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.

A beautiful place to hike in town, who wouldn't love that?!…read more I swear, I felt like I was hiking in Wales or Scotland on my recent hike in South Hills (except for the homeless dude scrambling to get out of my way.) The hills are very rocky and rugged - quite striking. However, it might be wise to think twice about taking those hikers who might struggle to safely navigate the rough terrain of the upper peaks (the lower trails are much smoother.) I parked on Woodbridge Drive (ample on-street parking across from houses) and hiked up the Ridge Trail to the first peak, then hiked across to another lower peak (past the water tank) where Tibetan Prayer Flags adorn the overlook - spectacular for a small hill situated in town. Round-trip, I hiked about 2.6 miles and up 808 feet in just about an hour. Views were awesome, terrain lovely and the hike fun - 5 stars!

What a way to start the day after a good Starbucks experience. The views are breathtaking. We…read moreparked anf walked for 4.7 miles through many of the meandering trails at the Preserve. So amazing and the fresh air is nature's ambiance and so heavenly. Highly recommended

Parking is 5.55 and I was able to log on and use apple pay…read more This hike was very easy and moderate. The incline was slow, therefore you are not really able to feel it. But you can see it once you see other people hiking the same route. The view itself on the way up is beautiful, your able to smell the ocean smell, enjoy the view and just take it all in. Really green everywhere, watch out for the cow droppings because they do roam. If you lucky you can see them afar enjoy their grass and space. I would say it was maybe about 1.5 miles back and forth, I want to try the loop next time but these was just a quick little hike before we stuff ourselves with food!

Looked up things to do in Avila Beach and discovered the Bob Jones Trail, glad I did. After…read morestaying many times on short getaways in Avila Beach, this was a first. We were staying at the Sycamore Mineral Springs and the trail was just steps away. The path was easy, but as we got towards the end going at a slight incline, and in the full afternoon sun, we looped back to a nice shady spot next to the stream for a respite. We then ventured back to the cafe next to the trail and enjoyed some live music and pizza.

We decided to bring our bikes to take the Bob Jones Trail! We ended up parking along Avila Beach…read moredrive where the trail met the golf course and there was a spot to exit to the road. The trail did continue down to the beach, but we didn't want that whole distance for the time we had that day. There were some neat secret spots! A playground with swings, a spot for snacks... So cool! Many families were out and about when we were there, and everyone was respectful of the shared space.

Hiking eval.: "Making a Mountain Out of a Molehill"…read more I am not sure what some people are smoking, but for those who are not in great shape, if you do happen to take the path to the very top, it can be quite challenging. It can also be rather hazardous, since the trail is very narrow, and is composed of a lot of loose dirt. Higher up, there are wooden cross pieces that hold the dirt in place, but some are damaged, broken, or missing. If you are afraid of heights this is not a place to go. The cow with the binoculars on top of the hill is kind of cheesy, but it is a good illustration of the nice views both on the trails, and on top. Of course, since there are three different entrances, you can make the hike easier by just going part way up and then toward a far entrance. You can even return to your point of origin by either walking inside of Islay Park or in the residential areas. The hiking trail entrances, trails, & they way up the hill are maintained a bit. As for me, I made good use of hiking poles, especially on the way down. If you are as slow as I am, then you periodically need to make way for those who go faster [and in my case, that is everyone]. If you do not want to be bothered with too many other fast hikers, then going on a weekday before rush hour is a good bet. On the part of the trail that goes down to the Orcutt Road side, there can be quite a few cows in the afternoon and thus there is Cow Manure to avoid. Of course, rating the difficulty of any given trail depends upon a whole host of factors. I think Alltrails, which I do use with a grain of salt, rates this one as easy to moderate. As for me, I rate it difficult to get to the top & down. Including walking in Islay Park & the residential area, we did close to 6 miles of either walking or hiking. I already broke my back & knee from various falls in the past, so I am especially cautious. One definitely needs to have either trail sneakers or hiking shoes in view of the dirt and the real possibility of slipping. Not that anyone plans to get injured, but this trail is so narrow toward the top and the slope is so steep, I do not see how a rescue can easily happen on the way up. While I hear that this is "easier" than going up Bishop Peak, I imagine it is all relative. I think even though this is called a hill, once you manage to get up on top, it sure seems more like a "mountain", but I grew up in the Flatlands area of Brooklyn....which was...quite Flat!

