Los Flores Ranch Park

There is plenty of "nature" surrounding Santa Maria, so I was excited to see something like this actually in Santa Maria (well, pretty close anyways). The park is located at 6721 Dominion Road, just southeast of Orcutt, CA and opened in June 2009 for hiking, biking, and horseback riding.

There are around 8 miles of trails (Los Flores Ranch Trail Map) and plenty of wildlife, including cattle, snakes, lizards, squirrels, and I even saw a roadrunner and some jackrabbits. There are around 12 trails to choose from, some more strenuous than others and most with beautiful views of the surrounding area. There are also benches for you to rest or just enjoy the scenery(jugs of water provided too!) , and porta-potties throughout the park on some of the trails.

According to the City of Santa Maria park website, there is ongoing oil production operations on the site, however, besides a few pipes, I didn't really notice anything.

Visitors to the park must stop at the Visitor Center and sign in and out of the park.  New visitors must fill out registration forms and are given an access card upon completion of the registration, which is then used for future visits. Admission to the park is free for visitors residing within the Santa Maria city limits ( Santa Maria business owners also free), however, for Orcutt residents and other non-Santa Maria residents, the fee is $3.00 ($1.50 for seniors and children 15 and under are free).

For more information on Los Flores Ranch Park, visit the City of Santa Maria Recreation & Parks website.

Los Flores Ranch Park
6721 Dominion Road
Santa Maria, CA 93455
(805)-938-7618
http://www.ci.santa-maria.ca.us/LosFloresRanchPark.shtml