Central Coast

The short interesting hike to Bear Gulch Reservoir ascends a beautiful boulder-filled gorge on the east side of Pinnacles National Park (known as Pinnacles National Monument prior to 2013). A split in the trail offers two parallel routes to reach the reservoir. Bear Gulch Cave Trail climbs through a talus cave, while Moses Spring Trail takes a scenic but less daring course along the rim of the gorge. ...Read more.

South of Los Osos and Montaña de Oro State Park is a stunning stretch of coastline that includes the historic headland Point Buchon. The area was closed to the public until 2007 when the landowner, Pacific Gas and Electric Company, opened Point Buchon Trail and began allowing hikers to access the picturesque waterfront. Similar to the Bluff Trail in Montaña de Oro State Park, Point Buchon Trail travels across grassy bluffs overlooking a rugged shoreline with mesmerizing cliff formations. ...Read more.

Montaña de Oro State Park preserves 8,000 acres along the picturesque coast of San Luis Obispo County. This park is like a slice of Big Sur, located between Avila Beach and Morro Bay. Montaña de Oro State Park is a popular destination for beach-goers, hikers, mountain bikers, and horseback riders. The dramatic shoreline and thousand-foot mountains provide scenic setting for a host of great trails. ...Read more.

The Poly Canyon Design Village is a hamlet of unique and varied structures built over the decades by architecture students at California Polytechnic State University. Design Village is located on a quiet grassy hillside contoured by babbling creeks shaded by coast live oaks. The village is a short distance from the Cal Poly campus and creates a pleasant and interesting destination for a 2. ...Read more.

Sometimes called Bishop's Peak, but more formally known as Bishop Peak, this mountain is the most sought after summit in San Luis Obispo. Bishop Peak is the tallest of the Nine Sisters, the picturesque volcanic Morros stretching across San Luis Obispo. The iconic mountain has a rocky crown shaped like a bishop's miter, which provides panoramic views over the city and nearby peaks. ...Read more.

Located just west of downtown San Luis Obispo, the 1,292-foot Cerro San Luis (or San Luis Mountain) offers sweeping views of the Santa Lucia Mountains and other peaks in the Morros, the chain of mountains that Cerro San Luis is a part of. The Morros, or Nine Sisters, are a line of prominent volcanic peaks between Morro Bay and San Luis Obispo. These beautiful peaks set the postcard-like backdrop to SLO and make excellent hiking destinations. ...Read more.

While shorter than the more celebrated peaks around San Luis Obispo (those attention-seeking Morros known as the Nine Sisters), the 580-foot summit of the South Hills provides excellent easy-to-reach views of San Luis Obispo. A perimeter loop trail tours the 133-acre South Hills Open Space, along with a ridge trail that provides a 1.5-mile round trip hike as it ascends 450 feet to the top of the green space just south of downtown San Luis Obispo. ...Read more.

Nojoqui Falls Parks is located just off Highway 101 north of the Gaviota Tunnel between Santa Barbara and Buellton. In addition to picnic tables and playing fields, the park offers a short hike to an eighty-foot waterfall. This two-thirds of a mile round trip trail ascends 175 feet up a shaded canyon to the enchanting Nojoqui Falls. Nojoqui Falls Trail There are no junctions on the way to Nojoqui Falls. ...Read more.

Gaviota Peak sits at the lofty west end of the Santa Ynez Mountains behind Santa Barbara. The 2,458-foot peak is just two miles from the Pacific Ocean, putting it in prime position to offer eye-popping views. There are two routes to the summit from the trailhead in Gaviota State Park. The traditional Gaviota Peak Trail is 3.15 miles one-way, while the immensely scenic Trespass Trail is 3. ...Read more.

This 3.7-mile hike combines four trails (San Ysidro Canyon Trail, McMenemy Trail, Girard Trail, and Edison Catway Fire Road) to form a loop through the mountains behind Montecito, California. The trails ascend 1,000 feet, providing good exercise and views. From San Ysidro Trailhead, begin hiking inland on the wide trail that passes through a neighborhood before reaching Los Padres National Forest. ...Read more.