Big Sur has a dramatic rocky coastline that's stunning to look at, but can be challenging to access. Where do you go when you want to take a good walk on the beach? To dip your toes in Big Sur's sand, there may be nowhere better to visit than Sand Dollar Beach. This half-mile long beach (or longer if the tide is out) is a crescent-shaped arc of pale sand between the blue water of the... Read more.

Kirk Creek Campground might as well be called Amazing Ocean Views Campground. This national forest campground is perched atop ocean bluffs that are over 100-foot tall and overlook miles and miles of Pacific Ocean along the beautiful Big Sur coastline. Kirk Creek Campground is a stunning place to put up a tent or park an RV and is sure to be a treat for anyone able to stay here on a trip... Read more.

Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park in Big Sur has a word famous waterfall named McWay Falls, which tumbles off a coastal bluff straight into the Pacific Ocean in a display of unique natural beauty. The park has a second waterfall too, just inland from McWay Falls, with the more generic name of Canyon Falls. This lovely little waterfall can't rival McWay for postcard beauty, but the 0.9-mile... Read more.

Very few places in nature would you feel comfortable getting up close to 5,000-pound animals. Piedras Blancas Elephant Seal Rookery is one of them. While visiting the seal colony, you can get up close to these impressive (and vocal) animals and observe them in their natural habitat. In addition to two quarter-mile long boardwalk trails, the rookery is also the starting point for a dirt... Read more.

If you're looking for a hike to a historic site on California's Central Coast with abundant ocean views, check out the 3.6-mile round trip hike on Pecho Coast Trail to the Point San Luis Lighthouse. The hike near Avila Beach crosses land owned by PG&E that is accessible only with a trail guide on organized treks. On the way to the lighthouse, you'll enjoy sweeping views over Avila Beach... Read more.

The foreboding sounding Tarantula Hill, which also goes by the more welcoming name of Dawn's Peak, is a small, isolated mound in Thousand Oaks that hikers can summit for views over the Conejo Valley and into the nearby Santa Monica Mountains. If your spider senses are detecting pavement, that's because the entire half-mile-long trail up Tarantula Hill is paved. While Tarantula Hill Trail... Read more.

Oats Peak is the second highest summit in Montaña de Oro State Park, a full 26 feet taller than Valencia Peak, which is probably the park's favorite summit for hikers. Oats Peak is located a couple miles inland of Valencia Peak, sporting smaller ocean views and greater views over the Irish Hills, the canyons and ridges making up the interior of the Montaña de Oro State Park. A pair of... Read more.

Montaña de Oro State Park has every type of hike you could want, ranging from easy oceanfront strolls to difficult summit ascents. If you're feeling like Goldilocks and want something in the middle (just right), check out Reservoir Flats Trail, a 2-mile loop with 200 feet of elevation gain that is conveniently located just behind the park visitor center. The trail travels around the bottom... Read more.

Montaña de Oro State Park preserves a stunning stretch of the California's Central Coast where the Irish hills meet the Pacific Ocean. Picturesque bluffs and sandy coves dominate the coastline. The inland side of the park has charming peaks and canyons. Within the park's largest canyon, Islay Creek Canyon, you'll find Islay Creek Campground. The conveniently-located campground is just... Read more.

On the beautiful coast west of Santa Barbara, you'll find El Capitán State Beach, a 2,600-acre California State Park with a large campground and hiking trails. The park's top draw is the beach, and while you can drive right up to a strip of surf-friendly sand, you may also want to stretch your legs on the park's short nature trail. The Nature Trail loops through a lush sycamore grove... Read more.