Northern San Luis Obispo County Coastal Trail Master Plan

Northern San Luis Obispo County Coastal Trail Master Plan
desired trail amenities, and economic information. Refer to Appendix C, Stakeholder and Public Outreach for
detailed documentation of survey results.
1.5. Study Area
The study area includes a 35-mile stretch of coastline
between the Monterey County line and the
community of Cayucos, shown in Figure 1-1. This
area is characterized by steep to rolling hills and
rocky outcrops of the Coast Range that, moving
south, give way to gently sloping valleys, marine
terraces, and coastal bluffs. The plain contains
several substantial drainages including San
Carpoforo Creek, Arroyo de la Cruz Creek, Oak
Knoll Creek, Little Pico Creek, Pico Creek, San
Simeon Creek, Santa Rosa Creek and Villa Creek,
which run generally east-west and convey runoff
towards the Pacific Ocean. Cattle grazing is the
Elephant seals basking in the sun near Piedras Blancas
predominant agricultural activity in the hills and on the plain.
Vegetation includes grasslands, oak woodlands, coastal scrub and chaparral. Cultural resource surveys
performed in the study area show that it has been inhabited by humans for thousands of years. The corridor
also includes a number of rare plant and wildlife species endemic to the region. Scenic vistas exist throughout
the study area and are visible from Highway 1, the dominant transportation feature. These vistas typify the
highest quality aesthetic resources of the Central Coast, if not the entire State.
Cambria, population 6,500, and Cayucos, population 3,100, are the significant communities in the study area.
They are a combination of bedroom communities, agricultural communities, and tourist-oriented commercial
areas. Lodging establishments are concentrated along Highway 1, especially in San Simeon, in Cambria along
Moonstone Drive, and in Cayucos.
Providing connections to visitor services and destinations is a key opportunity for making the CCT useful to
visitors and locals while enhancing the area’s tourism-based economy. .
The climate along the Pacific coast will encourage frequent and active use of the CCT, with average high
temperatures ranging from 60 degrees in winter to 80 degrees in midsummer. Precipitation is heavily
concentrated from December to March, allowing many dry days for hikers, cyclists, and equestrians.
For the Master Plan, the corridor is divided into six segments. In each segment, the following are addressed:
existing and designated land uses, overview of applicable local plans and policies, and potential land use
impacts, including those that would result from inconsistencies with relevant policies.
1.5.1. Study Area Segments
For convenience in organization of maps and summaries, the overall study area was divided into six segments,
as illustrated in Figure 1-1. The segments were further subdivided into smaller sub-segment map areas
presented in Chapter 4.
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