| Los Osos Oaks State Natural Reserve | |
|---|---|
IUCN category V (protected landscape/seascape)[1] | |
Mock heather (Ericameria ericoides) in Los Osos Oaks State Natural Reserve. | |
| Location | San Luis Obispo County, California, United States |
| Nearest city | Los Osos, California |
| Coordinates | 35°18′23″N120°48′49″W / 35.30639°N 120.81361°W /35.30639; -120.81361 |
| Area | 85 acres (34 ha) |
| Established | 1972 |
| Governing body | California Department of Parks and Recreation |
Los Osos Oaks State Natural Reserve is aCalifornia State Park in westernSan Luis Obispo County, in theCentral Coast of California region. It preserves centuries-oldcoast live oaks (Quercus agrifolia) growing atoprelictsand dunes.[2] It is located in theLos Osos Valley betweenSan Luis Obispo andBaywood Park-Los Osos, just outside the town ofLos Osos. It is also the only place the critically endangered Splitting Yarn or Iron Maiden's Hair lichenSulcaria isidiifera can be found.[3] The 85-acre (34 ha) park was established in 1972.[4]
There are several prehistoric sites in the proximate vicinity of the Los Osos Oaks State Natural Reserve, in addition toarchaeological recovery within the reserve itself. A significant-sizedChumash 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.[5]
The reserve was one of several state parks threatened with closure in 2008. After the2009 California state special elections, in which voters turned down a package of propositions dealing withCalifornia budget crisis, GovernorArnold Schwarzenegger proposed the temporary closure (for at least 2 years) of 220 parks.[6] The closures were ultimately avoided by cutting hours and maintenance system-wide.[7]