I recently spent 2 nights in San Luis Obispo County, exploring both the coastline and towns. The county is filled with a variety of different experiences, from hiking up sand dunes to squeezing through a tight Bubblegum Alley. I’ve compiled a list of the top things we did in SLO County, along with a couple things we missed out on but sounded great.
Best Things to Do in San Luis Obispo County
With that said, in no particular order here are my favourite things to do in San Luis Obispo County.
Green Valley Viewing Point
This viewing point is located on Highway 46 between Paso Robles and Cambria. Really, it’s just a simple unmarked roadside pullout. However, in the right conditions, there is a spectacular view over the Santa Lucia Mountains.
When we visited, it was so foggy that we couldn’t see anything until we reached the top. Once we were there, we were treated to a fabulous view of the bright green rolling hills. I loved the effect the fog added to the scene, but the rest of my family thought it would be great in sunny conditions as well. It does seem like the grass on the hills is often dried up, so we got lucky with the greenery.
Moonstone Beach
Located in the adorable town of Cambria is Moonstone Beach, one of California’s most famous beaches. It’s well known for it’s amazing sunsets and is definitely one of the top things to do in San Luis Obispo County. Unfortunately we were met with gloomy conditions and partway through our visit it started pouring down with rain so we had to leave. Nevertheless, I can imagine how beautiful this beach must be at sunset.
Eat at Gardens of Avila
If I could recommend just one thing to do in SLO county, this would be it. Gardens of Avila is a fine dining restaurant located in Sycamore Mineral Springs Resort & Spa. The food and service was incredible, and for a surprisingly reasonable price. You can read my full review here, but know that this is one of the best restaurants in the area. It’s vegetarian friendly, too!
LOKUM Turkish Delights & Café
Continuing on with the theme of food, you absolutely have to go to LOKUM for their delicious Turkish Delights. Located in downtown San Luis Obispo, it’s actually the second outpost – the initial café opened in Santa Barbara. I hadn’t read about it anywhere, but was instantly drawn in by the stunning décor on the inside.
There weren’t too many sweets without nuts, but I was able to sample their Chronicles of Narnia Turkish Delights. They also sold baklava, kadaif, and coffee, amongst other things. I was unsure I’d like the Turkish Delights, as I’d never had them prior to this, but they were very high quality and had great flavours. I bought just 4 small cubes, and I regret not purchasing 10 times as much!
Oceano Sand Dunes
Visiting Oceano Sand Dunes was probably my favourite activity we did on the entire trip. The hike up the dunes is super fun, the views are stunning, and I was able to take some amazing photos. I’ll be publishing a post with more details about visiting the dunes soon, as figuring out how to enter and where to go is a little confusing. For now, here are some pictures of the hike and the views:
“Shore Cliff Hotel Viewpoint”
I don’t really know what to call the next item on the list, as it’s an unmarked location with no official name. Next to the Shore Cliff Hotel in Pismo Beach, there’s a little rocky outcrop with a walking path to a viewing platform. It’s completely open to the public, but not many people seem to know it exists. It provides great views over Pismo Beach and the Pacific Ocean. We’ve stopped there twice now, and it was equally beautiful both times.
Copper Café/Madonna Inn
We had a lunch reservation at Copper Café the day we departed, but because we had so many other things we wanted to do, we unfortunately didn’t make it. However, if you are looking for a unique and historic experience in San Luis Obispo County, this would be a good stop.
I cannot vouch for the quality of the food, but it does have decent reviews on Google Maps and other sites. Eating at Copper Café is definitely more about the ambience than the meal itself though.
Terrace Hill Open Space
If you are looking for an outdoors activity in SLO County that doesn’t involve the ocean, hiking at Terrace Hill Open Space is a great choice. It’s a short hike regardless of which way you reach the top, but do be warned that the northeast trail is steep and extremely slippery. It is doable, but I wouldn’t recommend it in wet conditions or if you don’t have good balance. The southwest trail is what a majority of people hike up, and from experience, I can tell you that it’s significantly easier.
From the top, you can see downtown San Luis Obispo. Further out in the distance are Cerro San Luis and Bishop Peak, two of the Nine Sisters. If you are able to complete the hike, the views are well worth it.
Drive Highway 101 between Atascadero and Avila Beach
If you want to explore a variety of places in San Luis Obispo County, you’re going to be spending a lot of time on 101 between Atascadero and Avila Beach. Despite it being a major highway, this particular section of it is especially scenic. At times, the view of the lush green hills out the back window looks like you are driving through the mountains of Hawaii.
Port San Luis Pier
Port San Luis Pier is a little out of the way, but still worth a stop if you are in the Avila Beach area. This small pier juts out into the San Luis Obispo Bay and is both vehicle and pedestrian friendly (parking at the end is paid). The pier itself is only mildly interesting, but the real highlight is the views of the bay. On a clear day, the water is a beautiful shade of teal green.
Nearby is Fisherman’s Beach – a small, uncrowded beach with equally good views if you don’t want to walk all the way down the pier.
Downtown San Luis Obispo
I’ve already mentioned a couple of specific spots in downtown SLO, but as a whole, the town is a nice area to explore for a couple of hours. There’s a variety of different museums, including the Railroad Museum and SLO Museum of Art, as well as Mission San Luis Obispo de Tolosa. And of course, in an alleyway along Higuera Street, you’ll find the well-known Bubblegum Alley. I visited the Seattle Gum Wall earlier in the year, and I have to say, SLO’s version is much grosser. The gum completely covers the walls and the alleyway is super narrow. A little too disgusting for me, but if you’re into this type of thing, it’s cool to see.
Spyglass Beach Tide Pools
Last but not least are the Spyglass Beach Tide Pools. Located slightly north of downtown Pismo Beach, this spot is worth a visit even if it’s not low tide. When we visited, the pools were only somewhat visible, but the area was so pretty that it wasn’t a waste of time. The main access trail is from Spyglass Park, a clifftop green space overlooking the ocean. It’s a little rocky with some climbing involved, but for the average person in good shape it shouldn’t be too hard.
Additionally, about 2 minutes away is Memory Park. From here, you can access a gorgeous beach by walking down a series of semi-steep steps. In my opinion, this spot is equally beautiful to the more famous tide pools.
Where to Stay in San Luis Obispo County
Based on a combination of price, location, and last minute booking availability, I opted to spend our two nights in SLO County at the SpringHill Suites by Marriott Atascadero. The hotel was modern and clean, and like many SpringHill Suites properties, felt more upscale than expected. The breakfast buffet was solid as well.
The only drawback to the property is its location – I had imagined that it would be a central place to base ourselves, but we ended up spending a majority of our time on the coast. A hotel in Pismo Beach or San Luis Obispo would’ve been a better choice. However, this is still a great hotel and I wouldn’t be mad if I had to stay here again.
If there had been points availability for more than one room, I would’ve chosen to stay at the Vespera Resort on Pismo Beach, a Marriott Autograph Collection property. Autograph Collection is my favourite Marriott sub-brand and I loved the style of the rooms and beachfront location. I went to check out the hotel and while I didn’t see inside the rooms, the rest of the property looked as good as the pictures. I would highly recommend this hotel if you have the points or cash for it.
Final Thoughts
San Luis Obispo County is a great vacation destination with a myriad of different activities to do and sights to see. From the stunning Oceano Sand Dunes to the fun town of SLO, I was very impressed by the variety of experiences to be had. If you’ve spent time in SLO County and did something fun that wasn’t mentioned on this list, let me know in the comments!