Hikes In San Luis Obispo

San Luis Obispo is a place for nature lovers. It is close to the beach, close to farm land, close to wineries, close to oak forests, and close to many amazing hiking trails. If you are looking for San Luis Obispo Hikes you have come to the right place.

If you are just looking around for things to do check out our dedicated hub page of things to do in San Luis Obispo.

El Chorro Park Trail

Distance: 3 mile round trip

Difficulty: Easy

Trailhead: From San Luis Obispo take Highway 1 north and turn right at Dairy Creek Rd. and go to Dairy Creek Parking. The trailhead is by the gate.

Felsman Loop Trail

Distance: 3.2 mile round trip

Difficulty: Medium

Trailhead: From Downtown San Luis Obispo take Santa Rosa St. North toward the 101 for 1.4 miles. Turn left onto Highland Dr. and take it for 0.6 miles. Turn right onto Patricia Dr. and take it for 0.5 miles to the Bishop Peak Patricia Entrance at 787 Patricia Dr.

Bishop Peak Trail

Distance: 4.5 mile round trip

Difficulty: Medium

Trailhead: From Downtown San Luis Obispo take Santa Rosa St. North toward the 101 for 1.2 miles. Turn left onto Highland Dr. and take it for 1.1 miles. Continue onto Brittany Circle.

Eagle Rock Nature Trail

Distance: 2.5 mile loop

Difficulty: Easy

Trailhead: From Downtown San Luis Obispo take Santa Rosa St. North toward the 101 for 2 miles. Continue on to Highway 1 North for 3.6 miles. Turn Right onto Dairy Creek Rd. and take for 0.9 miles and the entrance will be on the right at about 2974 Dairy Creek Road.

Stenner Creek Canyon Trail

Distance: 4 mile round trip

Difficulty: Easy to Medium

Trailhead: From Downtown San Luis Obispo take Santa Rosa St. North toward the 101 for 2 miles. Turn Right onto Stenner Creek Rd and take for 2.5 miles. Parking will be on the left. Head further up Stenner Creak another 0.2 miles and a slight right toward Poly Canyon.

Poly Canyon Trail

Distance: 5.5 mile round trip

Difficulty: Medium

Trailhead: Take 101 North to Grand Ave. Exit Highway and turn left onto Grand Ave.. After 0.8 miles Grand Ave. will become Perimeter Rd.. Take Perimeter Rd for 0.2 miles and turn right onto Village Dr. Take Village Dr for 0.1 miles and turn right onto Poly Canyon Rd. Start hike at the dirt road. If it is during the week you will need a parking pass which you can get when you enter Cal Poly.

Yucca Ridge Trail

Distance: 3 mile round trip

Difficulty: Easy to Medium

Trailhead: Take 101 North to Grand Ave. Exit Highway and turn left onto Grand Ave.. After 0.8 miles Grand Ave. will become Perimeter Rd.. Take Perimeter Rd for 0.2 miles and turn right onto Village Dr. Take Village Dr for 0.1 miles and turn right onto Poly Canyon Rd. Start hike at the dirt road. When you get to a wooden bridge cross it and take the East Canyon Trail to the Yucca Ridge Trail. This trail will take you just above the Cal Poly P.

Poly Canyon Design Village Trail

Distance: 3 mile round trip

Difficulty: Easy

Trailhead: Take 101 North to Grand Ave. Exit Highway and turn left onto Grand Ave.. After 0.8 miles Grand Ave. will become Perimeter Rd.. Take Perimeter Rd for 0.2 miles and turn right onto Village Dr. Take Village Dr for 0.1 miles and turn right onto Poly Canyon Rd. Start hike at the dirt road. You will get to a wooden bridge just before a Stone Arch. Go through the Stone Arch which is around a mile after the trail head.

