My enchanted forest!!! ...and you don't have to travel far to the Fairy Tale Land, the Los Osos Oaks State Reserve is located right off Los Osos Valley Rd. with a small parking lot fits maximum maybe 10 cars. Look at the trail map, you will get a brief idea. Even though some reviews stated trails are not well marked, it's in fact very simple and hard to get lost. There's no scale on the map, it's smaller than I had anticipated though. The whole loop (started from Loop trail, connected to Oak View Trail and back from Los Osos Creek Trail) took me about 35 mins despite I stopped here and there to take photos and just enjoying the fresh smell of the wood after the rain. The more deep into the wood, where the Loop trail and Oak View Trail connects, the 800 years old Costal live oaks made me feel like everything would come alive when the sun goes down...and I absolutely love my solitude. Once you are closer to the entrance, you will start hearing the cars driving by Los Osos Valley Road and you know you are heading the right direction. I wouldn't consider it's a workout but absolutely good for all hiking levels and a short escape from the people. Side note: Poison oaks are natural part of the area, however, it's winter I was pretty much covered. read more

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Located near Montana De Oro, Los Osos State reserve is a great place to hike trails and just enjoy the outdoor Beaty that the Central California Coast offers. I absolutely love those twisted oaks, they are gorgeous. Also a great place for family pictures read more

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Local Eval.: Mysterious ancient surreal "Dali-like" twisted Oaks, almost drowning in huge beards composed of Usneoides, in a dreamy moist microclimate, punctuated by the distant noise. As with Dali's masterpiece of "The Persistence of Memory", the soothing, yet disturbing juxtaposition of the tortured twisted 800 year old Oaks covered with tons of ponderous Pseudo-moss is the stuff of surreal nightmares & fevered far future dreams....where ordinary man has long been forgotten. It reminds me of the imaginings of Robert Silverberg's in his best novel & my most treasure Sci-Fi book, titled, "The Son of Man". While the path seems straightforward at first, it is quite easy to wind up following dead end paths, which can be a bit fun, or not. Since the noise never really goes away, you can always head toward a direction where it gets louder. Since the trail map & trail heads all indicated loops, I picked the Chumash loop. While one can always backtrack, the far ends of the trails do not obviously interconnect, nor are labelled well, so I can see why people get lost. Fortunately, it is a rather small reserve, which is a mixed blessing. As you progress, you go through some interesting terrain changes...from sandy beach like brush to very moist Oak/Spanish Moss humid twisted tree dense surreal forrest. It is rather otherworldly and I have not seen anything quite like it before in my travels...so it is well worth a brief easy hike. The provided pamphlet is informative. BUT BEWARE OF SOME STEEP HIDDEN SUDDEN DROPS TO A CREEK BED! As many others have noted, it is a relatively unknown preserve, easy to pass by on the road unnoticed, & rather devoid of people. My wife became a bit scared when I reviewed some tips on what to do if we happened to encounter bigger mammals [which I doubt live here...but Los Osos means "Bears"]. The last thing one wants to do, is to run from either a Mountain Lion or a Bear. She was ultimately spooked by....wait for it...a human being! She was right....human beings are the most dangerous. She actually asked for me to buy her a Pepper Spray for the future. Other than two other humans [who looked a bit suspiciously paranoid and possibly equipped to camp there over-night], I only saw a small lizard, and did not notice any Poison Oak/Ivy, nor Stinging Nettle [which I had a horrid very painful run in with at Arroyo Grande's creek a few weeks back]. While I may have seen "Pele's Hair" [AKA invasive Spanish Moss in Hawaii] while hiking in Oahu's Tantalus forested area, I had never before seen, nor really appreciated, overwhelming volumes of "Moss". They are not a form of Lichen nor Moss, as others have noted, but are Usneoides, relatives to so-called "Air" plants, which get their nutrients from the air, and even leaching minerals from Oak trees. They may endanger trees not by feeding on them, but may break branches under their wet weight. Really amazing & surreal creations of evolution & well worth the short hike/diversion from more famous touristed areas nearby. According to Wikipedia: "...This plant's specific name Usneoides means "resembling Usnea", and it indeed superficially resembles its namesake Usnea, also known as beard lichen, but in fact Spanish moss is neither a moss nor a lichen. Instead, it is a flowering plant (angiosperm) in the family Bromeliaceae (the bromeliads) which grows hanging from tree branches in full sun through partial shade....Spanish-moss is an epiphyte which absorbs nutrients and water through its leaves from the air and rainfall. While it rarely kills the tree upon which it grows, it can occasionally become so thick that it shades the tree's leaves and lowers its growth rate....the plant seems to show a preference for growth on southern live oak (Quercus virginiana) and bald cypress (Taxodium distichum) because of these trees' high rates of foliar mineral leaching (calcium, magnesium, potassium, and phosphorus) providing an abundant supply of nutrients to the plant... Tillandsia is a genus of around 650 species of evergreen, perennial flowering plants in the family Bromeliaceae, native to the forests, mountains and deserts of northern Mexico and south-eastern United States, Mesoamerica and the Caribbean to mid Argentina. Their leaves, more or less silvery in color, are covered with specialized cells (trichomes) capable of rapidly absorbing water that gathers on them. They are also commonly known as airplants because of their natural propensity to cling wherever conditions permit: telephone wires, tree branches, barks, bare rocks, etc. Their light seeds and a silky parachute facilitate this spread. Most Tillandsia species are epiphytes - which translates to 'upon a plant'. Some are aerophytes, which have a minimal root system and grow on shifting desert soil. Due to the epiphytic way of life of the plants the peculiarity arises that these bulbs do not lie in the ground, but hang in the air on branches.". read more

