Majestic Paso Robles

Plan Your Getaway to Paso Robles

Midway between San Francisco and Los Angeles lies a lush landscape of emerald hills, fruitful vineyards, quiet country roads, and plenty of trails for hiking and cycling. Within all this natural majesty is a spirited hamlet of vibrant outdoor art, friendly locals, and seasonally inspired creative dining. Now is the time to visit a part of California you may not know but will be very happy to meet: Paso Robles.

Cycling's Best-Kept Secret

Paso Robles is home to a huge variety of spectacular scenic cycling trails and tours. Shhhh! It’s one of the area’s best-kept secrets!

Combine wildlife sightings and all-level easygoing biking at Heritage Ranch close to downtown Paso. Its proximity to Lake Nacimiento means that as you’re pedaling the short trails flanked by impressive oaks, be sure to scan for bald eagles overhead, and elk just ahead!

The popular Peachy Canyon route is just as it sounds: peachy! There’s 3,500 feet of ascent on this 42-mile scenic route. All that effort warrants a stop-and-sip reward at Donati Family Vineyard. This Italian heritage–influenced winery is down-to-earth casual. Pair a friendly game of bocce with some 2021 Family Reserve Grenache.

Book a VineCycle Tour and bask in an electric bike adventure to vineyards like JUSTIN and Ancient Peaks. Check out wine caves, play some disc golf along the way, grab a bite at a local food truck or Michelin-recognized restaurant.

Bonus Bike Events: The quieter rural roads and nature trails in and around Paso Robles make it an idyllic destination for classic and popular cycling events for all skill levels: check out the Bovine Classic, Wildflower Century, and Tour of Paso.

Paso Robles Cycling Routes, Tours, and Events

Places to Stay

The Super Bloom Trail & the True West

The multi-generational Stinton Family has owned, protected, and preserved 18,000 acres of land in Paso Robles, known in combination as Avenales and Canyon Ranch. It’s a place both people and wildlife consider home. In addition to natural conservation like running cattle, the ranch has also been making standout wine under the label Avenales Ranch.

The ranch is also now a national stop on the Super Bloom Trail: In spring with ample rainfall, wildflowers in the millions blanket the hills, morphing the landscape into a rainbow connection so vast it feels like you’re in a technicolor dreamscape. The Stinton family invites visitors to witness the spectacle, asking only that you respect nature as you soak in the wowing view of wildflowers.

BONUS: Join their “Wildflower Wine Club” and get an exclusive invitation to their yearly wildflower picnic.

Places to Stay

The Food Scene (with some Michelin recognition, too)

Pacific seafood, premium meat from sustainable farms, vegetables by local gardens … when you’re rooted in an esteemed agricultural legacy, you’re going to rise to the occasion, cultivating one of West’s best—and most diverse—food scenes.

Take a seat on the outdoor patio or cozy up at Remedy at the Alchemists’ Garden. Sip non-alcoholic cocktails or make your peace with the When Faustus Met Mateo gin & tonic. If (heaven forbid!) you’ve got a scratchy throat, then the Levy of the Missing (grouse scotch, ginger, honey, lemon, and … peppercorn grenadine) might be just the tincture to soothe your tonsils. Make sure to eat! Cream corn risotto, miso brown sugar salmon, pesto vegetable lasagna, and an 8-ounce skirt steak are just a few of the creative options. Tip: Within the Alchemist's Garden lies The Remedy, a lounge with just 12 seats. Sip on spirits or try a new cocktail as a lovely digestif.

Recently added to the California Michelin guide, The Hatch is a comfort food gem in an equally comfortable atmosphere. Bird’s a big word here (though there’s plenty more to choose from): rotisserie chicken is a highlight, with sides to remember—skillet cornbread, crispy fingerlings…. Tuesday and Wednesday feature a fried chicken special (but it goes fast!). Let your sweet tooth bring even more comfort with cream pie desserts.

In Bloom is a most fitting name for a restaurant recognized by Wine Spectator, with inspiring—and aspiring—dishes. Ingredients come from a host of local farms that bring the originality of the Central Coast to the table. Vinyl records are part of the laid-back ambience as you dine on braised beans and tempura shallots, or filet mignon with black garlic au jus. The founders, a husband-and-wife team, are wine collectors who revere Paso Robles’ exceptional vineyards, so make it a meal with wine pairings.

