Hiking & Biking
Lace up your pair of hiking boots or check the air in your mountain bike tires, you are in for the hike or ride of your life! San Luis Obispo County has some of the most beautiful terrain in all of California.
The famed Seven Sisters (The Morros) are the famous volcanic mountain chain. They have long been local and tourist favorites for hiking.
The following sisters can be accessed by public:
Bishop Peak
Black Hill
Cerro Cabrillo
Cerro Romouldo
Islay Hill
San Luis Mountain
ww.santalucia.sierraclub.org
www.santalucia.sierraclub.org/ninesis.html
Another favorite local is Poly Canyon, located on the lower coastal foothills of the Santa Lucia mountain range. There are numerous footpaths and trails that crisscross the canyon. The canyon can be accessed from Poly Canyon Rd., from Cal Poly campus. Take plenty of water!
Other hiking and biking trails include Bob Jones Trail in Avila Beach, Montana de Oro in Morro Bay, Lopez Lake in Arroyo Grande, and Madonna Mountain in SLO.
www.slobc.org/rides/foundermountain.html
Mountain Biking is so popular here that the National Championships for NORBA downhill racing is held in San Luis Obispo. Called the Jeep King of the Mountain, the fastest riders in the world embark on treacherous course of drop offs and jumps while exceeding speeds of 50 mph.
Visit Art’s Cyclery (see Passport Virtual Magazine) to pick up a map and tips of the best trails to suit your abilities.
Road Bike Cycling and Cycling Tours
The agricultural based community of San Luis Obispo County has seemingly endless, winding rolling roads through lush vineyards and protected canyons for cycling enthusiasts. Not surprisingly, the Central Coast is home to many nationally top-ranked professional cyclists and triathletes. The mild 70 degree temperatures and high percentage of sunny days makes cycling on the Central Coast great year-round. The largest professional bicycle race ever held on United States soil, the Amgen Tour of California, rolls through San Luis Obispo every February. The cyclists careen through Big Sur on the north end of the County before racing along the seven sisters making the scenery breathtaking for the nationwide audience. Cycling tours are available through a number of companies including Central Coast Outdoors.
Water Skiing and Wakeboarding and Jet Skiing
The barometer in North San Luis Obispo County reaches 90s and 100s all summer long making the 3 lakes a favorite hot spot for water recreation enthusiasts. Enjoy water skiing or wake boarding at Lake San Antonio and Lake Nacimiento both of which have plenty of acreage to find a private beach to call your own. Lake Nacimineto has more coves and sheltered bays for better less choppy water. Jet skiing is equally enjoyable at the smaller Lopez Lake. The lake allows water skiing but there isn’t as much space as the North county lakes. Port San Luis and Avila Beach are favorites for Ocean jet skiing where rolling waves make launching ramps for the adrenaline driven thrill seekers.
Whale-Watching
Morro Bay offers several tours, which range from about two to four hours in length, and Port San Luis is another excellent spot to capture a memory or two with nature’s largest mammal. Most tours guarantee a whale sighting during the annual migration, but be sure to confirm this when you make your reservation. The best time to plan a boating tour is around December to April, which is typically mating season. Be on the lookout for grey whales, humpback whales, and even killer whales (orcas)! And while whales are the star attraction, don’t forget to watch for other marine life in the area, such as dolphins, sea otters, seals, pelicans, and more.
Fishing
With its abundance of lakes and beaches, the Central Coast is an excellent site for fresh and salt water fishing. The best spots to catch a freshwater lunker in San Luis Obispo County are Lopez Lake in Arroyo Grande and Lakes San Antonio and Nacimiento north of Paso Robles off Interlake Road or G-14. Whether you prefer to pitch your line straight from the shore or ride a boat across the lake, there are some superb fishing sites to catch white bass, largemouth and smallmouth bass, crappie, striper, bluegill, and catfish, among others.
Saltwater fishing is also a common hobby among locals and tourists, and almost any of the beaches with a pier will let you toss your hook right over the rail. Pismo Beach, Avila, and Cayucos in particular are excellent pier fishing spots.
If you are feeling more adventurous, there are chartered sport-fishing tours available in Port San Luis and Morro Bay. These excellent tours will guide you to the best spots to catch rockfish, cod, albacore, and salmon, depending on the time of year.
One caveat for all types of fishing: be sure to check the legal amount of fish you can take, and practice catch-and-release fishing as needed to avoid large fines!
Golfing
With its beautiful weather and year-round sunny climate, the Central Coast is quickly becoming a prime spot for golfers to practice their skills on the links. There are courses inland at Nipomo, San Luis Obispo, Arroyo Grande, and Paso Robles, as well as coastal greens in Avila and Morro Bay. For the budget golfer, many of the golf courses in the area are state owned and offer greatly reduced fees, especially at sunset. The more discriminating golfer, however, has a choice of some award-winning public courses in Nipomo, Avila, and Arroyo Grande. Putt, pitch, punch, and drive your way to victory on courses which have been rated as highly as 4 ½ stars by golfing magazines!
Agricultural Tours
The Central Coast’s primary economic driving force was agriculture, until tourism recently surpassed $1 billion per year in incoming revenue. The roots of agriculture are growing ever stronger nonetheless, with over 214 wineries (there were less than 20 in the early eighties.) Central Coast Vineyard Team, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, Ag Adventures of the Central Coast and several other organizations offer daily or weekly tours that help educate people about the importance of agriculture in a fun setting. Families with children can create a whole afternoon at horse stables, dairy farms or at friendly farms enjoying hay rides and fresh vegetables. |
Local Activities
