Oso Flaco Lake Natural Area

Located along the San Luis Obispo County shoreline, Oso Flaco Lake Natural Area is a state-protected natural area that has an unnamed beach with light-brown sand. This beach is also known as Oso Flaco Lake Natural Area Beach. The beach in Oso Flaco Lake Natural Area is situated below oceanfront bluffs. Oso Flaco Lake Natural Area is a part of the Oceano Dunes State Vehicular Recreation Area. The Oso Flaco Creek flows through the beach into the Pacific Ocean. The beach in Oso Flaco Lake Natural Area does not have lifeguards. However, the area around this beach has restrooms, a boardwalk, and walking trails. Dogs are not allowed on the beach.

The beach in Oso Flaco Lake Natural Area offers many amenities including beachcombing, sunbathing, wildlife watching, hiking, swimming, surfing, bodysurfing, bodyboarding, kayaking, canoeing, non-motorized boating, and fishing. If you are planning to go into the water near Oso Flaco Lake Natural Area, we recommend being careful as the water here has rip currents. Depending on the tie of the year, you can see many kinds of animals in the water near the beach including seals, sea lions, and migrating whales. If you are planning to fish in the water near Oso Flaco Lake Natural Area, please make sure that you follow the local fishing regulations. The boardwalk present near this beach offers amazing Instagram-worthy views of the San Luis Obispo County shoreline along with an amazing wildlife watching experience. In addition, interesting interpretive signs are also present on this boardwalk which offers information on the local biodiversity. If you like birdwatching, you can view many kinds of endangered birds which seasonally nest in the area around the beach near the Oso Flaco Lake Area.

There are many attractions near Oso Flaco Lake Natural Area within a 20-minute drive. Oceano Train Depot is a museum that is set in a train depot built in the early 20th century. This museum has interesting exhibitions on the vibrant history of San Luis Obispo County. Cypress Ridge Golf Club is a beautifully landscaped golf facility that offers a fun and challenging session of golf. If you are looking for another attraction near Oso Flaco Lake Natural Area, the Nipomo Native Garden is spread over 12 acres. This garden has an interesting collection of plants from the Nipomo Mesa region and the Nipomo. The garden also has an oak woodland forest and you can explore the garden’s premises via hiking trails. A children’s play area is also being developed in the garden.

Getting to Oso Flaco Lake Natural Area is easy - the paid parking lot for the natural area is easily accessible from Cabrillo Highway/Pacific Coast Highway. From Pacific Coast Highway/ Cabrillo Highway, you need to drive west on Oso Flaco Lake Road in order to access the paid parking lot for Oso Flaco Lake Natural Area. In addition, there are also some free parking areas near the gate for Oso Flaco Lake Natural Area. From the parking lot, you need to hike on an old hiking trail that will pass through woodlands and then lead to a bridge over a lake called the Oso Flaco Lake. Once you cross this bridge, you will come across a mile-long boardwalk. You need to walk along this boardwalk which will lead to a sandy path providing access to the beach in Oso Flaco Lake Natural Area.

As an interesting fact, the Oso Flaco Lake gained its name during the 18th century, when the Portolá Expedition (the first European expedition to explore northern California) was camping in the area - during their stay, some of the expedition members hunted a skinny bear (called Oso Flaco in Spanish) for food near this lake. The expedition members did not know that the bear was poisoned by the Native American Chumash people living in the region, and many expedition members fell gravely ill from eating poisoned bear meat. The Oso Flaco Lake Natural Area has many interesting habitats including riparian wetlands, sand dune fields, and woodland forests which are full of interesting and wonderful animals. If you like birdwatching, you can see many kinds of birds in this natural area including ducks, herons, terns, pelicans, and the rare Western snowy plover (which is listed as Endangered under the 1973 federal Endangered Species Act). In addition, you can also see many animals around the Oso Flaco Lake including frogs, lizards, snakes, deer, coyotes, and rabbits.

There are many attractions near Oso Flaco Lake Natural Area within a 20-minute drive. Oceano Train Depot is a museum that is set in a train depot built in the early 20th century. This museum has interesting exhibitions on the vibrant history of San Luis Obispo County. Cypress Ridge Golf Club is a beautifully landscaped golf facility that offers a fun and challenging session of golf. If you are looking for another attraction near Oso Flaco Lake Natural Area, the Nipomo Native Garden is spread over 12 acres. This garden has an interesting collection of plants from the Nipomo Mesa region and the Nipomo. The garden also has an oak woodland forest and you can explore the garden’s premises via hiking trails. A children’s play area is also being developed in the garden.

If you get hungry, there are many great restaurants near Oso Flaco Lake Natural Area within a 25-minute drive. The Swiss Restaurant and Bar offers many amenities including salads, steaks, burgers, sandwiches, seafood, and pasta. PAPA JAY’S SOUTHERN QUE ZINE offers excellent Creole and Cajun dishes including po’boy sandwiches and jambalaya. In addition, the restaurant also serves delicious macaroni-and-cheese and fried chicken. If you are looking for another good and affordable restaurant near Oso Flaco Lake Natural Area, the modestly priced Tom’s Take Out serves amazing burgers, sandwiches, and fries.

If you are looking for a hotel near Oso Flaco Lake Natural Area, there are many great nearby options within a 25-minute drive. The 4-Star Inn at The Pier offers many amenities including a rooftop terrace with a pool, sun loungers, two restaurants, a lobby bar with a lounge, and a gym. A more affordable hotel is the 3-Star Best Western Plus Big America which offers many amenities including a pool, a gym, a hot tub, barbecue spots, a restaurant, and complimentary breakfast. In addition, the hotel also offers complimentary drinks and snacks throughout the day and also offers a complimentary shuttle service. If you are looking for another good and affordable hotel near Oso Flaco Lake Natural Area, the 2-Star Days Inn by Wyndham Santa Maria offers many amenities including a pool and complimentary breakfast.