Santa Lucia Wilderness
A stream that flows yearlong through Lopez Canyon into Lopez Lake, lush streamside vegetation, and chaparral-covered slopes and peaks that rise above the canyon are the prime ingredients in the lightly visited Santa Lucia Wilderness. Elevations range from about 800 feet down in Lopez Canyon to about 3,000 feet near Hi Mountain Lookout at the eastern end. You can access the 5.3 miles of the Lopez Canyon Trail from East Cuesta Ridge and find pleasant campsites near the stream.
Description from Wilderness Connect (wilderness.net).
| Designation | Wilderness |
| Managed by | Bureau of Land Management and U.S. Forest Service |
| State | California |
| Size | 20,241 acres |
| Designated | 1978, by Congress |
| Center point | 35.28° N, 120.50° W |
| Night sky | About as dark as the ground gets (Black Marble reading 15) |
Boundary map
Boundary, simplified to about 0.005 degrees Federal campground Forest Service recreation site
The outline is the agency boundary simplified for display, so small parcels and inholdings may not show. The agency page has the authoritative map.
Weather by month
Large units span more than one climate. The station stands in for the center point, and the outer parts of the boundary can be warmer or colder.
Where to camp
None of the 4 federal campgrounds within ten miles sit inside the boundary. Nearest first. Distances are from the campground point to the boundary edge, from the Campsite Atlas index.
Trailheads and sites
The Forest Service lists 1 recreation site inside this wilderness, among them 1 trailhead. Each links to its page on fs.usda.gov, which carries the season, fees and current status.
- under 1 miBig Falls Trailhead ↗Trailhead
Distance is from the center point of the boundary, not from a road or town.
Trails
3 named Forest Service trails enter this wilderness, 13 miles in all.
| Trail | Miles | Allowed uses |
|---|---|---|
| Lopez Canyon ↗ | 6.8 | |
| Big Falls | 3.5 | |
| Little Falls | 2.9 |
Lengths and allowed uses come from the Forest Service trail layer by way of Trailhead Atlas. This trail list was copied from Trailhead Atlas on November 1, 2026 and is copied again on each weekly run. Trails in plain text have no page there yet.
Fire nearby
- PrescribedDunes Lake Cultural Rx Burn
16 mi from the center point
Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge, and is measured from the center of a boundary that may be many miles across. Check the agency page for closures.
Explore
Nearby on the other atlases
- 1.1 miEight Mile House ↗Santa Margarita, CA
- 3.3 miMonday Club of San Luis Obispo ↗San Luis Obispo, CA
- 3.3 miWilliam Shipsey House ↗San Luis Obispo, CA
- 3.7 miPowerhouse, The ↗San Luis Obispo, CA
- 4 miTribune--Republic Building ↗San Luis Obispo, CA
- 4.1 miAh Louis Store ↗San Luis Opispo, CA
- 4.2 miSan Luis Obispo Carnegie Library ↗San Luis Obispo, CA
- 4.3 miAngel, Myron, House ↗San Luis Obispo, CA
Landmarks are listed first, then by distance from the boundary.
Guidebooks for California
We earn a small commission if you buy through these links. It does not change what we list.
Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject heading or by title.
Reference
Questions people ask
How big is Santa Lucia Wilderness?
20,241 acres.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Who manages Santa Lucia Wilderness?
Bureau of Land Management and U.S. Forest Service share management. The Bureau of Land Management portion is the largest in the wilderness record.
Source: Wilderness Connect
What state is Santa Lucia Wilderness in?
California.
Source: Wilderness Connect
When was Santa Lucia Wilderness designated?
Congress designated it in 1978.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Can I camp at Santa Lucia Wilderness?
Camping inside a wilderness is usually allowed away from roads, with no facilities, and the managing agency page has the permit rules. The federal campgrounds within ten miles are listed under Where to camp.
Source: Where to camp
How do I get to Santa Lucia Wilderness?
A point inside the boundary is at 35.276° N, 120.500° W. The official page carries directions and the office address.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Is there a fire near Santa Lucia Wilderness right now?
1 active incident within 50 miles as of 2026-11-01, the nearest Dunes Lake Cultural Rx Burn at 16 miles. Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge.
Source: Fire nearby
Are there historic places near Santa Lucia Wilderness?
The National Register has 17 listings within 15 miles, including Eight Mile House and Monday Club of San Luis Obispo.
Source: Register Atlas
Sources
- Boundary, name, acreage, designation year, states and description: Wilderness Connect.
- Campgrounds: the Campsite Atlas index of federal campgrounds, matched to this boundary at build time.
- Trailheads and sites: the Forest Service Recreation Opportunities layer, points inside the boundary.
- Trails: the Trailhead Atlas open-data file of Forest Service trails, matched on the wilderness each trail enters.
- Night sky: NASA Black Marble (VIIRS, 2016 composite) sampled at zoom 6 around the center point.
- Weather, alerts, air quality, river flow and earthquakes load live in your browser from NWS, AirNow, USGS and iNaturalist when you open the page.