Fresh air, scenic natural settings, and endorphin- enhancing outdoor activities are key ingredients in any outdoor adventure vacation, and San Luis Obispo, California’s abundant open-space and open-water playgrounds provide ample room for adventure travelers or family adventurers to stretch their legs and challenge their limits for outdoor activity and vacation fun.

National Geographic Adventure even mentioned San Luis Obispo’s All Out Adventure Company and their local endurance and adventure challenges as an ideal way to get into action.

Outdoor Adventure Vacation

Watch the video to see SLO’s warm, beautiful wine country and unique shopping venues to stop at on your next vacation.

Active travelers of every persuasion can discover a challenge, race, sport, or tour to meet their appetite for adventure and activity-centered vacations. Here are a few of our favorites:

• Join All Out Adventure for one of their demanding adventure races designed for solo, two, three and four person teams.
• Participate in a SLO cycling event, such as the SLO GranFondo in October, which allows novice and amateur riders the chance to draft off of the number-one US professional team HTC-Highroad.
• Triathletes, Ironman racers or enthusiastic spectators will want to schedule to visit San Luis Obispo during the first weekend in May for the grueling and ever-popular AVIA Wildflower Triathlon.

Adventure Weekend Decathlon - Day 1

• Hike Bishop Peak at sunrise, followed by rock climbing or bouldering.
• Power up at nearby Breakfast Buzz, and then bicycle from San Luis Obispo on the scenic Highway 1 toward Morro Bay.
• Rent a stand-up paddleboard (SUP) from Sub-Sea Tours at the Morro Bay harbor and test your balance across the bay.
• Park the board at the sand spit and barefoot run in the deep sand of the dunes.
• If you dare, take your SUP into the open water at the other side of the spit and surf the waves.
• Grab lunch at Tognazzinis or another seaside restaurant, and head back to San Luis Obispo (taking Hwy 1 again or looping through Los Osos and onto Los Osos Valley Road).

Adventure Weekend Decathlon - Day 2

• Bicycle from downtown San Luis Obispo through Edna Valley wine country on Orcutt Road. Turn left and head out to Lopez Lake.
• Swim across Lopez Lake.
• Continue riding from Lopez on the scenic Highway 247 to Pismo Beach and enjoy breakfast at Honeymoon Café.
• Kayak from Shell Beach to Avila.
• Run the paved BOB Jones Trail from the blue waters of Avila Beach to Ontario Road, stopping for a bite at Woodstone Marketplace.
• Ride alongside the Highway 101 towards San Luis Obispo.
• Stop at the Johnson Ranch trail to trail run or mountain bike
• Ride the rest of the way into to town for a warm-down hike at the South Hills Open Space before dinner at Big Sky.