Skip to content
Byway
Nature reserve · California

Los Padres National Forest

Los Padres National Forest from directly overhead

Los Padres National Forest is a nature reserve in California, at a modelled elevation of 553 m. Machesna Mountain stands 1,194 m to the south-southeast, 9.8 miles off. The nearest named place is Hunter Spring, a spring 1.8 miles away. San Luis Obispo North Coast Byway - Route 1 passes 21 miles off. 57 named summits stand within 25 miles.

Visiting

What to expect

Operated by
United States Forest Service

Official site

Getting there

How to reach it

Driving directionsPlan a drive around it
Coordinates35.40624, -120.30990

Overlooks nearby

Around it

Named places within 25 miles

Parks
  • Santa Margarita Community Park: 16.6 mi
  • Crawford W Clarke Memorial Park: 17.7 mi
  • Paloma Creek Park: 18.5 mi
  • Heilmann Regional Park: 19.0 mi
  • Biddle County Park: 19.5 mi
Peaks: 57
  • Chiches 2: 2.6 mi
  • Black Mountain: 2.6 mi
  • Pine Mountain: 5.8 mi
  • Castle Crags: 9.2 mi
  • Machesna Mountain: 9.8 mi
Springs: 20
  • Hunter Spring: 1.8 mi
  • Blinn Spring: 1.9 mi
  • Blue Oak Spring: 1.9 mi
  • Fox Spring: 2.7 mi
  • Balloon Spring: 3.0 mi
Museums: 16
Historic sites: 11
Artworks: 8
Gardens: 7
Waterfalls: 5
  • Storybrook Falls: 12.3 mi
  • Big Falls: 14.4 mi
  • Little Falls: 14.7 mi
  • Little Falls: 14.7 mi
  • Reservoir Creek Falls: 19.6 mi
Picnic sites: 5
  • Arboleda Picnic Area: 16.4 mi
  • Meadow View: 19.5 mi
  • Rockrose: 19.6 mi
  • Willow Bluff: 19.7 mi
  • Road Runner Picnic Site: 21.0 mi
Attractions: 5
  • Cal Poly Architecture Graveyard: 20.3 mi
  • The P: 20.5 mi
  • Bubblegum Alley: 21.8 mi
  • Bubblegum Alley: 21.8 mi
  • Devils Gap: 24.5 mi
Nature reserves: 2
  • Reservoir Canyon Natural Reserve: 19.8 mi
  • Cerro San Luis Natural Reserve: 22.3 mi
Cliffs: 2
  • Cracked Wall: 22.8 mi
  • Twin Rocks: 22.9 mi
Rest areas: 1
Hot springs: 1
  • Franklin Hot Springs: 22.5 mi
On the horizon

Summits around it

The highest named summits within 25 miles of Los Padres National Forest. Elevation from each summit’s own record; bearing measured between the two coordinates.

SummitBearingElevationDistance
Machesna MountainSSE 153°1,194 m9.8 mi
Branch MountainSE 140°1,142 m19.9 mi
Chiches 2WSW 248°1,104 m2.6 mi
Pilitas MountainSE 141°1,098 m18.9 mi
Pine MountainSSE 156°1,097 m5.8 mi
Black MountainWSW 253°1,089 m2.6 mi
Freeborn MountainESE 120°1,003 m16.7 mi
Los PeladosSE 144°998 m13.9 mi
Conditions

When to go

Light through the year

DateSunriseGolden hourSunset
March equinox07:0618:4019:13
June solstice05:4719:4320:20
September equinox06:5018:2619:00
December solstice07:0716:1416:53

Local time (America/Los_Angeles).

Climate normals

Months averaging 50–80 °F: year-round.

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Avg °F545557586164666767655954
Precip in5.14.93.91.40.50.10.10.00.10.82.03.6

1991–2020 U.S. Climate Normals, NOAA NCEI — SAN Luis Obispo Poly, 21 mi away.

Sources

Where this comes from

Location and category confirmed against OpenStreetMap.

OpenStreetMapWikipediaWikidataOfficial site

OpenStreetMap element relation/2784140

More nature reserves in California

Day trips start here

Drive to it

Byway plans a real route around stops like this one.

Plan a driveMore nature reserves
Private beta · Free to join

Take the scenic way to Los Padres National Forest.

Byway plans around your taste, verified places, real weather and opening hours — then opens every leg in Google Maps with one tap.

Private beta · Free to join · No card · Invite when a spot opens