View of Hearst Castle
This overlook sits at 51 feet elevation on the San Luis Obispo North Coast Byway (Route 1), with terrain dropping 69 feet within 600 meters of the site. William Randolph Hearst Memorial Beach lies to the west at 0.5 miles, near the coastline. San Simeon Point rises to the west-southwest at 0.9 miles and 486 feet, while a nearby Vista Area viewpoint sits east-southeast at 0.3 miles. Inland peaks are visible at greater distances, including Lone Tree Hill to the north (3.0 miles, 1,465 feet) and Black Oak Mountain to the east-northeast (4.2 miles, 2,257 feet). Oak Knoll appears to the west-northwest at 3.7 miles, and the Zebra Viewing Area lies southeast at 3.5 miles. A second Vista Pt is located farther southeast at 4.6 miles. The nearest towns are Paso Robles, 27.5 miles east, Atascadero, 30.5 miles east-southeast, and San Luis Obispo, 38.4 miles southeast. Daylight hours vary by season, with sunrise around 05:50 and sunset near 20:24 at the June solstice, compared to sunrise at 07:11 and sunset at 16:56 in December. This stop falls along the byway between San Simeon Point and the Vista Area.
What you’re looking at
Named terrain around this overlook, nearest first. No view direction is recorded, so every bearing is listed.
- Vista Area70 fteast-southeast · 0.3 mi
- William Randolph Hearst Memorial Beach25 ftwest · 0.5 mi
- San Simeon Point486 ftwest-southwest · 0.9 mi
- Lone Tree Hill1,465 ftnorth · 3.0 mi
- Zebra Viewing Area90 ftsoutheast · 3.5 mi
- Oak Knoll405 ftwest-northwest · 3.7 mi
- Black Oak Mountain2,257 fteast-northeast · 4.2 mi
- Vista Pt42 ftsoutheast · 4.6 mi
Light
| Date | Sunrise | Sunset | Golden hour |
|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox | 07:09 | 19:17 | 18:43 |
| June solstice | 05:50 | 20:24 | 19:47 |
| September equinox | 06:53 | 19:03 | 18:29 |
| December solstice | 07:11 | 16:56 | 16:16 |
Local time (America/Los_Angeles). Computed for this exact position.
Where it is
- Paso Robles27.5 mi east
- Atascadero30.5 mi east-southeast
- San Luis Obispo38.4 mi southeast
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How high is View of Hearst Castle?
View of Hearst Castle sits at about 51 feet (16 m).
What can you see from View of Hearst Castle?
From View of Hearst Castle: Vista Area (ESE, 0.3 mi); William Randolph Hearst Memorial Beach (W, 0.5 mi); San Simeon Point (WSW, 0.9 mi); Lone Tree Hill (N, 3.0 mi).
What is the nearest town to View of Hearst Castle?
Paso Robles, 28 miles E of View of Hearst Castle.
What is the next lookout after View of Hearst Castle?
Vista Area is the next surfaced lookout along the same route after View of Hearst Castle.
Drive to View of Hearst Castle with Byway
Byway plans the scenic way there — real places along San Luis Obispo North Coast Byway - Route 1, real weather, zero hallucinations — and hands the turns to the navigation you already use.
Byways with this lookout
Day trips start here
- Central Coast · 5 mi
- Morro Bay · 26 mi
- San Miguel · 28 mi
- Paso Robles · 29 mi
Locals make it Verified.
View of Hearst Castle — confirmed, rated, and photographed by people who actually pulled over. A local confirmation is what upgrades a lookout from Discovered to Verified. Zero hallucinations.
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