Driving up Highway 101 through the Gaviota Tunnel west of Santa Barbara, you might be unaware that a natural hot springs is less than a mile from the roadway. Gaviota Hot Springs is more warm than it is hot, but the blue sulfery water attracts its share of bathers. The springs are half a mile from the trailhead and only a tenth of a mile off the trail to Gaviota Peak, making it a nice... Read more.

This 2.2-mile loop explores a 120-acre open space between Cerro San Luis and downtown San Luis Obispo. With just three hundred feet of elevation gain, this is a quick hike on its own, or an easy extension to the steeper trek up Cerro San Luis. The abandoned lemon grove that gives the trail its name is becoming more of a destination thanks to the planting of new trees. The open skies and... Read more.

Located just west of downtown San Luis Obispo, the 1,292-foot Cerro San Luis (or San Luis Mountain) offers sweeping views over the city and surroundings. Cerro San Luis is a member of the Morros, or Nine Sisters, a chain of prominent volcanic peaks stretching east from Morro Bay. These beautiful peaks set the postcard-like backdrop for San Luis Obispo and are excellent places to hike. ... Read more.

Sycamore Crest Trail is a wide dirt road on the north slope of Ontario Hill, which runs east to west between Shell Beach and Avila Beach. Beginning from Sycamore Mineral Springs Resort in Avila Valley, the trail climbs through a lush oak grove to reach a junction with Ontario Ridge Trail at a south-facing saddle with lofty ocean views. Sycamore Crest Trail serves as a 1.75-mile out and back... Read more.

Two parallel but varied trails explore the coast between Shell Beach and Avila Beach in San Luis Obispo County. Shell Beach Bluff Trail is an easy, wheelchair-friendly paved trail overlooking a picturesque cove. Ontario Ridge Trail is a rugged, sometimes-steep track crossing a 700-foot hill above the bluff. Put these two together for a 2.8-mile loop with 675 feet of elevation change and... Read more.