So much history and so much to see here. We took the tour of the grand entrance and pools. You…read morelearn the most in this tour but there are other tours available as well such as the upstairs bedrooms and library or even the kitchen. Each tour is about 2 hours long. It's great to visit and the views are AMAZING! There is also a theater showing after the tour on the hearts family. Totally recommend visiting and bring your walking shoes!

I have been DYING to come here! I tried two years ago, but sadly missed the bus to the top!…read more Finally came back in May of 2026, it was beautiful! Like WOAH! Stupid money, incredible views, history, and sites to see. However, my complaints.. and I don't mean to be this way... but the bathrooms were shut down and there was only porter potties and that was so disappointing and very disgusting. Second, not sure if it was because we had the last tour of the day or what but our tour guide was so sarcastic it felt like he didn't want to be there. His name was Chris or went by Greece, one or the other. Just his vibes were very funky. Anyways, beautiful place! Would love to see the other places on property. We saw the grand rooms!

It's been a dream of mine to ride a Clydesdale since I was a little girl. Yesterday my husband and…read moreI went on the most amazing trail ride with Tara and her beautiful Clydesdales! It was my husbands very first time riding and she put him on the sweetest mare Maple who took great care of him. I have years of riding experience but it's been a decade since I had ridden but Belle was perfect for my riding abilities. It was the perfect weather and the best experience ever if you've never ridden, or been riding your whole life! Before we even got off our horses my husband was already asking me when we can go back. 10/10 definitely will be coming back for years to come

The best priced ride around! Two hours in the beautiful hills with an ocean view! The horses were…read moreHUGE but calm and the trail guides full of helpful information. We would go again!

2020 review (8/21/2020) - The is the best family-friendly trail in the area. They've done extensive…read morecleanup since my last visit and many of the downed trees have been removed. It's mostly flat and the only risk to small kids are the Cliffs. The yelp address is misleading (this is not located in Pittsburgh). To get here you must park in the Hearst Memorial Beach parking lot. Walk down to the beach and walk north about 200 yards. Look for the trail that goes up to the cliff area ( just past the Hearst Winery Barn).. Many people just hike to the San Simeon point and the benches. BUT I highly recommend you continue your adventure through the tall tree path all the way to the cove with a sea cave. There are several openings along the tree trail that give exclusive and private views of the coastline. - When you start this hike keep a look out on the right hand side for a very short path that leads to a huge climbing tree.. The kids will love playing on that.. - The farther you go the fewer people you will see.

I read about this area via a SLO county travel site:…read morehttps://highway1discoveryroute.com/activities/hiking-san-simeon-ragged-point/ where it's also referred as the San Simeon Point Trail. Access to these trails are from William Randolph Hearst State Beach. Gates to the park open at 8 a.m. and there's no fee to enter. The trail is about 2 miles round trip and can be accessed if you walk along the beach (on the right side of the pier if you're facing it. You'll see a trail that leads up to the bluff, about 1/2 way down the beach. Once along the bluffs, you'll wind through the trees and catch views of the beach and pier. Not too far in, there are a few fallen trees and the path, at first seems to have disappeared-it hasn't. Look to the right and there's a small opening in the fence that allows day hikers to continue on (it's marked private property with allowance for passage of day use hikers.) It's a quiet trail that's partially shaded and very quiet. For a short while I was a bit unnerved being alone but soon enough I came across some locals walking their dogs. The hike out to the point is the big payoff and plan to spend a little while admiring the views, including a small cove to the north. It was the perfect short morning adventure and definitely a less known gem in the area.

Central Coast Gondola / Gianetta & Stefano Anastasia are THE VERY BEST!! Such a Fantastic…read moreexperience... the attention to detail, wonderful communication, great personalities, delightful time on the bay, delicious and top quality food, and all around warm/kind/romantic atmosphere! From 1 to 10... TRULY an ELEVEN!! We can't wait to have another special occasion to bring us back.

Where do I start? The gondola itself it intricate and gorgeous. We got a history of it and…read morethoroughly enjoyed learning about it. The gondola was nicely furnished with pillows to make us comfy and it was a truly romantic experience. Stefano stopped halfway on the bay to serenade us and it was so heartwarming, especially the authentic Italian ukulele songs. I accidentally found his company on the internet and it def charmed us. We will be back and recommend for sure!

April 18, 2025 The…read morelocation of this state park can't be beat. Located on the coast, it is near many "must-see" attractions, such as Hearst Castle and the Elephant Seal viewpoints. This State Park has a day-use area and two campgrounds: Washburn Day Use Area, San Simeon Creek Campground and the more primitive Washburn Campground. San Simeon Creek Campground is closer to the ocean; Washburn Campground is about a mile or two inland, overlooking the Santa Lucia mountains. The day-use area is open from 8AM to sunset, and is easily accessed from Highway 1, has picnic sites, parking, restrooms, water faucets, barbecue grills, and easy beach access (unless you are a dog...) One star down from an excellent rating for two reasons: The beach, sadly, is NDA (no dogs allowed), and the day use picnic tables are located next to the highway.

campground is reasonably priced because it is a "primitive" campground, meaning no hookups, no hot…read morespot access or wifi, no cell service and no tv. they have the weirdest generator hours (10 am to 4 pm only?) which means primitive coffee and a cold dinner! I don't get it! a trail leading from the upper campsites to the midsection is overgrown and needs to be cleaned up. it looked like the lawnmower they were using didn't have a sharp blade or no blade. as a californian, this place needs help! we were here years ago and it wasn't this bad. hearst castle and the elephant seal viewpoint are close. we stayed 8 days but recommend a weekend or shorter week.

