Local Walk: "SLIPPERY WITH LOOSE PEBBLES"…read more Of course there are nice 360 views on the sizable plateau on top, and going up is steep for a short bit. Unfortunately, if you are used to even easy to moderate hiking, it is a near insignificant amount of Cardio, since it may take only 5-10 minutes to get to the top, using the steepest assent. Now if even you did prepare by wearing decent hiking sneaker or shoes, you would still have to be cautious going back down since there are tons of loose pebbles & dirt all over the rutted well worn path. Since most people come up here not for hiking, but for a nice walk, the view, or even a picnic, I think that they should make a concrete or asphalt path for those people for safety reasons. I did see a least one big group of about 15 people complete with coolers coming down, without really paying attention to the risk of falling. The short path up is rather nice and either side can be filled with yellow wildflowers along the way. Before you know it, you are on top, and you wonder if that is it. It is. While there are a few more meandering paths up or down, they again has quite a few loose pebbles, and are not much of an improvement. Since I read that it was considered not much of a hike, I did not prepare and did wear my older New Balance 990 running sneakers. While they are great for flat smooth ground, they are definitely not good to navigate a step slope with loose pebbles, even for such a short distance. Once you get on top, the views are quite nice, but if you are a local, you are going up there more to do stuff. You will either see people picnicking, walking around, or even doing Yoga. While it is called a Preserve, and can be termed a hike, a park, or a walk, it is really quite limited in value, since there are no services, water, nor bathrooms. In conclusion, it is more for immediate locals, or for those who want some cool pics, but not worth a special trip. Compared to let say Laguna Lake trails, it is rather disappointing. At least with Laguna Preserve, you do see birds, varied terrain, can do a whole range of easy to challenging distances and elevation, and have good views to boot. Laguna Lake also has restrooms on the bottom. If one is really into trying different hiking areas, the Alltrails website/app is likely the best for finding viable trails, but since mostly experienced hikers do the reviews, they have a bias toward making things seem easier for those who are not in shape. You can even set your iPhone to use both your GPS & Alltrails to map your progress, time, elevation, & more. Along with your iwatch, you can also keep track of your heart rate and more over your hike and during recovery.

My peace and serenity whenever I needed to take a break from studying or a quick brisk walk after a…read morework out and wanted a beautiful view of SLO. I've gone up here multiple times just for the views and even had dinner up here once. Sunset time is the best. Apparently this place was really popular during the midst of covid. Lots of picnics up here, which I still see! Grab your mat and chill for a bit. This isn't a place where you get a workout. It's a short walk up hill so don't expect to have to hike or break that much of a sweat. It's best to wear tennis shoes, but I walked up with my vans and I have seen many walk up with sandals and slippers.

One of my favorite places in SLO! I really appreciate the work the city workers (and/or volunteers)…read moredo to maintain this trail. I would say it's an easy to moderate hike to the top if you take the trail head near Meadow Park. I prefer the second trail on the left to the top of the main hill.

Hard to believe this open space hasn't been reviewed yet, unless everyone else is trying to keep it…read morea secret. ;-) I've been hiking and trail running through South Hills countless times since moving to SLO - if offers a peaceful serenity that borders on spiritual. It's also much farther from campus than any of the college kids are willing to go (LOL, but seriously). A great place to go if you want to get up high and get a gorgeous 360 view of SLO: Downtown, Bishop Peak, Cerro San Luis, Islay Hill, Laguna Lake, the airport, and south toward Pismo are all visible during from the footpaths in South Hills. Dogs are welcome, but it's worth nothing that the paths are considerably rockier in some places than the more traveled trails around SLO. You probably don't want to drag a 5-year-old on a "nature hike" up the more risky ones, but pick-up trucks have driven some flat frontage roads into the hillside that make for great running. Wildflowers, lizards, and red tail hawks run amok in the open space, and sunsets are truly gorgeous as the fog rolls in for the night. If you're looking for a relaxing walk or a place to clear your mind, check it out.

James Way Oak habitat and wildlife area is such a nice little spot to hike and walk around. It's…read moretucked away nicely right in between houses and a nearby shopping center in Arroyo Grande. It has a nice woodsy vibe with lots of trees, shrubs and shade throughout. Beware if you're planning to bring dogs, there's a good amount of ticks in this area and poison ivy. Also, coyotes are frequently spotted in this area. Since it's just steps from my house, I visit frequently and love it here! Overall, totally worth a visit especially if you're looking for a nice spot to get some hiking in.

Didn't go through all of it but loved the painted rocks that were along the path. Pretty cool walk.read more

This was a gorgeous hike, but I recommend taking Avila Beach Dr to Cave Landing Rd and parking…read morethere. Go clockwise around the trail, so you'll start by going UP! It's steep, and the ground is loose... Sphew!!! Once you're up, though, everything feels easier (and you know your strength!). There are a couple of spots with rope swings at the top! We missed the one with the wooden bench part but loved the one we did find anyway. I used my hiking poles, and more than one person we met along the way said they wished they had some too! There were also some trail runners (how?! No clue!) who clearly did not need poles. :P So, you do you!