Lemon Grove Loop

Distance: 2.2 mile loop

Difficulty: Easy

Cerro San Luis Obispo Natural Reserve Trail

Distance: 3 mile round trip

Difficulty: Medium

Trailhead: From Downtown San Luis Obispo take Higuera South (toward 101) for 0.6 miles. Turn right onto Marsh and keep left at the fork to stay on Marsh St, follow the signs to 101 South and after 0.2 miles turn right onto Fernandez Ln and after 100 ft right onto Fernandez Rd and into the dirt parking area. Follow Lemon Grove Trail and take a left at left at the junction to Cerro Trail. This will take you up by the big M.

Laguna Lake Trail

Distance: 1.5 mile loop

Difficulty: Easy

Trailhead: From Downtown San Luis Obispo take Higuera South (toward 101) for 0.6 miles. Turn right onto Marsh and keep left at the fork to stay on Marsh St, follow the signs to 101 South. Take the 101 South for 0.6 miles and take exit 201 for Madonna Rd. Turn Left onto Madonna Rd and take for 0.3 miles. Turn right onto Dalidio into Laguna Lake Park.

Irish Hills Trail

Distance: 4 mile round trip

Difficulty: Easy to Medium

Trailhead: From Downtown San Luis Obispo take Higuera South (toward 101) for 0.6 miles. Turn right onto Marsh and keep left at the fork to stay on Marsh St, follow the signs to 101 South. Take the 101 South to exit 200 Los Osos Valley Rd. Turn Right onto Los Osos Valley and continue for 1.5 miles. Turn left onto Prefumo Canyon Rd and take for 0.3 miles then turn left onto Isabella Way and take for 0.4 miles. At the end of the road you will find the trailhead.

Froom Canyon Loop

Distance: 4 mile round trip

Difficulty: Easy to Medium

Trailhead: From Downtown San Luis Obispo take Higuera South (toward 101) for 0.6 miles. Turn right onto Marsh and keep left at the fork to stay on Marsh St, follow the signs to 101 South. Take the 101 South to exit 201 Madonna Rd. Turn Left onto Madonna Rd and take for 1.3 miles. At the traffic circle, take the 2nd exit onto Devaul Ranch Dr and the parking will be on the right.

Johnson Ranch Trail

Distance: 3.5 mile loop

Difficulty: Easy

Trailhead: From Downtown San Luis Obispo take Higuera South (toward 101) for 0.6 miles. Turn right onto Marsh and keep left at the fork to stay on Marsh St, follow the signs to 101 South. Take the 101 South for 4.4 miles to exit 198 Higuera St. Slight right to continue onto S Higuera St and then Turn Left onto Ontario Rd and parking will be on the right.

South Hills Trail

Distance: 2.2 mile loop

Difficulty: Easy

Trailhead: From Downtown San Luis Obispo take Higuera South (toward 101) for 1 mile. Turn Left onto South St and take for 0.3 miles. Turn Right onto Exposition Dr and take for 0.2 miles. Continue onto Woodbridge St and parking is just on the side of the street.

Stoneridge Trail

Distance: 2.2 mile loop

Difficulty: Easy

Trailhead: From Downtown San Luis Obispo take Broad St South for 1.3 miles. Turn Right onto Stoneridge and take for 0.1 miles. Turn Left onto Rockview Pl and almost immediatly turn right onto Bluerock Dr and take for 0.1 miles. Turn left onto Stoneridge Trail and park.

Bishop Foothill Trail

Distance: 2 miles round trip

Difficulty: Medium to Hard

Trailhead: From Downtown San Luis Obispo take Santa Rosa St. North toward the 101 for 0.9 miles. Turn Left onto Foothill Blvd and take for 1.3 miles, the trailhead will be on the right.

Railroad Recreation Trail

Distance: 2 miles round trip

Difficulty: Easy

Trailhead: From Downtown San Luis Obispo take Santa Rosa St. South for 0.4 miles. Santa Rosa St turns right and becomes Railroad Ave take Railroad Ave for 500ft. The trialhead is right past the traffic circle on the left.

