.png)
Best Hikes in San Luis Obispo
Updated: 2 days ago
One of the things that surprises people who move to San Luis Obispo is that the hiking is not somewhere you drive to. It is in town. You can leave your house on the west side, walk to a trailhead, and be on a peak with a view of the ocean before most cities have finished their morning commute.
We are both hikers, and the trail network is one of the things we point to when someone asks why we live here. This is our list of the best hikes in San Luis Obispo, ranked by what they are good for rather than by difficulty, because the right hike depends on the day you are having.
BISHOP PEAK · CERRO SAN LUIS
The peaks
Bishop Peak: the one everyone does
Bishop Peak is the tallest of the Morros within the city and the hike every new resident does in their first month. The trail switchbacks up through oak and grass to a rocky summit with views of the whole city, the Irish Hills, and on a clear day, the coast. It is a real climb, but a fit person does it comfortably, and the trail is well-maintained.
Two things locals know. First, the trailhead off Patricia Drive gets busy on weekends, and the neighborhood streets fill with parked cars. Go early or on a weekday. Second, the Felsman Loop at the base is a gentler alternative that circles the peak without the summit push, and it is a better choice for a conversational walk.
We wrote a deeper guide to the whole chain of peaks in our post on Bishop Peak, Cerro San Luis, and the Morros.
Cerro San Luis: the sunrise and sunset hike
Cerro San Luis, the mountain with the "M" on it, is the peak we choose when we want the view without the scramble. The Lemon Grove Loop and the road to the top are wider and more gradual than Bishop, and the summit looks straight down on downtown SLO. It is the best sunrise hike in the city and, on nights when it is open for it, one of the best sunset hikes on the Central Coast.
The trailhead is close to downtown and to the Laguna Lake neighborhoods, which is part of why homes on the west side of town carry such a following among active buyers. Our neighborhood guide to Laguna Lake and the west side gets into that.
RESERVOIR CANYON · IRISH HILLS · JOHNSON RANCH
The canyons and hills
Reservoir Canyon: the shady one
When it is hot, we go to Reservoir Canyon. The trail starts at the east edge of town off Reservoir Canyon Road, follows a creek through a shaded canyon past a small waterfall, and then climbs steeply onto the ridge above the Cuesta Grade. The lower section is a gentle walk. The upper section is a leg burner with excellent views back toward the city.
This is the hike we recommend to people who want something that feels wilder than the Morros without leaving SLO.
Irish Hills Natural Reserve: the big one
The Irish Hills on the southwest edge of the city are the largest open space in San Luis Obispo, with a network of trails that can be strung together into short loops or long half-day outings. The King Trail and the Ocean View Trail climb to ridgelines with real ocean views, and the reserve is shared with mountain bikers, so it has a livelier feel than the peaks.
From the trailheads near Laguna Lake and the Prefumo Canyon side, you can get lost out here for hours. It is also one of the better wildflower spots in the city in a good spring.
Johnson Ranch: the easy loop
Johnson Ranch, off Highway 101 at the south end of town, is our pick for an easy morning with kids, dogs, or visiting parents. The loop rolls through open grassland and oaks with no serious climbing, and it connects toward the Irish Hills for people who want more. It is one of the most accessible trails in San Luis Obispo and one of the most pleasant on a green winter morning.
TERRACE HILL · ISLAY HILL · POLY CANYON · BOB JONES
The short ones and the flat one
Terrace Hill and Islay Hill: the neighborhood peaks
Two smaller hills worth knowing. Terrace Hill sits right in the middle of town and is a short, steep walk to a 360-degree view. It is the hike you do before work. Islay Hill on the south side, near the newer neighborhoods along Orcutt Road, is a similar quick climb with views over the Edna Valley.
People who buy in the Righetti Ranch and Orcutt Road area often end up doing Islay Hill several times a week, and we mention it in our guide to SLO's newer south side.
Poly Canyon: the campus classic
Cal Poly's Poly Canyon is a walk up a dirt road into the hills behind campus, past the student-built architectural experiments locals call the "design village" or "architecture graveyard." It is flat, easy, and a little surreal. A good introduction to the town for visiting family and a favorite for students who want a study break.
The Bob Jones Trail: the flat one
Technically it starts just outside SLO, but the Bob Jones Trail from Avila Valley to Avila Beach is the walk we do when we do not want a hike. It is paved, follows San Luis Obispo Creek through sycamores to the ocean, and works for strollers, dogs, and bikes. It is the single best answer to "where can I take my mom for a walk."
The best thing about hiking in SLO is not any one trail. It is that you never have to choose between a hike and the rest of your day.
WEST SIDE · LAGUNA LAKE · FERRINI HEIGHTS · FOOTHILL
Which neighborhood puts you closest
Because the trailheads are inside the city, where you live determines which hikes become habits. A rough map:
West side and Laguna Lake: Cerro San Luis, Irish Hills, Johnson Ranch. The most trail-dense part of town.
Ferrini Heights and the Foothill area: Bishop Peak out your door, Cerro San Luis close by.
Downtown and the older core: Terrace Hill, Cerro San Luis, and easy access to everything else.
South side, Righetti Ranch, Orcutt Road: Islay Hill, Johnson Ranch, and Edna Valley for cycling.
East side and near Cal Poly: Poly Canyon, Reservoir Canyon.
We take this seriously in a home search. If a client tells us they hike every morning, we ask which hike, and it narrows the map fast. Our post on homes near the trailhead goes further into how this plays out across the county.
Start here
If you are new to town, do Bishop Peak on a weekday morning, Cerro San Luis at sunset, and the Bob Jones Trail on a Sunday. Those three will tell you whether San Luis Obispo is your kind of place. If you already know it is, browse homes in SLO with a trailhead in mind, and tell us which hike you want to be able to walk to. We will take it from there.
Talk With Kim & Kristen
We are Kim San Jule and Kristen Gentry, Broker Associates with Real Broker, serving San Luis Obispo County and the Central Coast. Whether you are buying, selling, or simply thinking ahead, we are glad to be a resource.
Kim San Jule · Broker Associate, DRE 01948144 · 805-345-8303 · kimsanjule@gmail.com
Kristen Gentry · Broker Associate, DRE 01968754 · 805-441-4618 · kristengentryslo@gmail.com
Real Broker · Search Central Coast homes for sale
