Oso Flaco Lake and Dunes, Santa Maria

Santa Barbara, California Print   Leave a comment

Description

Oso Flaco Lake and Dunes is a lovely walk with many varied sights! You start on a hard-packed dirt trail and walk through a wooded area. Next, my favorite part, you walk on a pale wooden boardwalk over the lake. You look out over tall marshy grasses and the bluest water. Aaaah. It's peaceful and idyllic, and usually the weather is warm and pleasant.
Once the boardwalk ends you walk a sandy path past yellow and purple wildflowers. You can hear songbirds around you, and watch lizards dart by your feet.
When you come to the beach and dunes, a biting wind makes you turn back, unless you're a really brave soul!
Oso Flaco means "skinny bear." Portola's expedition party in 1769 caught and ate a skinny bear here. But in the morning two of their men were dead! This was because the Chumash Indians used to hang rotten meat for pesky wildlife to eat. The wildlife would then become too weak and sick to be a bother. This "skinny" bear must have eaten some of the meat and passed on the bacteria to the two men in the expedition.
The Dunes Visitor Center, located in an early 20th century craftsman bungalow in a cute area of old Santa Maria, is new and although you can visit, there isn't that much there yet. The best part are some columns and remnants from The Ten commandments set. The movie was filmed at the dunes in 1923, and now lays fully intact buried under the sand. The site is considered a state of California archaeological treasure. You can search for it at the Guadalupe Dunes, where you can drive right up to the dunes and play for a while.
Other nice places to go in Santa Maria are: Waller Park, a wonderful wooded park with a pond full of ducks, a playground, and a get-away-from-it-all feel; and Robin Ventura Park, a brand new playground with a toddler playground too.
Less than an hour away is Lompoc. The town itself is a little dowdy but the commercial flower fields in early June are glorious and the drive on open road to Surf Beach is a joy. Also, you have to visit La Purisima Mission, my favorite mission so far.
Nearby to the north is Oceano, which has a great tropical-themed playground. And Arroyo Grande Village, a cute little town that is nicer to visit than sprawling Santa Maria. The Butterfly Preserve at Pismo Beach is also a wonderful place to visit with its eucalyptus grove filled with monarch butterflies and its lovely beach and dunes.

Photo Gallery

The dunes, seen as you drive along Oso Flaco Lake Rd.	Oso Flaco Lake.	The beginning of the boardwalk that takes you over the lake.
Looking back along the boardwalk.	A happy lizard darts by.	The first peek of sea as you near the end of the walkway.
The Dunes Visitor Center, in a cute part of old Santa Maria.	Santa Maria Town Hall, next door to the Dunes Visitor Center in a pretty little historical area.

Directions

For the Oso Flaco Lake and Dunes: Exit Highway 101 at Main St/Hwy 166. Go west about 5 miles and then turn right on Guadalupe Street/Highway 1. Turn left on Oso Flaco Lake Rd and drive to guard booth. Parking is $5 per car. Bring exact change because you have to leave it in an envelope at the ranger station. Click "satellite" to see the lake and boardwalk from the air.
For the Visitor Center: Exit highway 101 at Main St/Hwy 166. Go west about 5 miles and then turn right on Guadalupe Street/Highway 1. The Visitors Center is at 1055 Guadalupe Street. Call (805) 343-2455 to find out the hours they are open.

This is an interactive map, you can zoom and move it.

Visitor Ratings

Overall Visitor Rating:

Logan 11/10/2009 18:22	Wonderful experience; nice trail to start the short trek. Then, you cross the neat wooden bridge over the lake. When we were there, a racoon decided to walk behind us; we stepped aside at one of the viewing areas and let him meander by on his quest for food. Plenty of ducks on the lake. Wonderful vegetation of all sorts as you come off the bridge and take a long walkway to the dunes area. Very exhilerationg and calming at the same time. Highly recommended.
Malissa 11/07/2009 15:20	it is pretty
Joy 10/08/2009 21:17	It's peaceful at this place and you can learn about nature with your kids. I love it!