Dining and Drinks in Paso Robles

Places to Stay

Adventure Wine Trails and Camps!

The vineyards of Paso Robles are not only storybook beautiful, with wineries overlooking the green hills that appear to be galloping all the way to the coast; they’re also easy to explore, with 7 distinct wine trails in the region.

Some wine flights take themselves literally. Go zip-lining high above the vineyards on the flanks of the Santa Lucia Mountains with Ancient Peaks Winery and Margarita Adventures (as in, Santa Margarita, not the cocktail). The grand finale flight is the “Pinot Express,” reached by a quarter-mile hike up a hill where you’ll then zoom 1,800 feet back to earth. Afterwards, taste wines at Ancient Peaks Winery while swapping zippity-sippity stories.

Combine excellent reds and adult-camp fun at Cass Winery. Camp Cass has an enticing array of outdoor experiences to pair with their excellent wines. A few options: Archery, Paint N’ Sip, Beekeeping & Crafting, Horseback explorations, and E-bike adventures. Okay, there’s even Helicopter and Third Wheel Motorcycle Tours if you want to turn the adventure dial to 11.

The Seven Wine Trails of Paso

Places to Stay

Trending Stories NorCal

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  1. Field of Light at Sensorio in Paso Robles

    Light This Way

    Hidden in the bucolic hills of Paso Robles lies one of the greatest light shows on earth. The lighted art exhibition, Sensorio, is as if the rainbow magic of the aurora borealis was plucked from the sky and planted in the fields.

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  2. Surfboards and tents for shade are set up on the beach at Cull Canyon Regional Recreation Area in the Swim Lagoon Area

    Switchbacks and Swimming Holes

    Hike hard, play hard! This 7-mile out-and-back in Cull Canyon Regional Recreation Area is a great workout with payoff vistas and a relaxing post-hike picnic and dip in the water.

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  3. Hike the Rainbow

    Catch all the colors of a rainbow at Calero County Park on this 10-mile hike currently showcasing the season’s best blooms.

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  4. Hike Purisima Creek Open Space Preserve

    Purisima Charisma

    Hundred-foot redwoods, a shaded canyon, and views overlooking Half Moon Bay. This 10-mile loop hike in Purisima Creek Redwoods Open Space Preserve is a roller-coaster of uphill and downhill along with easygoing stretches through some of the Bay Area’s most beautiful landscape.

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  1. People on a guided horseback tour with Central Coast Trailrides at Santa Margarita Ranch near Paso Robles

    Saddle Up with Central Coast Trailrides

    Untouched and sweeping, the mountainous scenery and deep valleys of Santa Margarita near Paso Robles are just begging to be explored. So saddle up for a scenic adventure with Central Coast Trailrides (CCT) at the 14,000-acre Santa Margarita Ranch.

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  2. A woman on a hiking trail with huge open space and yellow flowers around her at Wildwood Park in Thousand Oaks

    Going Wildwood

    Consider this your invitation to get a little untamed. In just one walk through Wildwood Park in Thousand Oaks, you can chase the sound of a cascading waterfall, duck into a shadowy cave, and soak in big hillside vistas. The mostly flat 4.25-mile loop makes wild feel wonderfully accessible.

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  3. Two people fly fishing on the Truckee River with guides from Reno Fly Shop

    Zen and the Art of Fly Fishing

    Learning to fly fish is one of the most fun and beautiful ways to connect with nature, family, friends, and yourself. It’s also a great way to truly experience the magic of a place. Make that place Reno Tahoe, where a fly fishing adventure with Reno Fly Shop is like being planted in a plein air painting of dreamy outdoors.

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  4. A woman on the overlook deck overlooking the Truckee River at Oxbow Nature Study Area in Reno

    This Way to Oxbow and Dickerson Road

    Just west of downtown Reno—tucked right alongside the Truckee River—is a nature haven for wildlife spotting and waterside relaxing. The 22-acre Oxbow Nature Study Area is ideal for those seeking solitude and a short hike. Afterwards, explore the creative hub of Dickerson Road.

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