Camping in Santa Lucia Wilderness (South A Zone)

[datsleepyho]

Anyone know if camping in non-designated campsites is legal in the Santa Lucia Wilderness near Santa Margarita/SLO? I saw a nice buck right off the road near the Rinconada Trailhead at dusk on Friday, but wasn't sure if camping was legal there or not. The sign at the trailhead said no overnight camping, but I thought wilderness was fair game.

 

[Tleek]

Dispersed camping is permitted on most national forest lands. There will often be no overnight camping signs at trailheads because the don't want folks car camping at trail head parking areas.
Never hesitate to call or swing by a ranger station.

 

[Jd259]

I live and hunt in the same area as you I work in Slo and I camp all the time off of the trails around here never had a problem just be careful around there that whole area is surrounded by private so just know where your at there’s a lot of good bucks on the private all around that trail and they can be caught on the public but you’ll have quite a few other hunters using the same trailhead

 

[OakStuddedAcres]

No overnight parking at that trailhead. Wouldn’t want to park there if you could. Take a look at all the graffiti. Damn hoodlums!

Shoot me a PM. I am in SLO.

 

[DEEF]

I live in Carmel Valley and drew MA1 this year. Has anyone hunt this late season tag? I'm going in muzzle because I have haven't geared up with archery yet. Warden Todd says SLO & SB county bucks rut end of September. Theoretically, if the rut was late; which I suspect it was, I may still catch some rutting activity. I've seen buck with does on the golf course, I didn't sit to observe and haven't been off grid yet. Anyone seeing second rut action?

I was hoping to throw some bleats...