Outdoors
Trails and recreation areas near Santa Maria open to horseback riding, including horse camps.
Good to know: Check trailer parking and stock water at the trailhead, and whether certified weed-free hay is required.
The El Saucito Ranch house is the oldest standing house in the Carrizo Plain National Monument, dating back to circa 1878. This is the only ranch house in the monument to have been occupied from the pioneer period to modern day.
Camping is available on a first come-first serve basis. Thirteen campsites with picnic tables, fire pits, horse corrals and a wheelchair accessible vault toilet. Electricity and drinking water is not available.
Cachuma Reservoir, formed by Bradbury Dam , offers a prime recreational opportunity for the south central coast area of California.
Camping is available on a first come-first serve basis--we do not take reservations. The campground has 12 campsites, 3 with elevated tent pads. There is an accessible vault toilet, along with picnic tables and fire rings.
Here you are standing on the San Andreas Fault. At this location it runs northwest to southeast a the base of the hills.
Fremont Campground is a family-friendly facility located just off California's western coast. It provides access to a variety of hiking, biking and horseback riding trails, as well as some off-road vehicle trails, in a scenic area.
All vehicles including UTVs on the monument must be street-legal (DMV plated) and all vehicles must stay on roads. REMINDER: Please follow warning signs and respect private property when visiting your public lands.
Nestled in the Santa Ynez Mountain Range, Sage Hill Campground is a great group camping spot with easy access to the Santa Ynez River.
The Van Matre family owned several farm properties throughout the plain. This property, known to them as "The Camp" was orginally homesteaded by Jerry Hagerty in 1930.
The Traver Ranch was established in the 1940's when the family purchased approximately 800 acres and began building the large block house that still stands along the edge of Soda Lake Road.
Upper Oso Campground provides ample opportunity for exploration of California's coastal mountains. It is a family-friendly campground, equipped with equestrian sites, and is close to a variety of trails and several mountain streams.
Temblor Recreation Area was newly designated in the Bakersfield RMP (December 2014) and provides opportunities for OHV riding on a network of over 200 miles of designated routes, recreational shooting, hunting, and other dispersed forms of…
Private property surrounds Stockdale Mountain. Do not enter through private gates or fences.
Parking access onto nearly 1,800 acres of Bureau of Land Management property in this area is provided through an easement from the California Department of Fish and Game.
Located in southern Monterey County, and standing over 2,700 feet in elevation, Williams Hill offers great views of the surrounding Salinas Valley.
Distances are straight-line miles from downtown Santa Maria. Listings come from Recreation.gov’s federal recreation database; check each official page for hours, fees, fire restrictions and closures before you go.
Saucito Ranch (Bureau of Land Management), about 34 miles northeast of Santa Maria as the crow flies. Next are Selby Campground (36 mi) and Cachuma Lake (37 mi).
Based on Santa Maria’s average highs, all year. Conditions at higher elevations can be much cooler.
Federal agencies including Bureau of Land Management, USDA Forest Service, Bureau of Reclamation. Each listing links to its official page for hours, fees, closures and current conditions.