Play - Exploring

Sycamore Mineral Springs located in the beautiful Avila Valley, in San Luis Obispo County, offers a number of wonderful hikes and walks. Ranging from easy to difficult and short to long, you’re sure to find something that fits your schedule and fitness level.

Sycamore has trails available right from the property that range from 1.5 to 6 miles in length, all offering phenomenal ocean vistas or coastal access.

Walks & Hikes
Sycamore Crest Trail - approximately two miles round trip, and offers a beautiful display of California’s Central Coast's most honored features: endemic plants, colorful wildflowers, and of course, the Pacific Coastline. The hiker will explore shaded sections of scrub oaks, sycamore, and manzanita trees on the short, steep route to a summit overlooking spectacular views of Avila Bay and Port San Luis. Next, meander along the ridge enjoying southern vistas and the smell of California coastal sage and finish the hike at a historical landmark known as Cave's Landing.
Level: Intermediate

The Bob Jones City to the Sea Bike Trail - The Bob Jones Trail will satisfy the casual stroller, fitness walker, bicyclist, or roller blade enthusiast. It is a little less than two miles from the Resort to the charming beachside community of Avila Beach.
Level: Easy

Bike or Driving Routes
Each of these routes are also wonderful for photographers (in cars or on bikes) looking for some good country shots in fall, summer or spring, or painters looking for the perfect landscape. The roads are narrow, so if you do stop to shoot or paint, make sure you’ve picked a safe place and your car is completely off the road. Stay on the side of the road, though, and out of fields and farms. A few suggested routes:

See Canyon.- About 13 miles of narrow paved See Canyon Road wind back into a sunny, tree-lined canyon that is the buckle of the Avila Valley apple belt. The first five miles or so offer a gradual steady climb from San Luis Bay Drive. See Canyon Road does make a steep climb to the top of the coastal hills at the back of the canyon, becoming unpaved at the top and eventually linking up with the unpaved portion of Prefumo Canyon Road, which loops back down into the town of San Luis Obispo.

A ride through See Canyon Road to the Lamb Cattle Company, about five or so miles back into the canyon, takes you past many of the Avila Valley’s historic apple orchards. You can stop and buy cider and apples there in summer and fall if you’re so inclined. Along See Canyon Road, oak, pine, sycamore and even redwood trees grow, along with lupine, poppies, blackberry vines, buttercups - and plenty of healthy poison oak. You may even spot a peacock strutting slowly along in the middle of the road—really.

It’s a great family ride in a car, too, especially during apple season. Bring a camera for some country snapshots and money for some apples. You’ll want them both.

Monte Road.- Along Monte Road there are two fun rides, particularly appealing to bicyclists. One option is to take Avila Beach Drive all the way to Highway 101, and cross under to Monte Road on the east side. Monte Road runs downhill through fields and scattered houses to meet up with San Luis Bay Drive. You can catch San Luis Bay Drive and loop around, uphill over Highway 101 and then down a fantastic downhill ride back to Avila Beach Road and Avila Beach proper. Or you can cruise north, past San Luis Bay Drive up Monte Road past more apple orchards, enjoying the scenery before cruising back to cross the freeway on San Luis Bay Drive. This is a sunny farming and living area with no official rest stops, but it is pretty. Again, bicyclists do share the road with cars.

* Sycamore is not responsible for injuries, lost items, etc. while guests are on the hikes or bike trails.