Parking is 5.55 and I was able to log on and use apple pay. This hike was very easy and moderate. The incline was slow, therefore you are not really able to feel it. But you can see it once you see other people hiking the same route. The view itself on the way up is beautiful, your able to smell the ocean smell, enjoy the view and just take it all in. Really green everywhere, watch out for the cow droppings because they do roam. If you lucky you can see them afar enjoy their grass and space. I would say it was maybe about 1.5 miles back and forth, I want to try the loop next time but these was just a quick little hike before we stuff ourselves with food! read more

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Pismo Reserve displays a beautiful outlook on Pismo beach and 5 cities in general. It's a beautiful place to do a hike and a picnic. There are multiple routes to take depending on which outlooks you'd like to see! I did the Spring to Spring route which totaled to 4.7 miles. It was relaxing, not challenging at all. Parking is available but if you don't want to pay and don't mind a little walk, I parked on the dirt across Ventena restaurant for free! read more

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Fun place to mountain bike. Parking lot can get filled up. You have to watch for hikers. Trails are built up nicely . Good for hard tail mtb. Not as rocky as Irish hills. read more

Pismo Preserve - Hiking Near Me - Pismo Beach, California

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Beautiful hiking area with plenty of FREE parking. Don't be put off by the parking payment machines. Payment for parking is voluntary, but I donated five dollars. The hike is beautiful and not at all difficult. There are at least a dozen options for trail combinations. I did a 7.4 mile loop that consisted of two trails. It helps here to have a GPS map. Otherwise, you'll have to be VERY observant of signs. None of the up-hills were dramatic, but there is enough elevation gain to get your heart beating. The views are fantastic on a clear day. There are warnings of rattlesnakes, but, thankfully, I didn't see any. I only encountered 4 bikes over my 7.5 miles, but I did encounter one rude woman jogging. She ran up behind my deaf friend and acted as if the seas should part for her. read more

A really fun area to hike in. The trails are not too difficult and there is plenty of parking (free parking, even though there are payment meters) read more

I could wander for hours! Well-maintained trailhead with bathrooms and water bottle fill station. lovely golden hour hike. The cows seem unbothered by people and dogs passing by, but respect their space. Don't forget to register your parking; it helps keep this place funded. read more

Pismo Preserve - Hiking Near Me - Pismo Beach, California

The weather was initially gloomy as hubby & I started the hike in the morning but thankfully, the skies cleared up a bit & we were able to capture great photos of the nature & the ocean! This hike quickly became one of my favorites bc the length of the hike was perfect for us & the scenery was breathtaking! I definitely want to return back when I'm in the area. read more

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I wish every community could set aside more natural space for local adventure. The Pismo Preserve has lots of trails that connect so you can design your own routes. Lots of hiker and bikers sharing the same space. Easy to moderate uphill grades with nothing too advanced. The preserve is dog friendly with leash and parking is limited. If the lot is full you can park below the main parking lot on the other side of the highway. Parking here will add about a quarter mile each way for your hiking or biking adventure. Clean bathrooms at the trailhead. Come check out the Pismo Preserve and the ocean views. read more

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Loved this hike and it's so convenient with my little one. My daughter is almost one years old so having a parking lot and marked trails really helped us! I love that you can choose which trail you want depending on the distance. It's close to the highway so you shouldn't get lost. Overall, I'll be returning to this trail whenever I want a nice stroll with beautiful views! read more

Best to visit in spring with all the yellow flowers. Overall this is a relatively challenging trail system expecially when you choose the longer loops. There are several switchbacks and little shade. If you're physical fit, it's not too bad of a hike. - Great views of pismo beach. - The Lone Oak loop (states 2.2 miles). My best advice is to be aware that there are two loops to this trail. The fist small loop is not the end of this trail. When you finish that small loop you have to continue up the main trail up 10 more feet to see the marker for the second Lone Oak loop. A much longer loop. I will say that the lone oak trail felt much longer than the stated 2.2 miles. Note that some of the upper portions of this trail are overgrown.. - Several picnic tables at the parking lot and along the various trails. - Snakes. This is prime snake territory and on my hike I ran across a small snake that was on the side of the trail. Someone else on the trail warned us that they saw a rattlesnake. - Parking lot is relatively small. I would imagine that on the weekends you'll have to slowly drive around the lot to wait for an opening. - Bathrooms (both male and female) have large daddy long legs on the walls.. read more