We had a wonderful time on our sidecar experience. Riding through the beautiful hills of Paso…read moreRobles with the wind in our faces was exhilarating. Our driver Jeff was knowledgeable of the area and winery we went to. He chose Sculptera for us since we both preferred white wines over red (they have a seperate tasting just for whites) and this was the perfect selection. Jeff gave us a brief overview of the property and sculptures. This was a great chance to get familiar with the winery. One could spend a couple of hrs there. They had live music, a food truck, and picture boards covering the interesting history of the area. We returned to the Bianchi winery where we enjoyed another tasting of wine along with the scenery. They had seating outdoors which overlooked a coi pond with a small waterfall and fountain. Jeff took some great pictures of us along the way. We had a great time and highly recommend it.

Geoff and the other drivers were really great and fun to have us tour around! Definitely made it…read morevery exciting and adventurous. Totally recommend to try out this experience.

I wanted to plan an awesome wine tasting tour for the wife's significant birthday. My wife is #6 of…read more6 sisters and I knew she would love to spend this time with her sisters since we live away. This has been years in the planning by the way. I was struggling with how to plan something special for a group of 6 without busting the bank and still getting a great experience. I heard about Kathy & Jim's "The Bus Stop Pismo Beach" tour through a niece. I will tell you this was perfect! First, Kathy & Jim are two of the sincerest people you will meet. They both are members at wineries throughout the Edna Valley, so they know their stuff and they love (almost passionate about... ) wines from this valley. One of the sisters is a a wine lover and shared that every winery that Kathy took them too was some of the best ones to visit. Every stop we had a reserved area so Kathy put in the time and catered the tour to us. But it didn't stop there! They included an afternoon snack time at one of the wineries and they shared local products from the valley too. Again, they are passionate about their valley and it extends beyond the wine. The best part of for me was the ride. It is a working, vintage VW Bus!!! This experience took the sister-in-laws back to their glory days; lol... Kathy was the perfect host. She related to the girls and still hosted a professional and memorable guided tour. If you are looking for a fun, memorable experience...do not pass up this one!!!

From the owner: Covid friendly option! The Bus Stop Pismo Beach specializes in giving you a taste of the Central…read moreCoast. Whether that's an exclusive date night, private parties, pop-up wine tasting lounge at your vacation home or a tour to local wineries and hidden secrets of this amazing place called SLO County. We also offer wedding lounge set up, photo op prop using the bus (no photo booth) .. get creative and we'll help you make it happen. Book your stop and let's go!

My husband and I did the kayak and lunch tour with Mandy as part of our honeymoon adventures. We…read moreabsolutely loved the entire tour! The views, the wildlife, and Mandy's knowledge made everything so enjoyable. Afterwards we enjoyed a delicious lunch with a beautiful view! The food was so fresh and so good we highly recommend this tour!!

Mandy was amazing. So many interesting facts about the estuary. the kayaking was wonderful…read more Highly recommend this tour.

Overall, this was a wonderful experience…read more It was scary in the beginning because the waves were a little rough. We sat in the front and experienced "flying boat" - as in the boat was rocking so hard it left the water for a bit. Lesson learned for me - in choppy weather make sure to always ride in the back. The Captain was extremely knowledgeable and customer service was flawless. He knew the ocean very well. When he realized we were getting pretty nervous he made sure that the boat stayed in a position that limited the rocking. He kept checking on us to make sure we were doing ok. We saw whales, otters, birds, sea lions, and porpoises. It was amazing seeing them in the wild and they were beautiful. Make sure to dress in layers. It was cold in the beginning but warmer when we were heading back to the dock.

Astounding is not a big enough word to describe our experience with Avila Beach Whale Watching…read moreyesterday. We took the 10:15 AM tour and we found ourselves in the midst of a feeding pod of whales surrounded by a raft of sea lions and hundreds of sea birds. we followed them for about two hours. Captain Mark knew exactly how and where to find them. He is very knowledgeable and shared with us many interesting facts about sea life. It was a day filled with wonderment! Thank you Captain Mark!

This trail is a great way to explore some of the central Cali coast! And PRO TIP: there are about…read morefive other beaches used by the Elephant Seals so their breeding season is a wonderful time to visit (winter months). And these are much less crowded view points than the main one. Another tip - sunsets along this trail are positively magical too! The Pacific coast along this trail is packed full of giant boulders for the waves to crash against- just gorgeous views all around. And bonus - you get to see the Piedras Blancas Lighthouse from several different angles and view points too! You'll see lots of wildlife too - ground squirrels, tons of birds, definitely Elephant Seals, and sea otters if you're lucky and have a good eye. AllTrails says this trail is just over 5 miles with 252 feet elevation gain. I honestly didn't notice any elevation gain - seemed flat to me but probably bc it's so gradual. The trailhead is located at the larger, paved parking lot in the main Elephant Seal vista point (the north view point). From that location, it's about 2 miles to the end. There's a lovely, more wild beach area at the end of the trail that puts you pretty close to the seals too. It's fenced for their safety (and you're lol) but the views are fantastic. The trail can get muddy in places but they installed boards and bridges in those spots - it's pretty well maintained. No bugs in winter either. But my understanding is it gets pretty buggy in summer and watch out for ticks! Parking is in the two lots for the "Elephant Seal vista point" and is free and ample. There are no bathrooms anywhere around here so be prepared.

The trail runs from the paved elephant seal viewing parking for near two miles, to a half mile…read morenorth of the Piedras Blancas Light Station, which offers spectacular scenic vistas of the coastline and opportunities for wildlife viewing. The trail includes coastal bluff, grassland, and wetland areas, however, no dogs are permitted.