Vista Area
Vista Area sits at 36 feet along the San Luis Obispo North Coast Byway (Route 1), with terrain dropping 55 feet within 600 meters of the overlook. William Randolph Hearst Memorial Beach lies west-northwest, 0.9 miles away at 25 feet elevation, marking the nearby coastline. Inland to the north and northeast, the terrain rises well above the overlook: Lone Tree Hill reaches 1,465 feet at 3.2 miles north, Black Oak Mountain reaches 2,257 feet at 4.0 miles northeast, and Three Troughs Falls sits at 1,303 feet, 2.7 miles north-northeast. Oak Knoll, at 405 feet, is visible west-northwest at 4.0 miles, and Vista Pt, the next lookout along the byway, lies southeast at 4.3 miles and 42 feet elevation. The nearest towns are Paso Robles, 27.2 miles east, Atascadero, 30.2 miles east-southeast, and San Luis Obispo, 38.1 miles southeast. Day length varies by season, with sunrise at 05:50 and sunset at 20:24 around the June solstice, and sunrise at 07:11 with sunset at 16:56 around the December solstice. This overlook follows View of Hearst Castle on the byway route.
What you’re looking at
Named terrain around this overlook, nearest first. No view direction is recorded, so every bearing is listed.
- William Randolph Hearst Memorial Beach25 ftwest-northwest · 0.9 mi
- Three Troughs Falls1,303 ftnorth-northeast · 2.7 mi
- Lone Tree Hill1,465 ftnorth · 3.2 mi
- Black Oak Mountain2,257 ftnortheast · 4.0 mi
- Oak Knoll405 ftwest-northwest · 4.0 mi
- Vista Pt42 ftsoutheast · 4.3 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 Robles27.2 mi east
- Atascadero30.2 mi east-southeast
- San Luis Obispo38.1 mi southeast
Take the scenic way to Vista Area.
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How high is Vista Area?
Vista Area sits at about 36 feet (11 m).
What can you see from Vista Area?
From Vista Area: William Randolph Hearst Memorial Beach (WNW, 0.9 mi); Three Troughs Falls (NNE, 2.7 mi); Lone Tree Hill (N, 3.2 mi); Black Oak Mountain (NE, 4.0 mi).
What is the nearest town to Vista Area?
Paso Robles, 27 miles E of Vista Area.
What is the next lookout after Vista Area?
Vista Pt is the next surfaced lookout along the same route after Vista Area.
Drive to Vista Area with Byway
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Byways with this lookout
Day trips start here
- Central Coast · 5 mi
- Morro Bay · 26 mi
- San Miguel · 28 mi
- Paso Robles · 29 mi
- Los Osos · 30 mi
Locals make it Verified.
Vista Area — 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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