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Wow! Hiking above the ocean just can't be beat! This is a 900 acre nature preserve for people to hike, bike, run, walk and horseback ride. This includes eleven miles of trails. On the morning I chose to hike, it was a cool here come the clouds type of day. I didn't let the weather stop me though. I hiked amongst huge oak trees and high ridge lines. I just kept adding on trails and ended up completing six miles. I even found a science tool that monitors seismic activity. That was cool! There are some benches along the way should you want to stop and take in the incredible ocean views. I didn't see any wildlife except a couple hawks. The higher I went the better the weather. I really enjoyed hiking out here and the temperature was perfect. The only con is the parking lot does fill up fast so if you arrive late morning you may have to drive around a couple times in order to grab a spot. I highly recommend checking this place out when in the area. read more

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Beautiful coastal hike with nice city and hillside views! Hiked the 5.5 mile Discovery Trail loop this past summer, and it was a very pleasant experience. The Discovery Trail is on the easier side of moderate with an overall modest elevation gain of roughly 700 feet in total. So, not the toughest hike by any means, but you'll still get a nice little workout in. This trail is pretty much completely exposed, but because it's not too far off from the coast, you'll have that nice breeze to keep you cool. You should still lather up with sunscreen and dress in layers though. It gets haaawt by the time the afternoon rolls around. The Discovery Trail (when starting counter clockwise) starts off with a gradual incline until you reach the top of the hill. Here, you'll be rewarded with beautiful views of the coastline and even a few rest benches where you can sit down and take it all in. It's pretty dry during the summer, so most of the rolling hills and grassy areas will be brown. However, I was still able to spot some really vibrant summer wildflowers. The parking lot was full by 8 am, so I ended up parking in the overflow lot that's right across the street for the Ventana Grill. This added about another .75 miles to the hike. If you want to secure closer parking, I'd recommend arriving before 8 am on the weekends since this seems to be a popular hike. Although the parking lot was full, I didn't encounter too many people on the trail for the majority of the time that I was there. I feel like people prefer to come to the preserve later on in the day, and this is when I saw the most people arriving. There are clean restrooms on site near the main parking lot. What's nice is that there are so many trails to connect to. So, even if you don't want to follow one specific trail, you can wander off and explore. Just be sure the retrace your steps. It isn't a huge preserve, but many of the trails look exactly the same, so it can be easy to get lost if you don't map it out. All in all, I really enjoyed this hike and would definitely visit the preserve again to explore some other trails. read more

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This review is for the Discovery Trail which was a ~5.4 mile round trip that took ~2.5 hours to complete. Beautiful views of the ocean and oak trees. A little dry throughout the hike. No shade for about 2/3 of the hike. Trail is shared with bikes. Small parking lot with a clean restroom. Short video of the hike for those interested: https://youtu.be/yBgygo8IVh0 read more

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Beautiful views and amazing hike trails! I came here on a Sunday around noon time and the parking lot had plenty of spaces and there is a trail map at the front with bathrooms. The trails were moderate depending on which ones you take, and there some that are more steeper then others. You can bring your dog or older children (maybe like 7 years old and up) and you can even go mountain biking here. read more

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A multipurpose trail with easy to follow trail markers with grandiose views of Pismo Beach and 5-coastal cities as you climb and switch back along. Starting out on the trail you ask yourself why is this a preserve? Sure the ocean views are fantastic as you begin ascending the trail. But the terrain is mostly non-native grasses caused by the Spanish settlers cattle in the 1700's over grazing the indigenous habitat. But hold on! Keep walking. Do your switch back Sally song along. About a mile in you see the true natural wonder. Live oak woodlands spread across the undulating horizon mixed in with chaparral plant communities. Rub the sage and smell the mint of coastal sage fill the air - and your nostrils. Some lupine, Indian paint brush, blue dicks and mariposa lilly are just some early wildflower bloomers. Check it out over the next few months and i bet the hills are covered in wildflowers. Watch acorn woodpeckers meticulously drill holes in a live oak and fill the tree with hundreds of acorns. Coyotes, mule deer, western fence lizards, maybe a bobcat will surprise you on you hike. But you'll never know until ou take that hike - so glad this land is a preserve for now and for future generations. read more

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Cute nature preserve overlooking the Pismo Beach coastline. There is nothing like going on a trail run and seeing the ocean at the same time. I couldn't help but stop to take a picture every so often because the views from the trails are just that spectacular. This park is pretty small in relation to some of the other bigger county parks, but the trails are just as good. The park has 11 miles of trails, so there is something for everyone. My husband and I opted for the Spring to Spring trail which is a 4 mile trail that loops around the whole park. This trail has a nice mix of upward, flat, and downward trails. I personally loved the wildflowers that are growing throughout the preserve. There are also many benches located throughout the park, so you can stop and enjoy and the beautiful ocean views. This preserve is defiantly one of my favorites. We were there on a Monday afternoon, so parking was not an issue, but I would imagine that the parking lot gets pretty full on the weekends. The parking lot is small, so get there early. Happy hiking! read more

