Outdoors
National forests, parks, lakes and recreation areas with hiking trails near San Luis Obispo, closest first.
Good to know: Carry more water than you think you need, check the managing agency’s page for trail closures and fire restrictions, and start early on hot days.
Cerro Alto Campground is a well-known hiking and mountain biking paradise. It is located a short distance from the sandy beaches of Morro Bay, where visitors enjoy surfing, fishing, kayaking, sailing, scuba diving and more.
Navajo Flat Campground, off-highway vehicle (OHV) Trailhead and day use area is an ideal location for OHV enthusiasts to enjoy the many trails in the surrounding area.
Point Sal is a 77-acre promontory on the coast of northern Santa Barbara County near the north end of Vandenberg Air Force Base. It is a fragile area, with sandy soil and a unique blend of wildlife.
A walk along the boardwalk offers solitude and beauty among the different plants. Even in summertime, the area has a special beauty with numerous white dust devils spinning across the dusty alkaline playas.
The El Saucito Ranch house is the oldest standing house in the Carrizo Plain National Monument, dating back to circa 1878. This is the only ranch house in the monument to have been occupied from the pioneer period to modern day.
The sandstone formation at Painted Rock has long drawn the attention of Carrizo Plain National Monument visitors. About 3,000 - 4,000 years ago, Native Americans began to paint their sacred images with the alcove of the rock.
Here you are standing on the San Andreas Fault. At this location it runs northwest to southeast a the base of the hills.
Camping is available on a first come-first serve basis. Thirteen campsites with picnic tables, fire pits, horse corrals and a wheelchair accessible vault toilet. Electricity and drinking water is not available.
Private property surrounds Stockdale Mountain. Do not enter through private gates or fences.
Located in southern Monterey County, and standing over 2,700 feet in elevation, Williams Hill offers great views of the surrounding Salinas Valley.
Camping is available on a first come-first serve basis--we do not take reservations. The campground has 12 campsites, 3 with elevated tent pads. There is an accessible vault toilet, along with picnic tables and fire rings.
Parking access onto nearly 1,800 acres of Bureau of Land Management property in this area is provided through an easement from the California Department of Fish and Game.
The Van Matre family owned several farm properties throughout the plain. This property, known to them as "The Camp" was orginally homesteaded by Jerry Hagerty in 1930.
The Coalinga Mineral Springs National Recreation Trail was designated under the National Recreation Trails System Act in 1981. The trail is located on the scenic southern tip of the Diablo Mountains.
The Traver Ranch was established in the 1940's when the family purchased approximately 800 acres and began building the large block house that still stands along the edge of Soda Lake Road.
Cachuma Reservoir, formed by Bradbury Dam , offers a prime recreational opportunity for the south central coast area of California.
Plaskett Creek Campground offers a beautiful location just minutes from Sand Dollar Beach, one of the largest and most popular beaches in central California.
Ponderosa Campground offers visitors a beautiful location to relax and enjoy nature. It runs along the Nacimiento River, which provides a variety of recreational opportunities.
Temblor Recreation Area was newly designated in the Bakersfield RMP (December 2014) and provides opportunities for OHV riding on a network of over 200 miles of designated routes, recreational shooting, hunting, and other dispersed forms of…
Kirk Creek Campground is an oceanside paradise, with each site overlooking the Pacific Ocean. It offers a variety of opportunities for relaxation and recreation.
Located on the outskirts of the Clear Creek Management Area (CCMA), Condon Peak offers rolling grass-covered slopes with a few tall pines and shrubs, as well as steep slopes and rocky outcrops covered with pine and brush.
For thousands of years, California's Central Valley has provided habitat for millions of waterfowl, shorebirds and other wetland dependent species.
Paradise Campground is a beautiful place to enjoy California's westernmost national forest. It provides access to a variety of recreational activities, including hiking, biking, horseback riding and more.
The Laguna Mountain Area consists of somewhat rugged terrain with rolling hills covered in dense brush. The area's vegetation is characterized by classic chapparal habitat, oak forests, and grassy meadows.
Distances are straight-line miles from downtown San Luis Obispo. Listings come from Recreation.gov’s federal recreation database; check each official page for hours, fees, fire restrictions and closures before you go.
Cerro Alto Campground (USDA Forest Service), about 11 miles north of San Luis Obispo as the crow flies. Next are Navajo Flats Campground (21 mi) and Point Sal (26 mi).
Based on San Luis Obispo’s average highs, all year. Conditions at higher elevations can be much cooler.
Federal agencies including Bureau of Land Management, USDA Forest Service, Bureau of Reclamation. Each listing links to its official page for hours, fees, closures and current conditions.