SanLuisObispo.com: Hiking Hearst

Hiking Hearst 1: Southern quarter

Wed, 09 May 2007 18:00 PDT

By David Sneed --

Length: About 1 mile though Junge Ranch; picks up again after Pico Cove and runs two and a half miles north to Hearst Memorial State Beach.

Access: Access Junge Ranch at the end of Lone Palm Drive off Highway 1 at San Simeon Creek Road. Climb over the gate. Also at the corner of Balboa Avenue and Vista del Mar in San Simeon Acres. Step over or walk through holes in the barbed wire fence.

Hiking Hearst 2: South of Piedras Blancas

Wed, 09 May 2007 18:00 PDT
By By David Sneed --
Length: 4 miles of coastline in total. Trails lead 1 mile north of parking lot to Point Piedras Blancas. At Arroyo Laguna, a short walk leads to a three-quarter mile-long beach.

Access: Paved parking lot just north of the Piedras Blancas elephant seal viewing area. Visitors must climb over gates to get access. Park managers say turnstiles will be added.

Hiking Hearst 3: North of Piedras Blancas

Wed, 09 May 2007 18:00 PDT
By By David Sneed --
Length: 3 miles

Access: There are two main public access points to the park between Point Piedras Blancas and Arroyo de la Cruz, one of the Hearst Ranch’s largest creeks. The first is the defunct Piedras Blancas Motel.

Hiking Hearst 4: Northern Stretch

Fri, 03 Aug 2007 15:52 PDT
By By David Sneed --
Length: 2 miles

Access: Getting into this part of the park can be difficult. There are no established access points. Park managers recommend that visitors find a place to park safely off the highway and walk along the barbed-wire fence to find a place to climb over or under.