Carrizo Plain

城市概覽

History Native American people have occupied the Carrizo Plain for at least the last 10,000 years. The Carrizo Plain National Monument lies primarily within the historical territory of the Chumash people. The Salinian, who lived north of the Chumash along the coast to the Salinas Valley, and inland within the Coast Range, also visited the Carrizo, as did the Yokuts who lived in the San Joaquin Valley to the east. The presence of pictograph sites like Painted Rock and other Native American spiritual sites on the Carrizo Plain indicate that this region has long held special values to these people. Their descendants continue to revere these places and visit them to conduct ceremonies and rituals.

Landscape

Flora and fauna The park is perhaps most famous for its wildflowers - mid March to mid April is the usual time frame for wildflower season, but it is dependent on the weather and varies from season to season. There are many factors, including temperature, rainfall and the timing of the two that determine which flowers bloom and their distribution in any given season. Every year is not spectacular and only a few flowers may prevail in some years. Carrizo Plain is home to many animals with sensitive status. Tule elk and pronghorn antelope have been reintroduced into the area and can be seen at various locations on the plain. Many raptors, including redtail hawks, golden eagles, kites, harriers, owls, and others can be found all year throughout the area. The California Condor has been reintroduced nearby and is occasionally seen over the plain.

Climate

Visitor information Park website (BLM)

如何抵達

The park is remote and no gas stations are nearby, so fill your tank before visiting. The only reliable road through the park is Soda Lake Road, which bisects the 37 miles of the national monument from north to south. Since only the northern eighteen miles of Soda Lake Road are paved most visitors choose to visit the park from the north via Highway 58. The intersection of Highway 58 and Soda Lake Road lies 27 miles west of the town of McKittrick, and 40 miles from Santa Margarita and US-101. If arriving from the south, Soda Lake Road intersects CA-166/CA-33 about nine miles southwest of the town of Maricopa; from there you will need to travel 19 miles of dirt road to reach the park visitor education center. While Soda Lake Road is well-maintained and suitable for vehicles without four-wheel drive or high ground clearance, the numerous county roads that cross the park are less well maintained and can be impassable during wet weather; check conditions before setting out on these roads.

當地交通

Soda Lake Road is the main route through the park. It is well maintained and safe for low clearance vehicles, but be careful: the road often has dips and axle-breaking chuckholes that need to be avoided, especially when the rainy season ends, the wildflowers are out, and road maintenance crews have not yet had time to implement repairs. If you are going faster than about 30 miles per hour you may not see hazards in time to dodge them, and long stretches of relatively smooth gravel road can lull a driver into a false sense of security. Panorama and Simmler Roads are usually impassable due to mud long after the last rain. Once the roads have dried out, gullies, ruts, rock-slides and wash-outs often render roads impassable, especially for low clearance vehicles. Stay on designated roads with any motorized vehicles. Except on county roads, or unless otherwise posted, the speed limit is 25 miles per hour. Stay on existing roads and trails with mountain bikes.

必看景點

1 Goodwin Education Center (located one half mile west of the junction of Painted Rock Road and Soda Lake Road). Open seasonally from the beginning of December to the end of May, Th-Su 9AM-4PM. Offers the visitor interpretive displays and exhibits explaining the uniqueness of the Carrizo Plain and the adjoining Elkhorn Plain. A gift shop sells merchandise ranging from stickers and magnets to posters, books and tee shirts. A ranger is available to answer questions. Informational maps and brochures are available at the front door when the Center is closed. The Visitor Center driveway may be closed if road conditions are too muddy for vehicles. Visitors are welcome to hike in during these times. Handicapped accessible restrooms at the Visitor Center remain open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, throughout the year. 2 Painted Rock. About 3,000 – 4,000 years ago, Native Americans began to paint their sacred images within the alcove of the rock, and the sandstone formation has drawn the attention of Carrizo Plain visitors ever since. From March 1 to July 15 Painted Rock can be visited only via BLM guided tours; no other form of public visitation is allowed during this time period. From July 16 to the end of February self-guided tours are allowed by permit only. A tour reservation or permit can be obtained online or by calling 1-877-444-6777, and can sometimes also be obtained at the Goodwin Education Center. 3 Soda Lake. Soda Lake is a normally dry lakebed that covers an area of about 3,000 acres, and is one of the dominant geographic features of the Carrizo Plain. A crust of sodium sulfates and carbonates are the result of evaporating mineral-laden surface water. The Soda Lake trail begins at Soda Lake Road, across from Overlook Hill, and takes visitors to the edge of Soda Lake. Round trip, the trail is .9 miles. Soda Lake is dry much of the year but during the wet season, you may see wildflowers, fairy shrimp, sandhill cranes, avocets, stilts and other shore or aquat

體驗活動

Geocaching Flower viewing Birdwatching Geology field trips, viewing the offset streams and other features of the San Andreas Fault Hunting Hiking Mountain Biking Visit the Education Center Take a guided tour of Painted Rock and an old Ranch Camping

購物

Guidebooks, maps, birding books and regional interest titles are available at the Goodwin Education Center. The nearest gas stations are outside of the park in Taft, Maricopa and Santa Margarita so it is important to fill up the gas tank before visiting.

美食

There is no food available in the park so you must bring everything with you. If you plan on cooking, be aware that any fire outside of a designated campground requires a campfire permit that can be obtained from the visitor center, a ranger or the Bakersfield BLM office.

飲品與夜生活

There is no drinking water available within the park, so be sure to bring plenty of fluids with you.

住宿

Lodging The closest hotels are in the city of Taft including the Best Western Plus in Taft. Santa Margarita or Paso Robles are within striking distance of the Monument and both have many fine hotels, and numerous bed and breakfasts as well as many unique restaurants.

Camping There are two developed campgrounds in the Monument. Occasionally the KCL campground will fill up on weekends during flower viewing season and hunting season. Not to worry, you can head up to Selby or, if you are tenting or have a small