I took a solo road trip and decided to check this out. Kind of a long drive. You can walk the perimeter of the base of the monument where you can see all of the inscriptions and return to your car from there. That might take you 20 minutes tops. At the top are Indian ruins and you must take a 3 mile round trip hike to see them... well worth it!! There is a pathway close to the information building that I suggest you take. It has stairs and handrails whereas the other option to enter from consists of steep switchbacks that could give anyone a heart attack. That is still a beautiful side of the monument so it would be worth it to exit that way
If you're looking for uniqueness, nature, and inexpensive then check this out. The hikes are nice and safe and it's not overrun with tourists
If staying in the area or even just passing through Santa Rosa on I-40 like I did, you HAVE TO be daring and take a few extra minutes from your schedule to stop and jump in at least once.... it will rejuvenate you for sure
Amazing!!
I am guilty of always selecting large hotels. I couldn't find an available room unless I wanted to pay an arm and a leg for or drive another 100 miles. I decided to give this place a shot and it turned out to be one of the best decisions we made on our 2 week trip of California. It felt like home! The community is really nice and offers a lot of neat shops and great places to sit and eat. We went to the beach that evening before sundown and Pismo Beach was just right up the road and awesome.