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We were the only ones on this trail. When we spoke to a local we were surprised that not everyone knew about this Reserve. The pathway is so green with tall overgrown oak trees. You can cover the entire place by walking on a flat path for 1 1/2 miles. This trail is perfect for beginners. There is poison oak throughout the hike so you'll want to stay on the path. Its a pretty shady trail since majority of the time your walking on a path that goes through large oak trees. The pathway looks so beautiful because its covered with fallen oak leaves. You can hear water from the creek while your on this trail. There is plenty of cemented parking lot right next to the trail. The trail is well marked. There is no restrooms. read more

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Welcome to the Poison Oak Wilderness. Jk, because that's basically all of the Central Coast :P. Pros: - This is a super easy, small hike that is located off of Los Osos Valley Road. - There is lots of shade. - There is unique flora here that is DEF worth seeing. - Free, ample parking Cons: - PO Wilderness - Mosquito breeding ground near creek - Too small! This is so great that you want it to go on forever! - The paths are meandering and not clear, but you won't get lost. - You will hear the road for a good portion of the hike. Worth seeing...go check it out! read more

Los Osos Oaks State Reserve - Gorgeous flora - Hiking Near Me - Los Osos, California

The oak trees are 800 years old and it felt like a fairytale to see the magnificent branches of these trees. I felt like I was in another world and was so happy to see how the trails were pristine and that people are being respectful of the trees. I would be cautious of touching the foliage and trees as there was plenty of poison oak. read more

I am pretty lucky that I have relatives that live around here and when I saw a few Yelp friends review this place I was shocked I had never been here from all the years of traveling down Los Osos Valley Road. It's one of those places that is pretty hidden and unless you knew it existed you would probably just drive by. The map from Yelp is not very accurate so look for the entrance on Los Osos Valley road a mile or so past the Memorial Park it will be on your left. I happen to be with a small group of mushroom experts who were looking looking for mushroom called the Death Angel or also called Western North American Destroying Angel mushroom. The reason was that this mushroom was around quite a long time ago but then kind of disappeared. Recently a dog in Santa Barbara died from the mushroom and they have since been spotting these spreading throughout California. So the the goal was to see if they could find some of those guys in this forest which means that they are spreading up north. I happen to love the whole science of mushroom having read books like Mycelium Running so this was right up my ally. The idea that one mushroom can heal you while another put you down under in hours is pretty interesting but scary stuff. It didn't take all that long to find one of these poisonous guys and you would never know by the way it looked, a beautiful color of white. Just what you would think to dice up and toss into your favorite dishes..not!. So if you like foraging for mushrooms you might want to think twice. On to the trail itself what is cool about the trails here is they offer a variety of different things to see. There is some areas that are woody and cool while other areas have more sand and are hot. There are 3 different trails you can go on-- one goes right one goes left and one down the center. They all end up converging with each other at some point. They don't have any maps here even one to view at entrance so you will need to follow the signs that are posted. The problem is the signs are not very well laid out at all and it's pretty easy to get lost because in the back areas the signs end up leading you in a circular pattern instead of back to Los Osos Valley Road. Good news is when you get the residential housing you know you are at the end of the park in back so just head in the opposite direction. Also there is a mobile home park on the right so once you get to these areas you are at the end of the reserve and you know you will not get further lost. Also another way to find your way back is to listen for the cars on Los Osos Rd. Other than the poor directions it's has some nice trails with enchanted looking forests and wild animals running around in the non trailed areas. Lots of native California plants to view and it's pretty quiet in terms of seeing other hikers. I would give yourself a couple of hours to fully see the entire place, maybe longer if you get lost. It's amazing how many hidden trails we have in California that are to be found, and this one is a good one to check out. read more

