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Warm, sunny days, cool nights, mountains and beaches and friendly people are good enough reasons to visit San Luis Obispo County. But don’t forget our flora and fauna! For starters, consult the regularly updated calendar of nature events in San Luis Obispo County for the latest in whale watching, orchid shows, elephant seal watching, birding, dunes walks, and more.
Monarch Butterflies
Pismo Beach and the Central Coast play host to millions of migrating Monarch butterflies each winter. Drop by the famous Pismo Monarch Grove to see the eucalyptus trees covered with these colorful butterflies.
The grove is located on Highway 1 at the south boundary of the city of Pismo Beach. From the Pismo Beach House, head south on Hwy 1 for eight-tenths of a mile, past downtown Pismo Beach. The Monarch site will be on your right. Parking is available by meandering through the North Beach campground and following signs, and also past the campground, on either side of Hwy 1 at the main access point to the Monarch site. The beach is only a short walk away.
Birding
The Audubon Society lists San Luis Obispo County as one of its top ten birding sites in the country. Morro Bay Estuary, one of the largest unspoiled coastal marshes in the state, is a major stopping point in bird migration and attracts over 200 species of native and migrating birds—waterfowl, shorebirds, birds of prey, and warblers. Impressive Peregrine Falcons, once on the verge of extinction, now nest and hunt from the cliffs of Morro Rock. The neighboring estuary attracts the graceful and elegant snowy egret.
A brochure listing local birds and birding sites can be obtained by phoning the Natural Resources Manager for San Luis Obispo County at 805-781-7211.
Other useful birding resources are:
- Morro Coast Audubon Rare Bird Alert, 805-528-7182
- North Cuesta Audubon, 805-528-7182
- US Fish & Wildlife Service, Ventura Field Office, 805-644-1766
Marine Life
Elephant seals can be seen birthing, raising pups, and fighting for territory in California’s largest mainland rookery on the northern edge of Morro Bay, a short walk from Highway 1 in San Simeon. These marine mammals are truly massive. They can weigh more than a small car. Threatened California sea otters also make Morro Bay home. Look beyond the breakers and you may spot a sea otter floating in a bed of kelp. The Great Gray Whale makes its passage up and down the coast twice a year. The children will enjoy exploring the tidepools at Hazards Beach in Montaña de Oro State Park.
Guided whale watching tours leave the San Luis Pier and Morro Bay on a daily basis in winter. For departure times and tickets, inquire at Virg’s Landing, 1215 Embarcadero, Morro Bay, 805-772-1222.
Hiking Trails
Montaña de Oro State Park is traversed by nine trails, easy going as well as demanding ones. In San Luis Obispo, Bishop Peak, Reservoir Canyon, Laguna Lake Park are only a few of the attractive and well maintained local trails. The trail up Bishop Peak (1200' elevation gain, 4.4 miles round trip) traverses several microclimates to arrive at panoramic views of the city. The Sierra Club Trail Guide is available in local bookstores or can be ordered online. This website offers free downloads of the popular Bishop Peak and Felsman Loop trail descriptions.
Los Padres National Forest encompasses nearly two million acres in the rugged coastal mountains of central California. The forest stretches across almost 220 miles from the Big Sur Coast in Monterey County to the western edge of Los Angeles County. The Sierra Club trail guide maps out eleven adventurous trails in this vast wilderness.
Guided activities
Central Coast Outdoors offers a wealth of outdoor activities. Adventures with Nature, a program supported by the Central Coast Natural History Association, offers docent-led walks in Oceano Lagoon, Hazard Reef, and other nature spots. Scheduled trips are published in the Your Calendar section of the San Luis Obispo Tribune. More information is available by calling 805-772-2694.
The Environmental Center of San Luis Obispo (ECOSLO) offers free monthly docent-led weekend hikes in and around the city of San Luis Obispo. The ECOSLO website lists these hikes several months in advance.
Bicycling
San Luis Obispo County offers world class mountain biking. On a less demanding scale, several road bike loops take you through quaint beach towns and villages of the Central Coast with relatively few hills. Check out the San Luis Obispo Bicycle Club’s website for a schedule of bicycle trips, or dowload a map of local bike trails.
Fishing and Sailing
Charter a boat for a day on the water at Virg’s Landing, 1215 Embarcadero, Morro Bay, CA 93442, 805-772-1222.
Morro Bay Yacht Club, located at 541 Embarcadero, Morro Bay, CA 93442, 805-772-3981, offers sailing classes and boat races.
Museums
Morro Bay Natural History Museum offers a wealth of information about natural resources in this area. It is located in Morro Bay State Park, within minutes of the Heron Rookery, Montaña de Oro State Park, the El Moro Elfin Forest and Audubon’s Sweet Springs Nature Preserve. The Museum overlooks Morro Bay which is both a State and National Estuary. Entry fees are $2 for adults and free to children 16 and under. The Museum is open from 10:00 am to 5:00 p.m. every day of the year except Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day.
Photo courtesy of Pismo Beach Visitors & Conference Bureau
