In summer it is too hot. And when it rains, muddy dirt roads threaten to swallow your car.
But if you can visit Carrizo Plain National Monument on a spring day, when the hills and grasslands are green and a few wildflowers remain in the meadows, well, you're winning. And you'll see a lonely, wild corner of California that few people find.
The monument is approximately 38 miles long and 17 miles wide; You might think it's hard to miss. But it is located along the San Andreas Fault, in the generally dry hills between Bakersfield and Santa Maria, far from Interstate 5 or US 101, about 170 miles northwest of Los Angeles.
Signs warn motorists of what awaits them at Carrizo Plain National Monument in San Luis Obispo County.
(Christopher Reynolds/Los Angeles Times)
Inside the monument, most roads are gravel or dirt, and there is no drinking water, no food, no gasoline, and cell phone coverage is spotty. The educational center and two semi-primitive camps have vaulted bathrooms.
In other words, it's almost perfect for repelling crowds. However, it's pretty good as the centerpiece of an overnight road trip exploring small towns and back roads of the western San Joaquin Valley and eastern San Luis Obispo County.
If Friday arrives, Carrizo staff and volunteers will celebrate the 25th anniversary of the monument, which was created on a former ranch under President Clinton. (Free tours and refreshments will be offered at the event, which will be held from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Guy L. Goodwin Education Center.) But next week could be greener, because rain is likely in the plains on Saturday and Sunday.
For many visitors, the great attraction of Carrizo is the wildflowers. The grasslands and hillsides act as a vast, uncluttered canvas for their colors, which typically bloom in March and last until April. But every year is different, especially in this era of climate change. This year, after unusually heavy rain In February, Carrizo Plain erupted in a dramatic flowering in Marchwhich attracts several hundred visitors a day.
At Carrizo Plain National Monument on a spring day, the hills and grasslands were green and a few wildflowers remained in the meadows.
(Christopher Reynolds/Los Angeles Times)
When my wife and I arrived in early April, the flowers had already passed. its peakbut the hills were still green and many meadows were dyed yellow, violet and blue. If I'm reading my wildflower manual correctly, these were tidy tips, Goldfields, Owl's Clover, Thistle Sage, Valley Larkspur, Coreopsis, Phacelia and Hillside Daisies.
Meanwhile, the 3,000-acre Soda Lake, which is dusty, crisp, dry and white in summer, still had some water. Imagine the salty beds of Mono Lake, the Salton Sea, or the Badwater of Death Valley, but surrounded by green hills. It was surprising: the opposite of a desert oasis.
To get there, we drove north on I-5 toward the San Joaquin Valley, then turned west on state routes 166, 33, and 58, stopping for gas in Maricopa (population: 984).
Inside the monument, we strolled along Soda Lake Road, admiring windmills, an old ranch now reserved for bats, and a few hills dotted with lazy cows. (The monument is managed by the Bureau of Land Management, which allows grazing.)
If you look a little closer, you realize that the monument is practically split in two by the San Andreas Fault. On Elkhorn Road, you remember that those mountains to the east (the Tremor Range) are slowly moving southeast. Meanwhile, the Cordillera Caliente (those mountains just to the west) are moving in the opposite direction. The “offset” is growing about 1.5 inches per year, at least until the next big earthquake.
A lone visitor stands at the edge of Soda Lake in the Carrizo Plain National Monument.
(Christopher Reynolds/Los Angeles Times)
As we slowly progressed through this scene, we saw two bugs running along the edge of the road: fist-sized creatures hopping on their hind legs. These were probably giant kangaroo rats, a native species whose numbers have been increasing since their listing. endangered species in 1987.
We didn't see any blunt-nosed leopard lizards or San Joaquin Valley kit foxes (which eat giant kangaroo rats), but those species are also endangered and native to the area. Experts say there are also pronghorn antelope and Tule elk, along with California condors flying overhead. We just saw crows hanging around the fence posts.
The Goodwin Education Center, the memorial's main gathering place, is open Thursday through Sunday, December through May. We looked at maps, got tips on where to go next, and ate our lunch at a picnic table, marveling at those green slopes.
A San Joaquin kit fox is displayed at the Goodwin Educational Center within the Carrizo Plain National Monument.
(Christopher Reynolds/Los Angeles Times)
In this long valley, scientists have found signs of native camps up to 10,000 years old, an indication of how wetter this area once was. Not far from the education center it's a short hike to Painted Rock, a protected site that includes native pictographs in a horseshoe-shaped sandstone formation. The red, white and black images date back between 100 and 4,000 years. (We didn't see them. From March to May, visitors can see the pictographs only in Guided tours on Saturdays.. From July 16 to February, visitors can book self-guided tours.)
After lunch, we poked around nearby Soda Lake, exited the north end of the monument, joined State Route 58, and headed west over a series of whoops, those ups and downs in the road that will help you defy gravity, if you take them fast enough.
One of them, I now realize, was the San Andreas Fault itself.
During all this, we didn't see more than 15 or 20 people, including cars. Continuing from State Route 58, we joined State Route 41, saw oaks and vineyards appear and multiply, continued towards Paso Robles and spent the night.
On the return trip we stayed one or two hours in Santa Margarita (population: 1,149), reviewing the porch cafe, the barn (antiques) and dizzy vintage and gift shop, operating in a blue Quonset structure known as the Rainbow Hut.
Holli Rae owns and operates Giddy Up vintage and gift shop on El Camino Real in Santa Margarita.
(Christopher Reynolds/Los Angeles Times)
“It's just a sweet little town. Very quiet,” said Holli Rae, a filmmaker and former Angeleno who opened Giddy Up about two years ago. He moved north, he said, in search of “nature, animals, deer, birds. The creatures!”
Thanks to US 101, we were home and grateful in three and a half hours.
Soon, we knew, summer will arrive and the Carrizo Llano will fry until everything green turns golden. In fact, starting June 1, the Goodwin Education Center will close for six months.
For a few more weeks, Angelenos, your window of opportunity is open.
if you go
Where to explore:
Check the Carrizo Plain National Monument website or call the visitor center at (661) 391-6191. The recorded information line is (661) 391-6193. Also check the weather; Most roads in the monument are dirt or gravel and can become impassable in the rain.
Where to sleep:
Adelaide Inn, 1215 Ysabel Ave., Paso Robles; (805) 238-2770. Located near 24th Street and US 101, this hotel includes a pool and playground. Rates start at around $100.
River Lodge, 1955 Theater Drive, Paso Robles; (805) 221-7377. Born as a motel in 1947, this hotel was reborn as a boutique property in 2024. It has 28 rooms, a patio restaurant (Ciao Papi) and an adults-only pool. It is located off US 101, about 3 miles south of downtown Paso. Weekday rates typically start at $149 and often double on weekends.
Melody Ranch Motel, 939 Spring St., Paso Robles; (805) 238-3911. This is a retro 1950s motel with a pool, open from May to September. Since its inception it has had 19 rooms and a privileged location on Spring Street, the main artery of Paso Robles. Rates start at around $100. Most reservations are made by phone, in person or through Expedia.
Where to eat:
Joe's Place, 205 Spring St., Paso Robles; (805) 238-5637. Since 1995, this breakfast and lunch spot has been a local favorite for casual family meals.
El Porche Café, 22322 El Camino Real, Santa Margarita; (805) 438-3376. This all-day cafe (with beer and wine) is located along the main street of small, quiet Santa Margarita.