One of the easier hikes out of the "Nine Sisters". It's definitely moderate and gets a little…read moreharder towards the top. You'll be rewarding with a great, 360 view of San Luis Obispo. Wear some sunscreen and a hat as there's no cover here to protect you from the sun. I started from the trail entrance near the Islay Hill Park (where I also parked my car). There's a cow statue at the top which I found hilarious. Wasn't expecting that but there are cows and farms in the area so it makes sense. It's also neat that they had dog leashes for free at one of the trail entrances since dogs are allowed on leash here.

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.

A fun jaunt amongst hike-lovers. The terrain is reasonably safe, with lots of mud and cow pies…read more During these atmospheric rivers, I'd urge you to wear, at minimum, mid-height water proof hiking shoes. Bring water, because there will be lots of beautiful sun exposure. Great spots to take pictures of the rolling green hills against a cloud lit backdrop and the historic Waddell Ranch Estate. Will return with the kid's and plan to hike the entire loop. (As long as the crest side isn't fully flooded.)

What a great location…read more First, it couldn't be easier to find as it is at the end of Madonna Road (at Devaul Ranch Rd) in between two houses, with Laguna Lake Park across the street. Residential parking is easy to find. You can even watch someone's TV while you stretch. Second, there is a variety of hikes. Check the a map out front. Take a picture of that. You will have some forks and decisions to make and that will help. We climbed UP the Maricopa trail. The first half is a steady incline under a shady canopy. Shady in both senses of the word: a) it shields you from the sun, b) it's a sneaky place for a mountain lion to hide. You will cross some teeny-tiny bridges. The second half is under the sun. There are at least three stretches steeper than 45 degrees, so stretch first. We made it to the fork and decided to go down. We were close to the 600' elevation gain, or so I'd like to think. I'm mid-40s with premature arthritis and I'm 20-30% heavier than I should be, so it wasn't too hard, but I didn't want to push it. We went down King trail. King trail has no shade as it zigs and zags through an open meadow of knee-high fire bait. That will do a number on your calves. The decline is much more consistent that the Maricopa, and is longer. You could go UP the King and DOWN the Maricopa, but I feel Maricopa's uneven terrain is better suited for climbing. Plus, going up the King, backwards in my eyes, you would be zagging and zigging.

Date: Monday, July 24th, 2023 Time: around 12:45pm…read more We were at Pirate's Cove so decided to check out a cave. We actually didn't make it all the way down to the beach, but I did go into a cave and enjoy the view on the other side. Not sure if that qualifies as one of the Avila Sea Caves, but I will just assume it does. Parking was pretty easy. There is a small lot. No issues finding a spot since it was a Monday afternoon. We only walked down to the first cave, so probably spent a little more than 15 mins walking around and taking pix. If you enjoy water and a view, I'd say definitely check this spot out. REVIEW #3441

Locals call this place the Smugglers Cave. Cool name. But it's not really a cave and not near the…read moreshoreline. It's a natural carved tunnel through the a rock formation on a bluff overlooking Avila Beach and the ocean. Sadly though the cave is tagged with graffiti and folks treat the inside of the cave as a trash bin. Disheartening site to see a beautiful work of nature treated like this by those that come to view and hang out. Ironic. The hike from the parking lot is less than half mile one way. It starts at a slight incline. When you get to the point where the path splits to the right and left, turn right... the cave is to the right. You're less than halfway there at this point. The cave overlook has no guardrails, so please pay attention especially with the kiddos. The cliff has a drop. Have your wits about you and stay alert. If you have an overwhelming urge to creep close to the edge to take the perfect selfie, do so cautiously and be aware of your surroundings. Overall the views are gorgeous. But the trash bin cave vibes was a downer.

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.

Trails Never Fails…read more Four-mile out-&-back trail located at Montaña de Oro State Park that hugs the coast giving hikers a stellar view of the Cali coastline. The Good: *Free! *Stunning views *Flat and easy trail for all ages *Trails are/were in pretty good shape when we were there. *Small paved lot, as well as some roadside parking available. *There's a vault toilet in the aforementioned paved lot. *Easy drive up from Morro Bay; it's just a few miles if windy roads and you're there. The Meh: *Park is very popular so get here early to secure parking. The Ugly: *There are some annoying little gnat bug things that hang around in areas where the wind isn't strong, so be sure to bring bug spray. Conclusion: Fantastic, Family-friendly hike that's 100% worth visiting if you're in the SLO area.