State Parks for Family Adventures
Exploring the outdoors is one of the best ways to spend your time along the Highway 1 Discovery Route. Whether you want a hiking expedition in one of the State Parks, a kayaking trip on the bays, or an opportunity to view the native flora and fauna, you’re sure to find something here.
Experience the Outdoor Activities & State Parks of the Highway 1 Discovery Route in each of our regions below:
Arroyo Grande Valley:
- Lopez Lake – Located just ten miles east of Arroyo Grande, Lopez Lake Recreation Area is one of the top choices for camping and leisure trips. Read More »
Cambria:
- Moonstone Beach – Moonstone Beach is one of Cambria’s and the Central Coast’s most scenic spots. Read More »
- Harmony Headlands State Park – Harmony Headlands State Park is a 784 acre coastal park located approximately 5 minutes north of Cayucos on Highway One. Read More »
- Fiscalini Ranch Preserve – Once the exclusive purview of the Chumash and Salinian Native American tribes, this breathtaking stretch of seaside bluff is now permanently protected from development. Read More »
Cayucos:
- Estero Bluffs State Park – Learn about the diversity of life within the kelp forest while walking along the Estero Bluffs, north of Cayucos. Read More »
- Cayucos State Beach – The sandy beach offers mild weather, watersports such as surfing and swimming, tidepooling. Read More »
Edna Valley:
- Edna Valley Hiking – Grab some hiking shoes and water and leave everything else behind as you immerse yourself in endless hiking trails throughout Wine Coast Country. Read More »
Los Osos & Baywood Park:
- Montaña de Oro State Park – This park features rugged cliffs, secluded sandy beaches, coastal plains, streams, canyons, and hills, including 1,347-foot Valencia Peak. Read More »
- El Moro Elfin Forest – The Elfin Forest supports more than 200 species of plants, as well as 110 kinds of birds, 22 species of mammals and 13 species of reptiles and amphibians. Read More »
Nipomo:
- Oso Flaco Lake – Just southwest of Nipomo lies one of the most scenic natural areas all along California’s coast, Oso Flaco Lake. Read More »
- Nipomo Native Garden – The site is in the final stages of being restored to a native botanical garden which will feature native plant communities endemic to the Nipomo Mesa and dunes complex. Read More »
Oceano:
- Monarch Butterfly Grove – From late October to February, thousands of black and gold Monarch butterflies cluster in the limbs of a Eucalyptus grove at Pismo State Beach, providing us with a breathtaking glimpse of nature in all her vibrant glory. Read More »
- Oceano Dunes Natural Preserve – Walk where both the Chumash and Dunites walked. Read More »
San Simeon & Ragged Point:
- Elephant Seals – The Northern Elephant Seal migrates thousands of miles twice each year, from the open oceans to a land-based rookery, where it breeds, births, molts, and rests between trips. Read More »
- Coastal Discovery Center at San Simeon Bay – The Center offers interactive exhibits and education programs which highlight the cultural and natural history of Old San Simeon, California State Parks, and the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary. Read More »
- Ragged Point Beach – The trail to Ragged Point Beach at the base of the cliffs is only a half mile, but steep with about a 400 foot change in elevation. Read More »
