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Grassland plain in central California
Photo: Alan Vernon, CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Carrizo Plain National Monument is a United States national monument about inland from San Luis Obispo in the Central Coast of California.
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Offers the visitor interpretive displays and exhibits explaining the uniqueness of the Carrizo Plain and the adjoining Elkhorn Plain. A gift shop sells merchandise ranging from stickers and magnets to posters, books and tee shirts. A ranger is available to answer questions. Informational maps and brochures are available at the front door when the Center is closed. The Visitor Center driveway may be closed if road conditions are too muddy for vehicles. Visitors are welcome to hike in during these times. Handicapped accessible restrooms at the Visitor Center remain open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, throughout the year.
About 3,000 – 4,000 years ago, Native Americans began to paint their sacred images within the alcove of the rock, and the sandstone formation has drawn the attention of Carrizo Plain visitors ever since. From March 1 to July 15 Painted Rock can be visited only via BLM guided tours; no other form of public visitation is allowed during this time period. From July 16 to the end of February self-guided tours are allowed by permit only. A tour reservation or permit can be obtained online or by calling 1-877-444-6777, and can sometimes also be obtained at the Goodwin Education Center.
Soda Lake is a normally dry lakebed that covers an area of about 3,000 acres, and is one of the dominant geographic features of the Carrizo Plain. A crust of sodium sulfates and carbonates are the result of evaporating mineral-laden surface water. The Soda Lake trail begins at Soda Lake Road, across from Overlook Hill, and takes visitors to the edge of Soda Lake. Round trip, the trail is .9 miles. Soda Lake is dry much of the year but during the wet season, you may see wildflowers, fairy shrimp, sandhill cranes, avocets, stilts and other shore or aquatic birds.
Wallace Creek (dry most of the year) crosses the San Andreas fault and provides evidence of the motion of earth over the past 3800 years. An interpretive trail shows how the once-straight creek was twisted by large earthquakes every few hundred years, resulting in the right-angle bends in the creek today; geologists call this feature an offset channel. The interpretive trail is a total round trip of 1.4 miles.
The campground has a gravel road, pit toilets, corrals and water for livestock. There are some well established shade trees and the facilities have just been renovated to include new fire rings with BBQ grates, lantern poles, and gravel roads and tent platforms. Tenters, and small to medium sized campers will find the KCL a good fit.
This campground is situated on the eastern foot of the Caliente mountains on the northern end of the monument. The area has fine views of the plains and is well situated for hiking on the Caliente Ridge or visiting Painted Rock and the visitors center. There are no shade trees but there are shade shelters over the picnic tables. Selby road, the road leading from Soda Lake Road in to the campground is clay and becomes impassable for days or even weeks after any amount of wet weather. Do not attempt this road if its wet and if you are at the campground and it starts to rain, leave immediately.
The park is remote and no gas stations are nearby, so fill your tank before visiting. The only reliable road through the park is Soda Lake Road, which bisects the 37 miles of the national monument from north to south.
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