Oso Flaco Lake

 Oso Flaco Lake is situated about 3 miles north of Guadalupe. From Guadalupe, head north on Hwy 1 and turn left onto Oso Flaco Lake Rd. There is a small sign, but it is easy to miss. As you continue west on Oso Flaco Lake Rd, you might be surprised that there is a lake nearby, since almost the entire road is surrounded by agricultural fields. At the end of the road is a parking lot and the entrance.

Parking is $5 per car ($4 for seniors and $2.50 for disabled visitors) and be sure to bring the correct change since there is no ranger on duty and you must place the fee in an envelope and deliver it in a metal tube.

Upon entering, you travel down a dirt path as seen on the right, with trees on both sides and eventually come to a fork in the road. You can either continue on going straight, which I did not do, or turn left and cross a bridge over the beautiful lake full of ducks and other wildlife. I do not know what was up ahead on the straight path, but I am glad that I headed to the left and over the lake.

Once past the lake, the path continues past different plants and wildflowers, with occassional benches to take in the scenery.

Eventually you come to see sand dunes and the ocean peeking out above them. There is a path that leads right down to the beach, however, most of it is closed off to the public due to the conservation of the snowy plover bird that uses the area for its breeding and habitation. 

The beach is nice and more private than nearby Pismo Beach or Avila Beach, most likely due to Oso Flaco being a bit hidden and therefore harder to find.

Oso Flaco Lake
Guadalupe/Nipomo, CA
Guadalupe-Nipomo Dunes Center

Orcutt Community Park Trails

In May of this year (2012), the trail systems opened at Orcutt Community Park. The trails are open to hikers, bikers, and equestrians, and unlike Los Flores Ranch Park, which charges a fee for non-residents of the city of Santa Maria, Orcutt Community Park is free for all. It does not have as many trails as Los Flores Ranch, however, it is more conveniently located in Orcutt, at the south end of Bradley and the trails are a decent length, varying from easy to moderate in difficulty.

There are two main trails to choose from. One starts inside the park entrance and has a moderately steep climb at the beginning of the trail. This is my hike of preference due to more greenery and trees than the second trail. The picture above is a view from the top.                   

The picture on the left is another view from the top of the first trail. It is a very relaxing trail. I have seen a couple of cows, birds, bees, wildflowers, and lots of red ants. And how can I forget the flies. There are plenty of flies, and they're the kind that like to hover around you. This does not mean that the wildlife is not present. One hiker mentioned that there was a mountain lion sighting the day before and there are signs posted that mountain lions are in  the area.
                                                 

As for the traffic on the trails, there have been people every time I have gone, but just a few and everyone I have encountered has been very friendly.   

The second trail is also nice and is more open than the first. It seems to be a drier trail with not as many trees or covering. I should also mention that there are signs that say "Open Space Boundary" on both trails (as seen below), and from what I understand, visitors are not to go beyond these signs. Doing so would take visitors to private property or portions of the park that are prohibited. On this particular trail, I have seen deer, a horse that lives at a nearby house, and the insects that were on the first trail.

Here is a link to a map of the trails, courtesy of Santa Maria Valley Open Space, an organization that was instrumental in getting the park ready and opened to the public.



Orcutt Community Park

5800 S. Bradley Ave.

Orcutt, CA 93455

County of Santa Barbara Parks

               

Santa Ynez Recreational Area (Camuesa OHV Route)

The Santa Ynez Recreational Area is located about 15 miles north of Santa Barbara. You take HWY 154 (San Marcos Pass) to Paradise Road and turn right. There are several campgrounds in the area and the famous Red Rock swimming hole.

My recent visit consisted of hiking the Camuesa OHV route. I actually didn't know what trail I was on until later but seems to be a popular place for OHVs (Off-Highway Vehicles) and horseback riding. To get there, you drive about 8 miles along Paradise Road, passing camp sites and even driving through water (it was about 1/4 ft deep but gets much deeper in rainy seasons) until you get to Upper Oso Campground. There is a parking lot there although you will need an Adventure Pass ($5 from one of the kiosks along Paradise Rd or the Ranger Station) in order to park.

 The trail starts at Upper Oso Campground and the beginning of the trail is along a stream. A little ways down the trail, there is a fork in the road. The one I didn't take (Santa Cruz Trail) was a narrower path and looked absolutely beautiful (I'll try it next visit). The path I took wound around mountains, with sometimes a very steep slope. At the top of the mountains, the view of the surrounding area is spectacular. Besides a couple of people at the campground, I didn't see one person on the trail the entire 2+ hours. I didn't run into any wildlife while on the trail, but there are surely plenty in the area and there were about 8 dear in the parking lot as I was leaving.