Los Osos Oaks State Reserve

I lived in Los Osos and all the reviews are right. Trails need to be marked better. And more.
I went alone with my two dogs. One was loose. He heard something in the bushes, I know he thought of a squirrel. He ran in and then ran out, with a coyote chasing him and blood running down his hip. The coyote stopped when he saw me. I leashed my dog, we turned back. After a little while we were lost, at a dead-​end I turned around and the coyote was following us. I yelled and he ran. We had to double-​back. I never saw the coyote again. But the fear I felt as we hiked out was bad! DO NOT GO ALONE. Keep dogs leashed!
It is beautiful but pretty isolated.
The above event happened years ago. I never went back. It may be different now.

Came here expecting to see just oak trees but ended up finding a variety of fungi in all shapes and colors.
It was a gorgeous winter day as I was walking through the park I quickly stumbled upon a fresh foot print of a wildlife (see associated picture). I couldn’t figure out whether it was a bear or a mountain lion but sent shivers through my spine. I was praying not to come face to face with whatever creature it might have been.
The vast changes in scenery were quite breathtaking. So happy to have been here and would definitely return and hope to find something else unexpected.

Came here this past weekend to go hiking after reading about it in a SLO County hiking book. If possible I would give 1.5 stars because it is not terrible but this state reserve is not much of a hiking spot. This place is very easy, no inclines or anything challenging. Can walk the whole loop in half a mile or less. Things I didn’t like: trail was poorly marked when coming to a split, not well maintained. Things I do like: quiet, right off LOVR, some nice, though small, views.

The Beau and I happened to stumble upon this magical forest on a recent trip to central California. This has got to be one of the most romantic and beautiful hikes I’ve been on — and I’ve been fortunate enough to hike in the rain forest!
As soon as we stepped out of our vehicle we both felt like we were in a story book. This captivating location tells a dramatic story with every step. You are surrounded by stunning oak trees draped in a unique, seafoam colored lichen. The trees twist and turn from the earth in such harmonious ways. Fairy-​like moths fluttered about, guiding us deeper and deeper into this enchanted forest while the crunch of the golden leaves beneath our feet offered a soothing soundtrack.
We were in such awe throughout the hike, neither one of us did much talking and we paid no attention to where we were going! Yup, we got lost. After about 2 hours in, with sundown approaching, The Beau suggested we head back. We started making what we thought was the way back and ended up in an RV park!!!
Since daylight was quickly fading we decided it best to walk through the RV park. We ended up knocking on someone’s door who offered to take us back to our car — what a nice guy! He was also very familiar with the woods and admitted he sometimes gets lost in there!
It was an unforgettable adventure which neither one of us will ever forget. You will get lost if you don’t pay attention, but this is such a treasure it’s totally worth it!

This is a cool little area with a bunch of intersecting trails. But first you have to get there. When you’re driving down the road, there is a small unassuming parking lot. Yup, that’s it. That’s all there is to it. So you park, enter the brush, and eventually come to a sign post and a fork in the road (is it starting to sound like a fairytale yet?).
You choose your path, but be careful not to stray too far from it, or you’ll get lost. Seriously, these are not your typical hiking trials. You actually feel like you’re in the thick of things, and that road you just came from, well don’t expect to hear it for long. So its easy to mistake something that is not a path for a path, make a couple wrong turns, and bam, you’re lost. Definitely needs more signs.
But otherwise it’s a really awesome area. You feel like you’re a part of the place, instead of just a visitor (like in my HUGE industrial trials) and its very secluded and peaceful.
Next time, I’m bringing some bread crumbs to find my way back… that’s bound to work, right?

There are 2 to 3 different trails here. One is a easy short loop that takes 30 minutes. The others are longer and we had to trace our way back before we reached the end.
The trails are very narrow, but safe. Most of the time, the path was wide enough for only 1 person. So hiking there felt quiet and intimate, which I think is the best part about these trails. We were the only ones there on a Monday afternoon. Sometimes you’ll be walking on sandy ground out in the open under the sun, among tall grass and shrubs; other times, you will be treading on fallen leaves, surrounded by big trees to your left and right, with branches extending right above you!
However, I think the trails should be better marked, especially at the forks. Most of the time, it’s easy to see where the main path goes, but it’s not always obvious, so be careful! We got lost on the longer trail, but we eventually found our way back to the beginning of the trail, phew.