Los Padres National Forest is the major protective body on the Central Coast, preserving mountain ranges that span across Monterey, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, and Ventura counties.  This collection of trails in the Central Coast region of California between Monterey County and Ventura County lists hikes from west to east and north to south.  

Monterey Bay is an excellent area to rent a kayak or paddle board on a clear day.  View some of the local businesses that have rentals available.  

These lakes in central CA offer fishing for largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, spotted bass, channel catfish, white catfish, black crappie, white crappie, rainbow trout, cutthroat trout, brook trout, brown trout, lake trout, golden trout, bluegill, green sunfish, redear sunfish, white bass, chinook salmon, coho salmon, kokanee salmon, striped bass, steelhead and sturgeon. 

California is one of the best places in the world for whale watching. Each year, about 20,000 gray whales make an epic 6,000-mile journey between Alaska and Mexico—and then back again.