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This is a cool little area with a bunch of intersecting trails. But first you have to get there. When you're driving down the road, there is a small unassuming parking lot. Yup, that's it. That's all there is to it. So you park, enter the brush, and eventually come to a sign post and a fork in the road (is it starting to sound like a fairytale yet?). You choose your path, but be careful not to stray too far from it, or you'll get lost. Seriously, these are not your typical hiking trials. You actually feel like you're in the thick of things, and that road you just came from, well don't expect to hear it for long. So its easy to mistake something that is not a path for a path, make a couple wrong turns, and bam, you're lost. Definitely needs more signs. But otherwise it's a really awesome area. You feel like you're a part of the place, instead of just a visitor (like in my HUGE industrial trials) and its very secluded and peaceful. Next time, I'm bringing some bread crumbs to find my way back... that's bound to work, right? read more

Absolutely gorgeous area.The trees are incredible. Perfect for a short little hike with the fam. It's just a pretty place to hang out and and enjoy the surrounding beautiful nature. read more

Came here expecting to see just oak trees but ended up finding a variety of fungi in all shapes and colors. It was a gorgeous winter day as I was walking through the park I quickly stumbled upon a fresh foot print of a wildlife (see associated picture). I couldn't figure out whether it was a bear or a mountain lion but sent shivers through my spine. I was praying not to come face to face with whatever creature it might have been. The vast changes in scenery were quite breathtaking. So happy to have been here and would definitely return and hope to find something else unexpected. read more

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This review is for the Chumash Trail. The reason for the low score is mosquitos. This is the first time I've been attacked by mosquitos in San Luis Obispo county. They were mean relentless bloodsuckers which left multiple bites and welts on my arms and legs. Totally ruined my hike. I bought some DEET after the experience. If not for the mosquitos I would leave ****. One thing going for it is there wasn't anyone else there. read more

Beware this beauty. We spent about a half hour exploring these trails. My husband had two ticks on him when we returned to the car. Just beware but enjoy read more

Los Osos Oaks State Reserve - Hiking Near Me - Los Osos, California

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I got lost here and found myself in a nearby mobile home park FOR THE 2nd TIME!! It's super easy to get lost, because there are dozens of broad trails intersecting the 3 (somewhat) marked trails. Also there's poison oak growing alongside and over trails. So why am I giving it 4 stars? Because it's so beautiful and eventually I'll find my way back to the parking lot again after getting more exercise and a bigger adventure then I bargained for. read more

An unusual walk through the woods due to the unusual trees. It was a bit hard to find the entrance with our mapping app. We would have spent more time walking but it had rained and was muddy. It was definitely worth the stop after visiting Morro Bay. read more

Los Osos Oaks State Reserve - Hiking Near Me - Los Osos, California

There are 2 to 3 different trails here. One is a easy short loop that takes 30 minutes. The others are longer and we had to trace our way back before we reached the end. The trails are very narrow, but safe. Most of the time, the path was wide enough for only 1 person. So hiking there felt quiet and intimate, which I think is the best part about these trails. We were the only ones there on a Monday afternoon. Sometimes you'll be walking on sandy ground out in the open under the sun, among tall grass and shrubs; other times, you will be treading on fallen leaves, surrounded by big trees to your left and right, with branches extending right above you! However, I think the trails should be better marked, especially at the forks. Most of the time, it's easy to see where the main path goes, but it's not always obvious, so be careful! We got lost on the longer trail, but we eventually found our way back to the beginning of the trail, phew. read more

