Ocean Views From 2,500 Feet Up
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How Did I Hear About This Place
We were on our way to southern California last month and needed a spot to sleep for the night in San Luis Obispo. We whipped out iOverlander and started scanning the area. We found a spot that sounded great. It was up on TV Tower Road which was only 5 miles from where we were.
It was 9pm as we started reading the reviews. The pictures looked perfect for what we needed. People said it was a great place to stay too. Then we read this review. ” the road is very narrow, steep at points and hard to get by vehicles coming down the mountain”, “I would definitely not do this road at night” and “my two wheel drive van couldn’t get up the last portion”. We decided not to risk it.
Ok, now let me tell you my experience getting to the end of Tower Road in my 2WD 2023 RAM Promaster I must admit I was a bit nervous that I might not be able to get up the road and wouldn’t be able to safely turn around if I needed to retreat.
Finding the road on WAZE was pretty easy, but the road does come up quickly as you are driving 65mph on highway 1. If you are coming from the south there is a turn lane, but you need to dart across the highway as vehicles crest a hill. If you are coming from the North, get in the right hand lane as you approach the road and slow down. It’s a sharp right turn. Ok so you made it to the road. Now what?
Tire Spinning and A Lot Of Dust
Once I was off the highway and onto TV Tower Road, it was time to see what this road was all about. The first half mile is paved and quickly gets pretty steep. The tires slipped once, but after that I was a bit gentler on the throttle. Soon the road turned to gravel and my calmness turned to nervousness.
At 1.6 miles up the road was my first challenge. It was a short, steep, dusty and rutted section. As I drove up the hill my WildPeak all terrain tires started to slip. Now my concern was, how do I back down this dusty hill and try to get better traction. I backed up about three feet, turned my wheels to the right and gave it some slow gas. I got a bit of traction and made it over the crest. There was a large flat area that could handle quite a few vans. This is where most people stop.
I stopped and had some lunch, but I knew I wanted to try and make it to the end of the road so I could write a complete review. I headed up the road with a big smile on my face as I looked out over the hills leading out to the ocean. The fire road had smooth well maintained section and rutted steep loose rocky areas. I had to maintain some speed to get up a couple of the steeper sections.
All in all there were about 4 sections where I lost traction. Ground clearance was not an issue for the Promaster’s 7″ of rear axle clearance, but you do need to choose your lines. The front Sumo Springs and rear Sumo Springs along with my rear Fox shocks, really helped smooth out the terrain. My front Juggernaut USA engine skid plate gave a me peace of mind too as I got into some deeper ruts.
There are some narrow portions of the road that would be quite challenging if you met another vehicle coming the other way. One person would have to back their vehicle up until the road was wide enough to pass each other. I am happy to say I made it to the very end of the 7 mile road and had a great night there without any other vehicles. The pictures below are from my campsite.
What Does This Location Offer
Well for me, it took me out of my comfort zone, which is what adventure is all about. There is nothing like gong from being nervous about where you are taking your van, to wearing the biggest smile when you arrive at your destination. Once you get to your boondocking spot you have amazing views of the hilly and mountainous terrain below. The real treat though is the pacific ocean sunset.
There is a trail at the end of the road that I saw two dirt bikes go down. They were gone for an hour so I assume there is some hiking and mountain biking out there. About halfway up the trail at the Cuesta Ridge Botanical Area sign, I saw 5 mountain bikers heading down a trail.
My experience Here
Well I already told you about my nervous start and my amazing finish, but what about the sunset and sleeping here? I was camped there on a Tuesday night, so I assume there are more people up there on the weekends. I have also heard people will drive up there for the sunset and then drive back down. It can also get VERY windy up there so car top tents might not be your best bet.
I had a great time and can definitely see myself heading up there again for a one night stay. AWD, 4WD and rear wheel drive vehicles will have no trouble getting up there, but I do suggest a more aggressive tire for traction. In August the dirt was very dry and dusty. I would not try it in my van after a rain, that’s for sure. Let us know if you get up there and what your experience was like. Leave a comment below for others to read.
Pack Out What You Pack In
Let’s make sure we keep the amazing locations we visit open. The way we do that is to treat the land with respect. Leave no trace so this road and others remains open for all of us to enjoy. On my way up I stopped at a few locations and did not see any trash. If you do see some, pick it up and take it with you. Pay it forward. Be safe and have fun.