Bishop Peak Hiking Trail

Bishop Peak Trail is the most popular hike in San Luis Obispo. This 1546 foot high peak looks down on the city and the Cal Poly University campus. From the end of the trail there is some scrambling required to reach the top (true summit is seldom visited and is a true rock climb). On the north side of the peak there is an official rock climbing area.

There is one main trail to the summit, but there are several feeder trails that connect to it. Three official trailheads exist, one on Foothill Blvd, one near the address 859 Patricia Drive, and one at 2 Highland Drive (highest starting elevation). See this map of Bishop Peak on MountainZone that shows all the trailhead locations.

The hikes are all around 4 miles round-trip but the elevation gain varies from about 900 to about 1300 feet. If you go off trail, watch out for poison oak (remember “leaves of three, leave it be”) and check for ticks after your hike. Adjacent to the natural area on the north side is a park known as Ferrini Ranch Open Space which also has trails including one called Felsman Loop with access from the Highland Drive trailhead.

Fine print on Bishop Peak Natural Area: Dogs ok on leash. No bikes. Open dawn to dusk.

Address

2 Highland Dr
San Luis Obispo, CA 93405

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