Hidden Lake in the Dunes

It sounds preposterous: a lake in the dunes? That’s exactly why Oso Flaco Lake, in the Oceano Dunes south of Pismo Beach, is so cool. The 75-acre freshwater lake is surrounded by miles of dunes to the north and south, and a narrow barrier of dunes between the lake and the roaring Pacific to the west. Yes, a lake in the sand sounds unlikely. But once you’re there, you give yourself over to it and enjoy an amazing abundance of birds, wildflowers, and even a whiff of history on an easy 2.5-mile (round-trip) out-and-back hike.

The trail to Oso Flaco (Spanish for “skinny bear”) begins in a dense thicket of willows and wax myrtles where you’ll hear intriguing birdsong and rustling, though spotting those birds can be a challenge. After a quarter-mile, you’ll reach the lake itself and the chance to walk on water. Well, over water, actually, on a mile-long boardwalk that spans the lake, offering great views of the entire setting: the placid water fringed with cattails and willows, the dunes rising high above, and a variety show of bird life. No two days are the same here, but you may spot ruddy ducks and pied-billed grebes on the water, great egrets and black-crowned night herons on the fringes, northern harriers and ospreys hunting from on high, and barn swallows scooting about everywhere. If you see humans fishing, they’re going for bass and bluegill.

An extension of the boardwalk leads you across the dunes. From there, you can admire showy dune life like sand verbena and evening primrose on your way to the beach, where shorebirds steal the show—sanderlings, curlews, and endangered snowy plovers. Walk as far as you wish along the wild ocean shore before you return to Skinny Bear.

TIPS: The dunes that surround Oso Flaco were home to a utopian colony of sand lovers called the Dunites back in the mid-20th century. The dunes were also the site of a “lost city”—the elaborate set built for Cecil B. DeMille’s silent epic, _The Ten Commandments. _You’ll find exhibits on both, plus movie artifacts, in the Dunes Center—3 miles south on Hwy. 1 in Guadalupe. The little town is also home to several great Mexican restaurants; our nod goes to the family-run La Simpatia.

From US-101 in Nipomo, take the Willow Rd. exit and go west 4.6 miles. Turn left on CA-1, go 2.7 miles, and turn right on Oso Flaco Rd. Continue 3.5 miles to the end of the road. Parking is $5. No dogs.