Coreopsis Hill Hike

Join CNPS for a Hike to Coreopsis Hill (in the Guadalupe-Nipomo Dunes) on Saturday, March 29,
2025, from 9am to around noon. This hike is sponsored by the San Luis Obispo Chapter of CNPS, US
Fish and Wildlife Service, and California State Parks Oceano Dunes District, and will be led by Lauren
Brown, Jenny Langford, Dirk Walters, and other local botanists and volunteers.

This hike is limited to 50 people.  Get Tickets below.  After you get tickets, please fill out the WaiverForm from the link at the bottom of your Purchase Receipt email.

The hike will begin at 9:00 AM (please plan to arrive between 8:45 and 9:00), leaving from the south end of Beigle Road at the USFWS access road (fenced road). It will be a casual walk through the dunes to the top of Coreopsis Hill. This is a moderate hike, about 3 hours round-trip mostly walking on sandy terrain. Dress in layers; bring water, snacks and sun protection; and have your “Dune Mother’s Wildflower Guide” by Dr. Malcolm McLeod for the trip. Long pants and closed shoes are recommended as the habitat is coastal dune scrub and there is the possibility of poison oak and ticks in the natural dune areas (we will watch for and point these out so they can be avoided; bug repellent recommended). Heavy rain cancels this trip (for light rain, bring appropriate clothing).

NOTE: Pets, smoking, or alcohol are not allowed on the Refuge, including the parking area, or other
properties accessed during the hike (i.e., State Parks and Private Property). Pets may not be left in cars
in the parking areas. Remember to please pack out what you pack in.

DIRECTIONS: Follow these directions carefully as this is a closed area to which we are being allowed special guided access and make sure to arrive no later than 8:45 am at Oso Flaco Lake Road and Beigle Road intersection (35.022296, -120.608400). Hike begins at 9:00 am.

Directions from the north: Take Hwy 101 south from San Luis Obispo. Turn right (west) at the Willow
Road off ramp (Exit 180). Proceed west on Willow Road for about 4.3 miles, to Highway 1. Turn left
(south) on Highway 1 and proceed for 2.7 miles, to Oso Flaco Lake Road. Turn right (west) on Oso Flaco
Lake Road. Proceed west on Oso Flaco Lake Road for 2.5 miles to Beigle Road (on left). Look for a 6’ tall
wire mesh fence and steel gate.

Directions from the south: Take 101 north to Santa Maria and take the Main Street exit toward the town
of Guadalupe. Turn right onto Highway 1 and head north to Oso Flaco Lake Road (about 3 miles north of
Guadalupe), turn left onto Oso Flaco Lake Road and proceed 2.5 miles to Beigle Road (on left).

Parking: We will have people posted at the entrance of the USFWS fenced road to direct parking. The
gate will be open around 8:30. Please do not park on Oso Flaco Lake Road near the gate as there is not
much room and it could be hazardous. There should be plenty of room to park along the USFWS access
road. The Oso Flaco Lake State Park lot is another ¾ miles west of Beigle Road, if you need to use a
restroom before the hike (there are none along the hike route).

The Guadalupe-Nipomo Dunes-Point Sal Coastal Area contains the largest, relatively undisturbed coastal
dune tract in California and was designated a National Natural Landmark in 1974. Five major plant
communities are represented including pioneer/foredunes; coastal dune scrub; riparian woodland; coastal
dune freshwater marshes, ponds, and swales; and active interior dunes. The flora includes many
endemic plant species, and dunes habitats support numerous rare, threatened, and endangered plants
and animals. For more information on the history, culture, and biology of the Guadalupe-Nipomo
Dunes, we recommend the Dune Center website or a visit to the Dunes Center building and garden located
at 1065 Guadalupe Street, in the town of Guadalupe.