weekender.
Weekend trips from Cal Poly SLO
Hidden spots near San Luis Obispo, day trips and weekend road trips from Cal Poly SLO in November, scored 1–10 on price, timing and what's happening, with gas, park fees, a campsite or room and food included.
Plan your own trip from Cal Poly SLO →Local finds near campus
Pismo Beach & Oceano Dunes
Drive or sandboard on the only beach dunes you can camp on, then clam chowder in Pismo.
Bishop Peak
SLO's favorite sunset hike up one of the Nine Sisters volcanic peaks.
Morro Bay & Montaña de Oro
Sea otters under Morro Rock and wild bluff trails in Montaña de Oro.
Avila Beach & Sycamore Springs
A warm-water cove, the Pecho Coast lighthouse hike and hillside hot tubs.
Day trips
Monterey & Carmel
Sea otters on kelp, 17-Mile Drive and Carmel's fairytale cottages.
Carrizo Plain
An empty grassland that erupts in yellow and purple in a good spring, beside Soda Lake and Painted Rock.
Solvang & Los Olivos
A Danish-style village with windmills and aebleskiver, next to Santa Ynez wine country.
Santa Barbara
Spanish-revival streets, the Funk Zone's tasting rooms and Inspiration Point above it all.
Ojai
An artsy valley known for its 'pink moment' sunset and an outdoor bookstore.
Big Sur
McWay Falls dropping onto a beach, Bixby Bridge and the purple sand at Pfeiffer Beach.
Weekend trips
Monterey & Carmel
Sea otters on kelp, 17-Mile Drive and Carmel's fairytale cottages.
Carrizo Plain
An empty grassland that erupts in yellow and purple in a good spring, beside Soda Lake and Painted Rock.
Big Sur
McWay Falls dropping onto a beach, Bixby Bridge and the purple sand at Pfeiffer Beach.
Kern River (Kernville)
Whitewater rafting through a granite canyon, a few hours from LA.
Pinnacles National Park
Crawl through talus caves with a flashlight while California condors circle above.
Muir Woods & Mount Tam
Old-growth redwoods in a canyon, then the sunset over the fog from Mount Tamalpais.
Long weekends
Anza-Borrego & Borrego Springs
Giant metal dinosaur sculptures in the desert, wildflowers in spring and a dark-sky town.
Joshua Tree
Twisted trees, boulder scrambles and some of the darkest skies near LA.
Kern River (Kernville)
Whitewater rafting through a granite canyon, a few hours from LA.
Muir Woods & Mount Tam
Old-growth redwoods in a canyon, then the sunset over the fog from Mount Tamalpais.
Bodega Bay & Sonoma Coast
Where Hitchcock filmed The Birds: whale-watching headlands and secret coves.
Bishop & the Buttermilks
World-class bouldering, Keough's hot springs and Erick Schat's famous bakery.
Personalize it
Set your budget, how many friends are coming, your car (or no car: train and bus), and what you're into (hiking, beaches, camping, stargazing, food and more), and Weekender re-ranks every trip for you, with a day-by-day plan, directions and campsites.
Find my trips from Cal Poly SLO →