hikespeak

Rising through grassy meadows, oak woodlands, and chaparral slopes, Rinconada Trail provides North County access to the Santa Lucia Mountains in Los Padres National Forest. Gaze over bucolic valleys on the hike up to a high point in a grassy mountain pass with views over remote ridges and canyons in the Santa Lucia Wilderness. Turn around at an overlook by the crest of Rinconada Trail for a 3-mile round trip hike with 625 feet of elevation change. ...Read more.

Framed by tall, rugged ridges in the Topatopa Mountains, Santa Paula Creek slices through the rockbed of Santa Paula Canyon, carving out alluring pools and cascades called the Punchbowl (or Punch Bowls). Finishing with a flourish, the Punchbowl has a 25-foot waterfall and a pool that you can relax beside. The Punchbowl is located between Big Cone Camp and Cross Camp, two Los Padres National Forest Campgrounds on the East Fork of Santa Paula Canyon. ...Read more.

Sisar Canyon cuts into the mountains above Upper Ojai Valley, halfway between Ojai and Santa Paula. A wide dirt trail travels up the canyon toward Topatopa Ridge, a striking bluff of striped rock. Rather than taking Sisar Canyon Trail (also known as Sisar Canyon Road) deep into the Topatopa Mountains, turn around at an overlook 2.75 miles up the trail for a picturesque day hike. ...Read more.

Horn Canyon Trail rises into the frontcountry of the Topatopa Mountains from Ojai, California. While you can spend a full day (and a full workout) hiking up Horn Canyon Trail, you can also opt for the shorter option described here, trekking up the trail's moderate opening mile, past multiple creek crossings and views down Ojai Valley, before venturing off trail up the canyon bottom past pools and a small cascade on Thacher Creek. ...Read more.

East Cuesta Ridge Road, also known as Mount Lowe Road, is a dirt road that crosses the dominant ridgeline in the Santa Lucia Mountains northeast of San Luis Obispo. Views from the trail extend over San Luis Obispo and its surrounding peaks toward the ocean to the west at Morro Bay and to the south by Oceano Dunes. The hike starts just off Highway 101 at the top of Cuesta Grade. ...Read more.

Discover a tucked-away oasis of Sargent cypress straddling a ridge in the Santa Lucia Mountains north of San Luis Obispo. The evergreens are accompanied by coastal views that could have you imagining you're somewhere farther north in California. The hike to Cuesta Ridge Botanical Special Interest Area is 6 miles round trip up a partially paved road with 950 feet of elevation change. ...Read more.

Most of Big Sur's beautify is obvious – tall green mountains, a ragged coastline, and lots of ocean blue, but some attractive features are practically hidden, and Pfeiffer Beach is one such gem. Pfeiffer Beach has great sand and iconic rock formations, but you won't see this beach from Highway One (or its begging-to-be-photographed wave-tunneled rocks). ...Read more.

Plaskett Creek Campground is a convenient place for tent or RV camping in Big Sur. The campground is close enough to the coast for visitors to smell the ocean, and there are several short hikes nearby. Trails to Sand Dollar Beach, Jade Cove and Plaskett Rock Point are just across Highway One from the campground and Pacific Valley Bluff Trail is only a mile to the north. ...Read more.

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 Pacific Ocean and the orange rock of tall sea cliffs. ...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 through Big Sur. ...Read more.