Anyone that loves the outdoors and trees will love this little hiking area. It is not very big but it is very enjoyable. We managed to get 2 miles out of doing all of the trails. This was our first time here and it was a little intimidating not knowing what trail to take and then if we were going to find our way back. We started with the Chumash trail and it was not even listed on the map. The trails are merely a foot path and therefore is only good for those that can walk. No strollers would ever make it. The trail would be muddy after a rain. The rain is making the grass grow on the forest floor and at some points it was difficult to determine where the trail actually was. By others walking before us, we could see the trodden grass. At one point we completely lost the trail and felt like we were off roading before we found it again. We loved all of the crooked branch trees and it makes for some really beautiful pictures along the trail. We did not see any of the critters that were listed in the brochure. It would be wise to wear old shoes especially if it has recently rained. Keep your children in sight at all times because there are so many areas for them to take off in and you will not be able to see them. We will definitely go back again. read more

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I lived in Los Osos and all the reviews are right. Trails need to be marked better. And more. I went alone with my two dogs. One was loose. He heard something in the bushes, I know he thought of a squirrel. He ran in and then ran out, with a coyote chasing him and blood running down his hip. The coyote stopped when he saw me. I leashed my dog, we turned back. After a little while we were lost, at a dead-end I turned around and the coyote was following us. I yelled and he ran. We had to double-back. I never saw the coyote again. But the fear I felt as we hiked out was bad! DO NOT GO ALONE. Keep dogs leashed! It is beautiful but pretty isolated. The above event happened years ago. I never went back. It may be different now. read more

I love love love oak woodlands and if you want a qwik hike in a sanctuary of oaks and fresh air off and away from a busy road then go here. Also if you are with someone who doesn't like to hike, they will hike here and love it. What a treasure!! Lovely grand oaks read more

Los Osos Oaks State Reserve - Hiking Near Me - Los Osos, California

The Beau and I happened to stumble upon this magical forest on a recent trip to central California. This has got to be one of the most romantic and beautiful hikes I've been on - and I've been fortunate enough to hike in the rain forest! As soon as we stepped out of our vehicle we both felt like we were in a story book. This captivating location tells a dramatic story with every step. You are surrounded by stunning oak trees draped in a unique, seafoam colored lichen. The trees twist and turn from the earth in such harmonious ways. Fairy-like moths fluttered about, guiding us deeper and deeper into this enchanted forest while the crunch of the golden leaves beneath our feet offered a soothing soundtrack. We were in such awe throughout the hike, neither one of us did much talking and we paid no attention to where we were going! Yup, we got lost. After about 2 hours in, with sundown approaching, The Beau suggested we head back. We started making what we thought was the way back and ended up in an RV park!!! Since daylight was quickly fading we decided it best to walk through the RV park. We ended up knocking on someone's door who offered to take us back to our car - what a nice guy! He was also very familiar with the woods and admitted he sometimes gets lost in there! It was an unforgettable adventure which neither one of us will ever forget. You will get lost if you don't pay attention, but this is such a treasure it's totally worth it! read more

Los Osos Oaks State Reserve - lichen hanging from the trees! - Hiking Near Me - Los Osos, California

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incredible sunsets not crowded perfect weather it was 71 degrees at christmas love it! read more

A wonderful, tranquil place for a short walk with amazing oak trees and beard lichen.

Should be called the Poison Oak Mystery Maze. Way too many unmarked side trails and intersections combined with no map at the trailhead makes it very easy to get lost. The trails are very overgrown in places, making it tough to identify the correct path. Nice scenery but tons of poison oak very near the trails. Keep a close eye on little ones and bring a GPS. read more

This is a little known gem in the state park system. Situated on Los Osos Valley Road, the reserve covers 90 acres, covered in coast live oaks that have achieved fantastic shapes and sizes. There are three trails (Chumash, Los Osos Creek, and Oak View), none of which is marked beyond the trailhead. Don't worry; you won't get lost. Each trail intersects with the other two. Just keep walking, and ignore any rustling you hear in the brush. There isn't any wildlife here that can do you harm. The trees are glorious; such a magical place. Sadly, the sound of traffic penetrates the forest, and from certain portions of the trail nearby housing is visible. Without that sort of encroachment, I'd give it five stars. read more

Came here this past weekend to go hiking after reading about it in a SLO County hiking book. If possible I would give 1.5 stars because it is not terrible but this state reserve is not much of a hiking spot. This place is very easy, no inclines or anything challenging. Can walk the whole loop in half a mile or less. Things I didn't like: trail was poorly marked when coming to a split, not well maintained. Things I do like: quiet, right off LOVR, some nice, though small, views. read more