Come See the Amazing Salinas River
The Salinas River is an amazing resource in North SLO County that many of us who live here do not fully appreciate. The beauty within its banks can be seen year round and the
Mid Summer Beauty
benefits are always available. The ‘upside down’ river that flows out of the Los Padres National Forest near Pozo flows from south to north, and is most often flowing underground. However, most of the year the Salinas River can be seen near the Templeton/Vineyard Bridge where the water table is highest. There are also portions South of the 41 Bridge where it can be seen because there are so many beaver dams holding it back.
I have been hiking and riding in the Salinas riverbed for over 14 years now and have seen many changes and much beauty. When the water is really flowing after heavy rains, the channels and trails will redirect each year. And new life will spring up wherever the water runs. The fish and frogs, the willows and flowers: it changes throughout the year as the water subsides and the heat beats down.
Here is a perfect place to see just how much water we had in the river this year! Take a look!
The Salinas River is home to many coyote, cottontails, jack rabbits, road runners, fox, bobcat, turkey vultures and hawks, snowy egrets, killdeer, and green backed herons. And the plants and flowers are fantastic year round.
You can hike, ride your horse, run your dog and hunt for arrowheads and special rocks as I have seen so many people do. The smells of sage and sun, and the restful shade under a towering oak or sycamore are pleasures that are too often missed by so many in our busy lives.
Pack a lunch and some water. Drive to the parking lot behind Home Depot on Ferrocarril and take a hike. There are plenty of river trails to explore as well as trails installed by the Atascadero Mutual Water Co. to access the wells that the Water Company owns. They welcome you to use their trails respectfully.
Just please don’t leave any trash. Many of us who regularly walk the river pick up the trash that others leave, and the riverbed is so much cleaner now than it was 14 years ago. If you see any trash, just help us out and pick it up. It will make it so much nicer for the next hiker or rider.
It may be called the ‘upside down’ river, but it’s always the ‘right side up’ river to visit!
And Always Expect the BEST!
