Things to do in Paso Robles

The City of Paso Robles, or El Paso de Robles, "Pass of the Oaks", is a community of 30,000 nestled in the coastal mountain range of central California. Situated midway between Los Angeles and San Francisco, close to mountains, beaches, and deserts, the city is located on the Salinas River, north of San Luis Obispo, California. Paso Robles is known for its hot springs, production of olive oil, almond orchards, for playing host to the California Mid-State Fair, and is home to one of the United States’ greatest wine growing areas. 

We first started visiting Paso Robles the winter of 2012 when Zach's parents, John and Gail, moved to the area. We instantly fell in love with the scenic beauty, warm weather and wineries. Paso is special to us as our place to get away from the craziness of our lives in San Jose. 

We are so happy that you're coming to celebrate with us on Memorial Day weekend and hope you have time to enjoy all that Paso Robles offers! Below we've outlined places to see and things to do in the area. Enjoy! 

Wine

There are more than 200 wineries in Paso Robles, most of which are family owned and operated businesses. A majority of them have regular tasting room hours, including our favorites below (plus two bonus breweries). If you'd like some transportation for your wine-tasting adventure, try The Wine Line or The Grapeline. Individual wineries also host all sorts of events so see what's happening while you're there. 

Dine

There are a lot of great restaurants and eating spots downtown and in the Paso Robles area. These are a few we recommend:

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PASO ARTSFEST: Celebrating the arts every Memorial Day Weekend in the Paso Robles City Park, the PASO ARTSFEST celebrates the arts and promotes Paso Robles as an arts destination through an annual festival connecting world-class artists, the Paso Robles community, and visitors of all ages.

Hearst Castle: A quick and incredibly scenic 45-minute drive from Paso, the iconic Hearst Castle offers daily tours that take visitors back in time to relive the heyday of Hollywood when stars traveled to the “Enchanted Hill”.

Lakes: Nestled in the Santa Lucia Mountains, enjoy swimming, water-skiing, boating, hiking and fishing at lakes Nacimiento and San Antonio. Or enjoy a nature-tour of Santa Margarita Lake.

Historic Missions: There are three nearby California Missions including Mission San Miguel Arcangel, Mission San Antonio de Padua and Mission San Luis Obispo de Tolosa.

Beaches: Paso is your gateway to North Central Coast State Beaches that span the Highway 1 corridor from Big Sur to Morro Bay. Just 30-minutes by car from Paso Robles, Central Coast beaches offer visitors picturesque views, water recreation, hiking trails, and family fun.

Adventure Tours: The Margarita Adventures team offers a uniquely thrilling perspective on a true California landmark—the historic Santa Margarita Ranch—through zipline, kayak, and photo tours (all must be booked in advance).

Olive Oil Tasting: Paso Robles is also quickly becoming a center for olive oil production. Try olive oil tastings at Kiler Ridge, We Olive downtown and on weekends at Alta Cresta Olive Orchard and Pasolivo (across the street from HammerSky).

Vina Robles Amphitheatre: The Vina Robles Amphitheatre is a custom built venue that seats 3,300 people, located next to Vina Robles Winery on the east side of the town of Paso Robles. To find out who's playing ahead of time, sign up for their newsletter or check the schedule online.

Go for a Ride: Outback Trail Rides offers some great rides for all levels of riders, with options in the mountains, on the beach and through vineyards. Their experienced trail guides make everyone feel prepared and safe.

Golf: River Oaks Golf Course is an entirely new and unique concept in recreational golfing. It was designed as a one-of-a-kind course by Rudy Duran and Gary Wishon—the first six-hole “Player Development” course in the nation. The Par-19 course has three tees for each hole with different angles of approach to the green. Focusing on the angle rather than the distance is beneficial to all levels of golfers, from beginning, intermediate and advanced to junior and senior golfers.

Relax: River Oaks Hot Springs and Spa offers massages and open-air hot tubs overlooking the hills.