overland

Carrizo Plains Monument May 2020

2021 was not a year for a Flower Bloom but in the interest of getting away I did a quick trip to do some scouting. I am hopeful we get a super bloom in the next few years and wanted to be prepared.
Carrizo Plains monument is easily accessible from Los Angeles or San Francisco Bay Area. Took me about 4 hours to get there from Redwood City. Load up on gas before you move into the park.
There are 2 first come first park campsite, get there early and snag one. The vault toilets are clean and convenient. There is lots of information in the Web so be sure to do some research before you head out. We stayed at the KCL Campground under the shade of one of the 9 trees in about 60 miles :). KCL is a lovely campground, lots of birds in the trees. Selby Ranch camp site is up on the ridge and offers excellent views. If views are your thing head up the dirt road to Selby.
The main road Soad Lake Road is mainly a graded dirt road, fairly wide in most areas. There are MANY roads off of Soda Lake road and offer opportunities to explore. In the rainy season I could imagine that some of these roads could be muddy and possibly impassable but during the dry season they are easy to traverse albeit a wee bit dusty. The Elkhorn Road loop is interesting and offers great views.
Overall Carrizo Plains was a great overnight getaway from the Bay Area and offers multiple opportunities for dispersed camping. My take is that the best times to visit are mid to late Spring especially if there is a Flower Bloom. Feel free to reach out to me with any questions.


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CAchief

Weekend Warrior
Joined
May 12, 2021
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San Luis Obispo, CA
Nice! Or family was there a month or two ago on a day trip. Saved some waypoints of potential dispersed campsites off Elkhorn Road. As you said, no flowers this year but when we went in 2019 it was full of color.
 

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