We parked at Cave Landing lot at 2:30pm, it was hot in mid June, not ideal temp for hiking but we…read moremade the best of it by taking breaks in the shade. This was a short but challenging hike with rewarding views all around. We hiked counter clock direction with the extreme steep downhill part at the end. This was a wise decision because if my graduating daughter saw that steep grade at the start, she would have quit on the spot. My son and I christened our new hiking boots, his Keen Targhee 4, mine Altra Lone Peak 6. It took us 1.5 hours to complete 3 miles, with a longish rest stop at the swings. I told the family that next time we drive by this hill along 101N, we can be proud that we have hiked it.

This is a real hidden gem of a trail run! Located off the far end of Higuera street, this large…read moreopen space will have your thinking that you are far off in the country, not just a mile south of San Luis Obispo. The views are absolutely stunning with rolling hills and oak trees in every direction. I often find myself stopping mid-run to snap a pic of the unbelievable scenery. If you decide to do the entire loop of the Johnson Ranch Trail, it is just under 4 miles with only a few mild inclines. I find it to be a perfect mix of slight uphill and flat land. It is a great challenge if you are like me and get bored running on flat land all the time. However, due to the lack of major uphills, this trail is popular with mountain bikers, especially on the weekends. Make sure to turn down your music if you are running so you can hear them coming and move out of the way. The best time to visit this trail is a day after it rains, when the mud is dried back to dirt and the hills turn into a stunning green. I would also aim to visit on cold or foggy SLO day because there is practically no shade. This trail is one of my all time favorite trail runs. I highly recommend it!

Absolutely Amazing!! The greenery after the rain makes this…read moretrail a must see. The pond is flowing with rain water, the ducks and quail are delighted with nature's natural pleasures. So quiet I could hear birds chirping in the near distance. Wild flowers are blooming spurraickily all over. It was a definite pleasure to take a long overdue walk in nature. So beautiful!!!

Easy parking, easy trail, beautiful views. Would come back…read more Thanks to the Hiking Bucket List pack from Reach International Outfitters, I've been exploring more hiking trails around California. This was the first trail my bf and I have hiked from the bucket list, so I'd say we're off to a great start. The trail had plenty of free parking on both ends of the trail. You don't need to go from end to end. Once you reach the Coastal Point, you're technically at the highlight of the trail, which takes less than an hour to reach. The trail is flat with natural dirt and plants. Casual walking shoes would work just fine for this trail. Even during the summer, the overcast and the breeze from the ocean felt nice on our skin.

This is an amazing trail. There's free parking right before the start of the trail. The view of the…read moreocean is amazing and the breeze is refreshing. This is an easy hike that anyone can do without hiking gear! It's a long trail that goes all the way down along the coast before turning around and going back the same way. Theres benches to sit and enjoy the view along the way. As well as designated spots to enjoy the view over the cliff. There's also animals you could potentially spot! We saw deers and sea lions. I saw a sign about tidepool and all the animals they have but we didn't walk far enough to see it! Please note the sign says no pets.

One of my all-time favorite hikes to do in SLO county! I would consider this medium difficulty and…read moreif you plan to go all the way to the top, the hike in total is right around 4.5 miles, up and back down. Doing this hike in Springtime is my favorite as the weather is absolutely perfect, and there are so many wildflowers on the trail to enjoy as you go up. Most recently I went on this hike with a friend and we spotted a number of orange poppies as well as a large variety of other flowers of all different colors. It was magnificent. When you make it to the top, the views are just breathtaking with obstructed ocean views in front of you! To your right you can see the entire town of Morro Bay and Morro Rock; great for some amazing photos! It is relatively windy once you reach the top but thankfully there's a nice little bench you can sit at. One thing to note is this hike is NOT dog friendly, so unfortunately, I had to leave my fur babies behind. Overall though, one of my favorite hikes - highly recommend!! I will keep coming back again and again!

Montana de Oro State Park has so many fun trails I hardly know which to review. Valencia Peak is…read morethe second tallest in the park and a great hike for the views of the surrounding area. This weekend was a warm one and for this hike, that meant an early start as you are exposed nearly the full time. We did a sort of loop though, so we came down through relatively shady trails and had a great time. The sign marking the peak is not at the peak, fyi. If you get that far, the picnic table at the top is just a short bit further.

I like that part of the trail was paved. This hike one way takes about 20 minutes one way, so 40…read moreminutes round trip, obviously it depends on how fast you walk. If you go beyond the paved trail, it's another 20 minutes to the cave, So pave trail plus dirt trail = app. 80 minutes

The Shell Beach Bluff Trail connects up with the Cave Landing Trail that overlooks Pirate's Cove…read moreand has a "cave" with a beautiful view. The shell trail starts out paved and easy and then there is a moderate to strong grade to get to the cave trail. The shell trail is not really a trail and is a paved walkway. The cave trail is rock and dirt and more like a "trail." There is a separate and larger dirt lot for the cave trail that you need to walk through from the shell trail to access Pirate's Cove and the cave. There is a steep "natural" staircase going down to Pirate's Cove. If you are either older or afraid of heights, you might not want to go down to the cove. The cave has a beautiful view, but no guard rail on the view side. For this reason, we would recommend you not bring your kids on this trail unless they are older, mature, and well behaved. Depending on whether you say on the shell trail or go on to the cave trail, the whole thing is anywhere from 30 min to 2 hours and depending on which sights you see and how long you look at them. This is really one of nicer trails in the area, especially if you take the shell to the cave trail. Definitely recommend visiting.