Fiscalini Ranch Preserve

Located in the town of Cambria, Fiscalini Ranch Preserve is an oceanfront preserve with a rocky coastline. The preserve has a diverse landscape consisting of many habitats including pine forests, wetlands, and coastal grasslands that have a vibrant array of flora and fauna. The preserve has approximately a mile of blufftop coastline with a long and rocky beach below it. 

The beach in Fiscalini Ranch Preserve is very narrow and has some stretches of gravel and brown sand, and it does not have lifeguards or any other amenities. However, the area above the beach has walking trails and benches. 

The beach in Fiscalini Ranch Preserve offers many fun activities including hiking, biking, wildlife watching, horse riding, beachcombing, sunbathing, and tidepooling. The water near Fiscalini Ranch Preserve is unsafe for recreational aquatic activities including swimming, surfing, and kayaking as it has dangerous rip currents. In addition, the rocky shoreline along the beach can inflict grave injuries. Depending on the time of the year, you can see many animals in the water near Fiscalini Ranch Preserve including migrating whales, sea lions, seals, dolphins, and sea otters. The blufftop area above the beach in Fiscalini Ranch Preserve offers a marvelous view of the central California coastline. If you like hiking, biking, and horse riding, Fiscalini Ranch Preserve offers many hiking, biking, and equestrian trails to explore the vivid and picturesque landscape of the preserve, which is home to a variety of animals including coyote, deer, bobcats, turtles, tidewater goby fish, frogs, and a wide variety of birds including owls, hawks, and herons. The preserve also has a forest of Monterey Pines, which are an extremely rare variety of pine trees. Friends of the Fiscalini Ranch Preserve is a non-profit organization that also organizes monthly docent-led tours on the preserve which offer interesting information on the local flora, fauna, geography, and history.

Getting to Fiscalini Ranch Preserve is easy - the entrance to the preserve is located near 2775 Windsor Boulevard, where there is also a free parking lot. From the entrance, you need to hike on the Bluff Trail and look out for access spots along the bluff side leading down to the beach below. Since these access spots can be steep and the beach can be rocky, we recommend visiting the beach wearing appropriate footwear.

There are many attractions near Fiscalini Ranch Preserve. If you like shopping, Cambria’s Main Street offers many excellent shopping stores, galleries, and restaurants. If you like theatre, Pewter Plough Playhouse hosts many marvelous plays and many other exciting events throughout the year. If you are looking for another attraction near Fiscalini Ranch Preserve, the Cambria Historical Museum is set in one of the oldest homes of the village of Cambria and has interesting exhibits offering a unique insight into Cambria’s history.

If you get hungry, there are many restaurants near Fiscalini Ranch Preserve. Sea Chest Oyster Bar is an upscale restaurant that offers excellent seafood and is set in an idyllic New England-style building. Cambria Mimosas Steak & Seafood offers excellent breakfast and lunch dishes including pancakes, hash browns, fries, and burritos. If you are looking for another good and affordable restaurant near Fiscalini Ranch Preserve, the modestly priced Boni’s Tacos offers delicious Mexican dishes including quesadillas, tacos, taquitos, burritos, and quesadillas.

If you are looking for a hotel near Fiscalini Ranch Preserve, there are many great nearby options. The 4-Star Blue Dolphin Inn presents incredible oceanfront views and also serves complimentary breakfast. A more affordable hotel is the 3-Star Castle Inn which offers many amenities including complimentary breakfast, a pool, and a hot tub. If you are looking for another good and affordable hotel near Fiscalini Ranch Preserve, the modestly priced 2-Star Silver Surf Motel offers many amenities including a pool, a hot tub, a private lawn with picnic tables, and a rooftop sundeck.