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Beautiful trail ride on the preserve! View was awesome! Take pictures, we got caught up in the ride, we didn't get photos! Must make reservations, no charge. Limited parking access. read more

Cj. Who works for the conservancy I think is an absolute gem of a human being. She seems to be in charge of getting the trails back open after the rains and sees over a lot of the Maintenance. She is kind, thorough, and totally on top of it. Ram into her the other day in the parking lot and she was asking for feedback and had a beautiful energy about her. This trail is already awesome but it's cool to know the people behind the scenes are just as awesome! Thanks Cj. You made our day! read more

This hike is top notch!! I am so happy about this glorious addition to our hiking trails in SLO County! The path is very well groomed with a few different options for paths to take depending on how long you want to hike. The different trails are clearly labeled by name and color, so it is not too hard to stay on your trail. I personally like the Discovery (or yellow) trail the best because it is takes you around the entire preserve. The hike itself is not too hard with a steady incline that is not very steep. Regardless, the views are phenomenal!! Whether you are above the ocean or walking among the oak trees around the back. If you go in the spring time there are also these huge mustard flowers that are nearly as tall as myself that create the pathways. It is BEAUTIFUL! There are some things to be aware of: 1) I recommend you try to visit this trail on a weekday because the parking lot is quite small for its popularity. Once the parking lot is full, there is really nowhere else to park. Make sure to pick a weekday or leave early in the morning so you can snag a parking spot. 2) Most of this trail is in direct sunlight! Bring more water than you think you will need because it gets hot! 3) The grass on the preserve is green and luscious, but BE CAREFUL!! These hills are home is countless rattlesnakes! Depending on the season, you will find them all over the place! I have never seen one on the walking trail though, so just be cautious and not veer off the path. I love this hike and cannot recommend it enough! read more

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Beautiful, well-maintained area to go on hike for people of all levels. It's very easy to get to, although parking is fairly limited. Get there early, or risk having to park on the other side of the freeway and adding a little more to your hike. There are great bathroom facilities at the start and they provide bikers with these cute little bells so that you can warn others when you're heading towards them. We chose the Discovery Trail, which was a good moderate trail with stunning views of the wildflowers and the beach. There is a sign at the beginning of the hike that warns about ticks - heed that warning! I've never come across this many ticks while on a hike. During our hike we found a couple on my friend's dog, and later on at home, we found a few more while digging through his fur. Definitely worth a visit if you are looking for a local hike. read more

Pismo Preserve - Heed the warning, there really are lots of ticks around. - Hiking Near Me - Pismo Beach, California

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What an amazing hike! Great view of Pismo Beach, the Dunes in Guadalupe and also close to Highway 101 North. Tip: just make sure to go to the bathroom before the hike and watch out for bikers on the trail! Please stop to enjoy the views and keep an eye on the trail or you will end up on far from the exit (like we did). The beginning is a little steep hang in there and do one step at a time! read more

Pismo Preserve - Hiking Near Me - Pismo Beach, California

Such a magical hike with yellow flowers blanketing the hillsides. The trails are groomed including markers to keep you on track. There are a couple of picnic tables and benches to rest and enjoy the ocean view. Cows were grazing that day. A few birds glide in place. You can sit there and just study the subtle wing movements that keep them in control. I recommend sunscreen. We met an elderly couple. We shared stories and moved along. read more

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Horse people beware. Our group made reservations 2 weeks in advance and emailed several times to be sure we had spots for our planned ride with three horse trailers loaded with 5 horses. We even stopped at Office Depot to print one of our reservations when we realized one was missing because we read on their website that if you park without a reservation a boot will be placed on your tire. Upon arrival the attendant, CJ, walked up and told us, "I don't have spots for you". Wow! Did not ask to see our reservations. Those were the first words out of her mouth. I responded that we had reservations. She said that the spots were already taken. Which we could clearly see. My response was that we will wait for her to put the boot on the tires. We had a long drive and horse trailer trouble to solve and horses that wanted out. She said she had no idea about a boot and proceeded to tell me she could call the police but that would take at least an hour so we should find another place to ride. I was in disbelief and expressed it. Her response was that it is just a trail ride. Again wow. Then CJ said I was being being mean and she couldn't deal with me. Really? You know what's mean? My bets on allowing five ladies, who very rarely get away, research amazing rides for our trip from OC and Tehachapi, load up five horses and haul all the way here only to discover they don't actually check reservations. It seems to me that the folks running this treat it as their own private trail system. Old reservations were on the dash of both trucks made in the name of the lady on the horse photos we saw on the web, Beverly Poorman. More like Beverly PoorManners. Moral of the story; unless your connected don't waste your time and certainly don't expect upstanding horse people courtesy. read more

