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Prefumo Canyon Road

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Prefumo Canyon Road is an approximately 7.1-mile rural highway corridor mostly located in the Irish Hills west of the city of San Luis Obispo.  The Prefumo Canyon Road corridor begins at Los Osos Valley Road in San Luis Obispo and crosses the Irish Hills to a terminus located at See Canyon Road.  Prefumo Canyon Road is named after wealthy San Luis Obispo businessman Pietro Prefumo and has been in active use since the 1880s.  The highway is frequently touted as one of the most scenic in San Luis Obispo County as it has numerous vistas of Morro Bay and Los Osos Valley. 




Part 1; the history of Prefumo Canyon Road

Prefumo Canyon Road follows the general course of Prefumo Creek and Coon Creek in the Irish Hills west of San Luis Obispo.  The road, Prefumo Creek and Prefumo Canyon are all named after settler Pietro Benedetto Prefumo.  Pietro Prefumo was born in Genoa, Italy on February 20, 1844, and would eventually migrate to Sacramento where he met his wife, Ada.

Pietro Prefumo would later relocate to San Luis Obispo and became a successful businessman.  Prefumo and his wife became significant property owners in the Shell Beach area by the turn of the 20th century.  He would die on March 25, 1910, in San Francisco and is buried in San Luis Obispo.   

Prefumo Canyon Road has existed at least since the 1880s.  A barn at the top of the canyon has been dated to having been built during 1884.  The upper portions of the road appear on the 1897 United States Geological Survey map of Port Harford, Cayucos and San Luis Obispo.  In the era Prefumo Canyon Road began in Coon Creek and ascended northeast from See Canyon to the top of Prefumo Canyon in the Irish Hills (then the San Luis Range).  The roadway from the top of Prefumo Canyon descended through Sycamore Canyon to Los Osos Valley instead of completely following Prefumo Creek. 




Prefumo Canyon Road is shown as a minor local highway on the 1935 Division of Highways map of San Luis Obispo County.  The highway is shown with a northern terminus at Los Osos Valley Road and Foothills Boulevard via Sycamore Canyon.


See Canyon Road is shown to have been constructed to Prefumo Canyon Road on the 1941 United States Geological Survey map of Port San Luis Obispo. 


The northern portion of Prefumo Canyon Road is shown to have been realigned via Prefumo Creek closer to the city limit of San Luis Obispo on the 1942 United States Geological Survey map. 


The 1965 United States Geological Survey map of Morro Bay South displays the terminal elevation of Prefumo Canyon Road as 1,336 feet above sea level.  


In modern times Prefumo Canyon Road has been promoted as a scenic highway continuous with See Canyon Road by San Luis Obispo County.  Prefumo Canyon Road in particular is valued by cyclists due to the vistas it has of Los Osos Valley and Morro Bay in addition to grades approaching 10% inclines.



Part 2; a drive on Prefumo Canyon Road

Southbound Prefumo Canyon Road branches from Los Osos Valley Road in the city of San Luis Obispo. 


Prefumo Canyon Road narrows to a single lane roadway at the San Luis Obispo city limit.  





Prefumo Canyon Road follows Prefumo Creek into the namesake canyon.













Prefumo Canyon Road begins to ascend into the Irish Hills through a series of switchbacks.  Los Osos Valley can be viewed from the largest switchback. 











Morro Bay can be seen from the upper portions of Prefumo Canyon Road. 




Prefumo Canyon Road levels out at a plateau around 1,300 feet above sea level and passes through several rural ranching plots. 







Prefumo Canyon Road rapidly descends to Coon Creek and becomes a dirt surfaced highway.






Prefumo Canyon Road terminates at See Canyon Road.






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