Historical Markers in Carrizo Plain National Monument, California
San Luis Obispo is the county seat for San Luis Obispo County
Carrizo Plain National Monument is in San Luis Obispo County
San Luis Obispo County(103) ► ADJACENT TO SAN LUIS OBISPO COUNTY Kern County(336) ► Kings County(8) ► Monterey County(246) ► Santa Barbara County(137) ►
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Near Soda Lake Road, 1 mile south of Simmler Road, on the right when traveling south.
The first homesteaders arrived on the Carrizo Plain in 1885. The area's limited and unpredictable rainfall, averaging only 8-10 inches per year, made cultivation challenging and risky. Dryland grain farming, however, emerged as a successful . . . — — Map (db m196622) HM
Near Soda Lake Road, 2.2 miles south of Seven Mile Road, on the left when traveling south.
The buildings seen to the northwest of the boardwalk are remnants
of the Goodwin Ranch. Guy L. Goodwin, born in Santa Maria in
1887, graduated from the University of California at Berkeley in
1909 and worked in his father's oil fields. After . . . — — Map (db m196615) HM
Rising above the Carrizo Plain is Painted Rock, an important cultural and spiritual site to California’s native peoples. Most of the pictographs, or painted images found on Painted Rock, are characteristic of the Chumash who lived on the Channel . . . — — Map (db m126610) HM
Near Soda Lake Road, 1 mile south of Simmler Road, on the right when traveling south.
The sandstone formation at Painted Rock has long
drawn the attention of visitors to the Carrizo.
About 3,000 – 4,000 years ago, Native Americans began to
paint their sacred images within the alcove of the rock.
Not surprisingly, the power of . . . — — Map (db m196564) HM
Near Soda Lake Road, 2.2 miles south of Seven Mile Road, on the left when traveling south.
The large basin before you is all that remains of a prehistoric sea. One of the largest undisturbed alkali wetlands in the state, the 3,000 acre lake provides important habitat for migratory birds. With no outlet, the water evaporates, leaving . . . — — Map (db m117066) HM
Near Soda Lake Road, 1 mile south of Simmler Road, on the right when traveling south.
At 3,000 acres, Soda Lake is one of the largest
undisturbed alkali wetlands in the state. It provides
important habitat for migratory birds, such as Black-necked stilts, Avocets, Killdeer and on occasion White
Pelican.
In the late 1800s . . . — — Map (db m196467) HM
Near Soda Lake Road, 2.1 miles south of Seven Mile Road, on the right when traveling south.
Physical forces began shaping the Carrizo into a distinct geographic feature about
30 million years ago. As the bordering Temblor and Caliente mountain ranges
were pushed upward, movements along the San Andreas and San Juan faults
caused the . . . — — Map (db m236542) HM
On Soda Lake Road, 12 miles west of California Route 33, on the left when traveling west.
The L.E. Traver Ranch was established in the 1940's when the family purchased approximately 800 acres and began building the large block house that still stands along the edge of Soda Lake Road. The family was primarily involved in dry land . . . — — Map (db m196391) HM
Near Elkhorn Road, 4.5 miles south of California Route 58.
Welcome to Wallace Creek. Yes, you are looking at a creek. Wallace Creek may seem insignificant compared to other streams or rivers, after all, on most days of the year, it is bone dry. But it tells an important and exciting story.
As you can . . . — — Map (db m126611) HM