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This is an awesome place to visit while in Pismo Beach. It's only 5 minutes drive from the pier and you can actually see it while on the pier. If you get her early (before 8am), you should be able to find parking. Most people who come here will usually take a small hike so eventually, parking spots will start to open up if you want to wait. There are 2 restrooms at the trailhead and it's clean. If you are not able to find parking, there is a dirt lot on Price street before you turn on to the road that goes up to the trailhead. It's not too far, maybe a 5-10 minute walk up. Definitely come visit here during the spring time and might be able to catch the goats grazing above the parking lot. read more

Although I don't consider myself as an outdoorsy person, this conservatory and it's walking trails are awesome. Every path is clearly labeled and the GPS map is precise. The views of the coastline are amazing!! read more

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This is a brand new hiking trail (since I moved away four years ago), and I'm super impressed with the preserve. The parking lot is plentiful with free parking spaces, but the lot does get busy. Everything feels new and manicured. The public bathrooms are clean and fresh, too. There are breathtaking ocean views, and you can quickly get into the mountains for a nice hike. There were warnings about dangerous wildlife, and since I wasn't familiar with recent wildlife trends of hungry cats and bears and since I didn't bring bear spray, I decided to play it safe and not venture too far with my little dog, since he looks like a tasty little snack for powerful mountain creatures. This trail is a beautiful addition to the Pismo area and I can't wait to explore the whole thing one day! read more

Pismo Preserve - Plenty of free parking - Hiking Near Me - Pismo Beach, California

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I couldn't wait for this place to open. Wow, did it take of with a bang. There are multiple ways to hike to the top. I will rate the hiking level as medium, as it's a climb the whole way to the top.The views from up there are awesome. I have never been up there near sunset, but it must be spectacular. read more

Great spot to take in the views of the ocean and pismo beach. Even though the website hours say they are closed they have actually just opened up on the weekends. Most of the time during the week it's not crazy busy but since we went at the start of spring break parking took a bit (there is limited parking spots so if you are unlucky and can't find any you can park across the highway and walk). The pismo preserve offers a variety of trails, with the biggest being a little over 5 miles. Some are marked for hikers only and some you can ride a bike on. Make sure to check out the map at the start of the trail to see what you can do. They even have a QR code so you can download the trails to your phone!! We went on the blue trail (sorry I forgot the name) and it was awesome! Views were amazing , trail was great, not overly difficult so anyone could do it. The trail is single hiker only so it can get a little tight if you need to pass another person. Huge bonus , my wife and friends said the bathrooms were actually CLEAN which is rare at a park. A must see while in Pismo if you enjoy hiking and being outdoors. Take plenty of water and clean up after yourselves, they provide trash cans at the end of the trails for you and your 4 legged babies. read more

Pismo Preserve - Fog rolling in on. Once it cleared you could see the beach and dunes. - Hiking Near Me - Pismo Beach, California

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Great hiking trails and beautiful scenery, it is a lot of walking but the view is totally worth it!!! read more

Pismo Preserve - Pismo beach View - Hiking Near Me - Pismo Beach, California

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This has quickly become my favorite hiking trail in the area. You can do a short hike or a very long one easily here with great terrain. The views from every part of this trail are amazing. Couple of hints though: parking is very difficult. You are not likely to find parking on the weekends here. You can park in the area and walk up to the preserve. Be alert. Watch for rattlesnakes because they're definitely here. Find the lone oak tree. Talk about amazing! Happy hiking read more

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Normally closed to public , due to being a private property. It was opened to public today because its Earth Day today. Yay ! Even on Open Days ( they call it the Discovery Day ) , you cannot drive into the Preserve. You have to park your car at the Pismo City Hall and take the FREE shuttle bus which is a 15 minuets ride one way. We parked our car on the side of the road and walked in. As of 4/22/2018 , the flowers are in full bloom and the hills are covered with yellow flowers. So gorgeous and beautiful. We took the Discovery Trail to Avila Lookout , 3/4 of the way , we saw patches of California Poppies , purple lupine , white , orange , pink flowers blossoms everywhere. There are many trails you can take and there's a trail map at the trail head. We took the Discovery Trail which is about 2 miles one way, around 700 ft elevation gain and took the fire road back. Fire road is shorter but steeper. I'd love to go back again on another open day and try different trails. Beautiful view of the beach, panoramic view of Avila, Shell Beach , Pismo and Grover Beach from the Avila Lookout. We totally enjoyed the hike and the preserve. Thanks to all the volunteers. Happy Earth Day ! read more

