Norris Rancho Marino Reserve
Nature preserve
519 acres2.4 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Photo: San Luis Obispo County Visitors & Conventions Bureau · Public domainA+Outdoors
Outdoors in Cambria
Cambria has 28 miles of mapped trails, 3.4 for every square mile of land
985 acres are parks and preserves, 165 per 1,000 residents. 21% of Cambria’s land is conserved, about 1,126 acres. 98% of residents live within a half mile of a park.
Among the top 1% of U.S. towns · #30 of 847 in California. What drives it
Conserved land
21%
1,126 acres · of 8.4 sq mi of land
Trails
28 mi
3.4 per sq mi of land
Park land
985 ac
165 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
98%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
0.8 mi
0.8 mi lanes
What kind of outdoors town is Cambria?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Cambria have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Cambria is among the top 1% of U.S. towns, #30 of 847 in California. All four inputs are above most U.S. towns; trail miles rank highest, the share of residents near a park lowest.
A+
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Cambria’s overall grade.
Conserved land21% of the land · typical CA town 4% · U.S. 4%ATrails3.4 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (28 mi) · CA 0.9 · U.S. 0.4A+Park land165 acres of park per 1,000 residents (985 acres) · CA 5 · U.S. 13AParks close to home98% of residents within a half mile of a park · CA 91% · U.S. 72%A−
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Among the top 1%
LessMore
California towns of 2,500+ (847)Ahead of 97%
How sure. Graded on any three of the four inputs instead, the letter would still be A+. Trails and many small parks come from OpenStreetMap, mapped by volunteers, so coverage varies from town to town; the half mile is a straight line from each census block, so a river or highway in the way isn’t counted against it.
PAD-US, OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors), Census 2025 Gazetteer and 2020 blocks; details in Sources below. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →
The map
Conserved land, trails & bike routes
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it.
Easements protect land from building but are usually private.© OpenStreetMap contributors · USGS PAD-US
Places to walk
Pick a walk
The longest trail network is Norris Rancho Marino Reserve, with 2.4 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Moon Stone Beach Park
Park
35 acres0.4 mi of trail
Moonstone Beach Boardwalk
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Santa Rosa Creek Natural Preserve
Nature preserve
34 acres
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Cambria State Marine Conservation Area
Nature preserve
4 acres
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
All 9 parks & preserves
Norris Rancho Marino Reserve519 acres · 2.4 mi of trail
DirectionsMoon Stone Beach Park35 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
DirectionsMoonstruck Lookout State Park3 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsLampton Cliffs Park2 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsShamel Park3 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsSanta Rosa Creek Natural Preserve34 acres
DirectionsCambria State Marine Conservation Area4 acres
DirectionsMonterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary3 acres · National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration
White Rock State Marine Conservation Area3 acres
Who protects it
1,126 conserved acres
21% of Cambria’s land. Who manages Cambria’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Land trusts & nonprofits1,001 ac
Regional agency869 ac
State parks70 ac
State fish & wildlife24 ac
County4 ac
Conservation Easement · 976 acLocal Conservation Area · 417 acRanch Easement · 409 acState Park · 70 acLocal Other or Unknown · 26 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 542 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 2 of 21 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fiscalini Ranch Preserve Local Conservation Area | Regional agency | 407 | Open |
| Hearst San Simeon State Park State Park | State parks | 70 | Open |
| Cambria Pines Ecological Reserve State Conservation Area | State fish & wildlife | 24 | Restricted |
| Strawberry Canyon Private Conservation | Land trusts & nonprofits | 22 | Open |
| Camp Yeager Local Other or Unknown | Regional agency | 14 | Restricted |
| Unnamed site - Cambria Community Services District Local Other or Unknown | Regional agency | 12 | Unknown |
| Cambria Public Cemetery Local Historic or Cultural Area | Regional agency | 12 | Open |
| Henry Kluck Memorial Trail - Fern Canyon Preserve Local Conservation Area | Regional agency | 10 | Open |
| Ramsey Open Space Local Recreation Area | Regional agency | 6 | Open |
| Shamel Park Local Park | County | 2 | Open |
3 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
15 places to go in Cambria
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Cambria
1 beach without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Public pools in Cambria
1 public pool without a name on the map.
Playgrounds in Cambria
4 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Dog parks in Cambria
Cambria Dog Park
DirectionsCambria Dog Park
DirectionsPicnic areas in Cambria
2 picnic areas without a name on the map.
Trails & water
22 named trails
Named trails
Unpaved · 9.7 mi
Moonstone Beach Boardwalk1.3 mi
Ridge Trail1.0 mi
Bluff trail0.9 mi
Forest Loop Trail0.8 mi
Santa Rosa Creek Trail - West0.8 mi
Marine Terrace Trail0.7 mi
Strawberry Canyon0.7 mi
Meander Trail0.6 mi
Santa Rosa Creek Trail - East0.6 mi
Trenton Trail0.6 mi
12 more trails
Arch Trail
0.5 miDolphin Trail
0.4 miWallbridge Trail
0.4 miCreek to Forest Trail
0.4 miSeaClift Trail
0.3 miVictoria Way Trail
0.2 miSan Simeon State Park
0.2 miRamsey Trail
0.2 miCreek to Ridge Trail
0.2 miFern Canyon Trail
0.2 miSanta Rosa Creek Trail
0.1 miCross Trail #1
0.1 miBiking & sports
0.8 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
0.8 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
Courts & fields
2Basketball
1Tennis
1Skate park
1Baseball
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →2 places on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service).
When to get out
The best walking months in Cambria: April to August
NOAA’s 1991–2020 normals for the town and the daylight at its latitude. Outlined months have long days, highs of 59 to 86 °F and little rain for the place.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daylight (h) | 10.0 | 10.8 | 11.9 | 13.0 | 14.0 | 14.5 | 14.3 | 13.5 | 12.3 | 11.2 | 10.2 | 9.8 |
| High (°F) | 62 | 62 | 62 | 63 | 64 | 67 | 68 | 69 | 69 | 69 | 66 | 62 |
| Rain (in) | 4.2 | 3.7 | 3.4 | 1.2 | 0.5 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0.7 | 1.5 | 3.2 |
July is the driest month (under 0.1 in) and September the warmest (highs of 69 °F). 4.2 inches fall in January, the wettest month. The climate in Cambria →
Questions about parks and trails in Cambria
Where can I hike in Cambria?
The longest trail networks: Norris Rancho Marino Reserve, 2.4 miles; Moon Stone Beach Park, 0.4 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Cambria is conserved land?
21% of its land, against a typical 4% for a California town and 4% nationally (PAD-US). Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors: easements are usually private land.
Are dogs allowed on Cambria’s trails?
Norris Rancho Marino Reserve and Moon Stone Beach Park don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Cambria?
0.8 miles of bike routes are on the map: 0.8 of painted or protected lanes.
Is there public land near Cambria?
6,304 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Cambria or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 985 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Cambria have?
Among the top 1% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #30 of 847 in California. The grade combines the share of land that is conserved, miles of mapped trail per square mile of land, park acres per 1,000 residents and the share of residents within a half mile of a park. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from Cambria neighbors.
Share a tip
Sources
Where this page comes from
Conserved and public land: USGS Protected Areas Database of the United States (PAD-US), service updated July 2026. Parks, trails, playgrounds, beaches and other places: OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL), map data as of 2026-10-28. Land and water area: Census 2025 Gazetteer. Residents near a park: 2020 Census blocks. National Register: National Park Service. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →