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Gaviota State Park preserves 2,787 oceanfront acres in the rugged and beautiful Santa Ynez Mountains west of Santa Barbara. If the park was not sliced down the middle by Highway 101, it would surely be one of the most popular state parks on the Central Coast. The presence of the freeway certainly cuts down on crowds, enabling hikers to enjoy the largely untainted scenery in relative solitude. ...Read more.

Chumash Painted Cave State Historic Park preserves centuries old Native American artwork that graces the wall of a sandstone cave in the Santa Ynez Mountains behind Santa Barbara. Chumash Painted Cave can be reached by walking a couple hundred feet up a trail on Painted Cave Road. The trailhead is just two miles from California Route 154, making it a quick, convenient, and interesting stop for travelers crossing the 154 between Santa Barbara and the Santa Ynez Valley. ...Read more.

Want to beach camp in Ventura, California? For RV campers, the place to go is Emma Wood State Beach. The park offers 90 beachfront campsites, ocean fishing, a reliable surf break, and a 1.5-mile hiking trail loop. Ready for a beach escape? The campground in this 115-acre park is popular, booking up solid throughout the summer. The sites run along a cobblestone beach with easy access to the Pacific. ...Read more.

Emma Wood State Beach borders both the Pacific Ocean and the Ventura River. There is an estuary where the two meet, where you can sprawl out on soft sand and watch the gathering marine birds. See the beach, the river, and the estuary on a level and easy 1.5-mile loop through Emma Wood State Beach and the adjacent Seaside Wilderness Park in Ventura. ...Read more.

For a quick one-mile jaunt in Montaña de Oro State Park, hike down Dune Trail to Hazard Canyon Reef. At the bottom of this oceanfront ravine is a rocky shoreline graced with engaging tide pools. Explore up or down the coast to extend your stay, or settle in for a picnic on the sandy beach. The postcard views of Morro Rock are a good reason to stick around. ...Read more.

The 90-acre Los Osos Oaks State Natural Reserve protects a pocket of 800-year-old oaks near San Luis Obispo, California. Los Osos Creek Trail, Chumash Trail, and Oak View Trail loop through the park presenting easy hikes between 0.75 and 1.5 miles. The trails pass beneath (and sometimes between) the gangly branches of pygmy oaks, offering quiet hikes through a shady grove. ...Read more.

If you have driven through Malibu on PCH, then you have seen Point Dume, a dome-shaped promontory jutting into the Pacific at the northwest end of Santa Monica Bay. The point is surrounded by picturesque white sand beaches and sparking blue water. The headland is protected by Point Dume Natural Preserve, a California State Park. A mile of trails on Point Dume's bluffs lead to two overlooks, one at the top of Point Dume. ...Read more.

The community of Los Osos on the San Luis Obispo County coast is buffered on the south side by an ecological reserve. A 2.6-mile hike through Morro Dunes Ecological Reserve (also called Bayview Ecological Reserve) ascends 800 feet, briefly entering Montaña de Oro State Park at the trail's highest point. The loop travels over ancient sand dunes that became grown over by grasses and brush. ...Read more.

Elfin Forest Natural Preserve (also know as Los Osos Elfin Forest and El Moro Elfin Forest Natural Area) lies between the communities of Morro Bay and Los Osos on the coast of San Luis Obispo County. A mile of boardwalk circles the 90-acre preserve, providing opportunities to gaze across Morro Bay and admire nearby peaks in Morro Bay State Park. There is a thin 80 feet of elevation gain along the loop, making it suitable for strollers, walkers, and wheelchairs. ...Read more.

On Tunnel View Trail, you can expect to see exactly what the name advertises, a view of the Gaviota Tunnel crossed by northbound traffic on Highway 101 between Santa Barbara and Buellton. You can also expect this 2.6 mile loop with 600 feet of elevation gain to deliver a rustic hiking experience up a narrow overgrown trail. If you could tune out the din of the freeway below, the trail would feel completely remote. ...Read more.