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The much-anticipated trail is now open! There are endless trials and loops for hiking and mountain biking. There are great bathroom facilities and parking (albeit small in capacity - You can always park across from Ventana Grill on Pismo Beach Road and walk up to the Preserve). The maps look straightforward but I found the trail markers a bit confusing. Many of the trials overlap and it's not always clear which one you're following. That very well could be my error. Nonetheless, I found my way. But if it's your first time here, I'd say give yourself an hour longer than you think a trail will take - just in case you take a detour. Most of the trails are narrow and you need to watch out for mountain bikers (guys, please attach the bells provided at trailheads to your bikes!). However, there are hiking-only trails if you want to steer clear altogether. I didn't see any snakes but others reported to beware. It's has been very crowded since it's opening, but head on down after all the corona craziness because the view of the ocean is beautiful and you'll inevitably run into a smiling face you know. read more

The hike today was fantastic & free. We were picked up by the last free Shuttle right from the front of Lido's Restaurant at the Dolphin Bay Inn (a kind sponsor) & we were the only ones in the vehicle. The driver was super-nice & so were the volunteers at the Preserve. We almost made it to the Avila Lookout, but we had tons of great views of Ocean vistas all thru the hike. The hike for us out of shape types took about 2.5 hours. We then regained out calories at Lido's with an extensive dinner including a bottle of Champagne, Whale watching from our ocean view table, & Choc. Mousse for desert! An amazingly fun afternoon for us local Shell Beach residents. Thanks to all who sponsored the event! read more

The trails have good potential but they are not marked very well until you climb a bit, which was tricky for first timers there. You also have to dodge a bunch of cow crap along the trails and watch for rattlesnakes and ticks. read more

Parked in the freshly repaved parking lot at 6:45 am on a Friday. Hiked the Discovery Trail to the Spring to Spring Trail and made my way to the Lone Oak Tree, back along Spring to Spring before taking the Low Road back to parking lot and (clean and well-stocked) bathrooms. The parking lots was almost full and plenty of eager hikers and cyclists around by 9:30 am. Also saw someone unloading their horse. Enjoyed seeing (and hearing) a small variety of birds, a rabbit, beautiful old oak trees with hanging moss. The hikes are relatively easy-lots of switchbacks and nothing too steep or unruly. It's a mixed-use trail so beware-a fast cyclist barreled down from a blind corner and startled the beetle juice out of me. It's a great place to hike. The only downside is the traffic noise from 101 which is close by-and the startling cyclists. Trails are narrow and winding, so remember to share the adventure. read more

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This trail is on par with Montana de Oro. Its a fairly good workout getting to the top and there are several ways to do it. One drawback is the parking. I wouldn't even consider going on a weekend. The views from the top are spectacular... read more

Pismo Preserve - shell beach - Hiking Near Me - Pismo Beach, California

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Nice hike and beautiful views. Looks like a couple trails were closed. We ended up doing the 3.5 one because of trails closed. You are supposed to go one way but people were going the opposite way toward us. I think because they realized the hike was longer than a mile so they turned around when the shorter trails were closed. I really wish bike riders would read and not go on the walking trails. We had quite a few bikers keep passing us so we would have to go up in the weeds so they could pass us. The trail is narrow. There are paths specifically for bikes but it's obvious they didn't care even though the signs were posted. I'm not a hiker and it wasn't bad hike. Some hills but not to bad. I'm sure people can use a stroller on these trails if you have one with bigger tires. Towards the end there were some rocks that might be hard to go over (pic below). Most of the way was a dirt path though. They also have bathrooms before you go on the trail. read more

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Beautiful scenery-there is variety of trails one is short about a mile vamonos and Discovery5.5 miles. Hiking up hill is not bad because it is zigzag. There are others and you can hike longer than 5. 5 miles by adding other trails. read more

Amazing hike in Pismo Beach! It's the perfect hike for novice and advanced hikers (I fall somewhere in between). You get options of various hiking routes. We took the big loop (longest hike) which was the lengthiest yet moderate, and it took about 2 hours. The best part is you're rewarded along the way with great ocean views from above, photo ops in nature and cool breezes here and there. There are bathrooms and water fountains at the start of the trail. Highly recommended for anyone visiting the area. read more

Great hiking adventure with many options/trails. Beautiful view of the ocean as well!