Los Osos Oaks State Natural Reserve | |
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IUCN category V (protected landscape/seascape)[1] | |
Location | San Luis Obispo County, California, United States |
Nearest city | Los Osos, California |
Coordinates | 35°18′23″N 120°48′49″W / 35.30639°N 120.81361°W |
Area | 85 acres (34 ha) |
Established | 1972 |
Governing body | California Department of Parks and Recreation |
Los Osos Oaks State Natural Reserve is a California State Park in western San Luis Obispo County, in the Central Coast of California region. It preserves centuries-old coast live oaks (Quercus agrifolia) growing atop relict sand dunes.[2] It is located in the Los Osos Valley between San Luis Obispo and Baywood Park-Los Osos, just outside the town of Los Osos. The 85-acre (34 ha) park was established in 1972.[3]
There are several prehistoric sites in the proximate vicinity of the Los Osos Oaks State Natural Reserve, in addition to archaeological recovery within the reserve itself. A significant-sized Chumash site, Los Osos Back Bay, has been partially excavated on a stabilized sand dune slightly to the north of the reserve dating to at least as early as 1200 CE.[4]
The reserve was one of several state parks threatened with closure in 2008. After the 2009 California state special elections, in which voters turned down a package of propositions dealing with California budget crisis, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger proposed the temporary closure (for at least 2 years) of 220 parks.[5] The closures were ultimately avoided by cutting hours and maintenance system-wide.[6]