Terrace Hill Trail

Distance: 0.8 mile loop

Difficulty: Easy

Trailhead: From Downtown San Luis Obispo take Marsh St North East for 0.3 miles. Turn Right onto Johnson Ave and take for 0.3 miles. Turn Right to stay on Johnson Ave and take for 0.5 miles. Turn right onto Bishop St and take for 0.2 miles.

Islay Hill Trail

Distance: 2 miles round trip

Difficulty: Easy

Trailhead: From Downtown San Luis Obispo take Broad St South for 2.5 miles. Turn Left onto Tank Farm Rd and take for 0.6 miles. At the traffic circle continue straight to stay on Tank Farm Rd for another 0.2 miles. Turn Right onto Brookpine Dr and take for 0.2 miles. Continue onto Purple Sage Ln and take for 0.1 miles. Purple Sage Ln will turn to the left and become Spanish Oaks Dr take that for another 0.1 miles. Turn Right onto Sweet Bay Ln and take for 0.1 miles and park at the end of the street.

High School Hill Trail

Distance: 5 miles round trip

Difficulty: Medium to Hard

Trailhead: From Downtown San Luis Obispo take Marsh North East for 0.4 miles. Turn Right onto Johnson and take it for 0.3 miles. Turn Right to stay on Johnson and take for another 0.1 miles. Turn Left onto Lizzie and take for 0.2 miles. Parking is in the neighborhood in the culdesac.

Reservoir Canyon Trail

Distance: 2.5 miles round trip

Difficulty: Easy

Trailhead: From Downtown San Luis Obispo take Osos St for 0.4 miles to the 101 North. Get on Highway 101 North for 2.1 miles. Exit Highway 101 North at Reservoir Canyon Rd and take a right. Continue on Reservoir Canyon Rd for 0.5 miles and the trailhead will be on the right. You notice that there is not a normal highway on or off-ramp here. It is very dangerous to try and cross the highway when going back to San Luis Obispo so you will be better off taking the 101 north until you get to a place that is better to turn around.

Reservoir Canyon Trail To Summit

Distance: 5 miles round trip

Difficulty: Medium to Hard

Old Stage Coach Road Trail To Cuesta Pass

Distance: 5.6 miles round trip

Difficulty: Medium

Trailhead: From Downtown San Luis Obispo take Osos St for 0.4 miles to the 101 North. Get on Highway 101 North for 3.7 miles. Exit Highway 101 North at Old Stage Coach Road and take a left, continue for 0.1 miles to the parking on the right.

Roller Coasters Trail

Distance: 5.4 miles round trip

Difficulty: Medium to Hard

Trailhead: From Downtown San Luis Obispo take Osos St for 0.4 miles to the 101 North. Get on Highway 101 North for 4.9 miles. Exit Highway 101 North at a small turnout to the left, there is no offramp. Park there and go along the West Cuesta Ridge Trail until you get to a 3 way trail split and take the middle road.

West Cuesta Ridge Road Trail

Distance: 7 miles round trip

Difficulty: Medium

Trailhead: From Downtown San Luis Obispo take Osos St for 0.4 miles to the 101 North. Get on Highway 101 North for 4.9 miles. Exit Highway 101 North at a small turnout to the left, there is no offramp. Park there and go along the West Cuesta Ridge Trail, on you map it might be called TV tower road. Take it until you get to the Cuesta Ridge Botanical Area and then turn around. Enjoy the views.

Morning Glory Trail

Mount Lowe Trail

Sterling Trail

Blog Thistle Trail

Final Thoughts on Hiking In San Luis Obispo

There are so many great things in the city of San Luis Obispo. But, there are lots of things right outside of the city. If you are a hiker or a biker then these San Luis Obispo Hikes are worth a look.

Thanks for visiting Hey SLO we hope to give you all of the info you need if you are a local or coming for a little trip. Check out our extensive archive of articles about San Luis Obispo County.