergency. Just make sure it is a full bottle!

3) Being prepared for emergencies includes knowing your own body and how it reacts when under duress. Push yourself to the limits, but learn to read your bodies signals. Know when to rest and rejuvenate when your body says so to avoid shock and hyperthermia/hypothermia.

4) Don’t be shy to inform your hiking buddies of how your body is feeling. If they found you unconscious, what possible medical information do they need to know that could save your life? (e.g. whether or not you have a bad allergy to bees and need to use an EpiPen if stung.) If you are hiking alone, wear a meditag with that info. Consider utilizing a GPS satellite messenger.