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Carrizo Plain National Monument, California
Author: manoseca (public domain)
Carrizo Plain National Monument preserves the largest tract of native grassland in California. It is located about 100 miles (160 km) to the northwest of Los Angeles, in San Luis Obispo County. The national monument is within the Carrizo Plain, which extends about 50 miles (80 km) in length, from the town of Maricopa, along the San Andreas Fault, with of 15 miles (24 km) across.
As the San Andreas Fault traverses under the Carrizo Plain, there are places where surface fractures are particularly visible. This fault forms the boundary between the Pacific and North American Plates.
Caliente Peak, at the southwest edge of Carrizo Plain
Author: Antandrus (public domain)
The Carrizo Plains is rich in wildlife. It is home to 13 different species of animals on the endangered list, including the San Joaquin Kit Fox, the San Joaquin Antelope Squirrel, the Blunt-bosed Leopard Lizard, the Giant Kangaroo Rat, the Sandhill Cranes and the California condor.
Despite its being an important wildlife area, the Carrizo Plain is punctuated by holes drilled by oil companies as no commercially viable quantities of petroleum have yet been discovered there.
Goldfields, Carrizo Plain, San Luis Obispo County
Author: Antandrus (public domain)
A proposal to nominate the Carrizo Plain for UNESCO World Heritage Site status has been shot down by both The Independent Petroleum Association and the residents of Taft, while the City of San Luis Obispo, the San Luis Obispo Chamber of Commerce and the San Luis Obispo Chapter of the League of Women Voters all supported the move.
Those opposed to nominating Carrizo Plain were concerned about problems that World Heritage Site status will bring for oil production, grazing, off-road recreation and rights to their private properties. Due to the nomination not getting unanimous support, the move was not pursued.
Visiting Carrizo Plain National Monument
The plain is closest to the city of Taft. From Interstate-5 (West Side Freeway), take Exit 244 and head west of California State Highway 119 (Taft Highway).Return to National Monuments of the United States
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