Irish Hills Open Space
Park
711 acres10.3 mi of trail
Mariposa TrailKing TrailBog Thistle TrailFroom Creek Trail+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the trail sign
Photo: Rennett Stowe · CC BY 2.0A+Outdoors
Outdoors in San Luis Obispo
San Luis Obispo has 38 miles of mapped trails, 2.8 for every square mile of land
21% of San Luis Obispo’s land is conserved, about 1,864 acres. 99% of residents live within a half mile of a park. 2,082 acres are parks and preserves, 43 per 1,000 residents.
Ahead of 98% of U.S. towns · #52 of 847 in California. What drives it
Conserved land
21%
1,864 acres · of 13.6 sq mi of land
Trails
38 mi
2.8 per sq mi of land
Park land
2,082 ac
43 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
99%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
69 mi
36 mi lanes · 19 mi paths
Highest peak
1,493 ft
Bishop Peak
Lakes & rivers
3
1 boat launch
What kind of outdoors town is San Luis Obispo?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does San Luis Obispo have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, San Luis Obispo is ahead of 98% of U.S. towns, #52 of 847 in California. All four inputs are above most U.S. towns; trail miles rank highest, park acres per resident lowest.
A+
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of San Luis Obispo’s overall grade.
Conserved land21% of the land · typical CA town 4% · U.S. 4%ATrails2.8 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (38 mi) · CA 0.9 · U.S. 0.4A+Park land43 acres of park per 1,000 residents (2,082 acres) · CA 5 · U.S. 13A−Parks close to home99% of residents within a half mile of a park · CA 91% · U.S. 72%A
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Ahead of 98%
LessMore
California towns of 2,500+ (847)Ahead of 94%
How sure. Graded on any three of the four inputs instead, the letter would still be A+. Trails and many small parks come from OpenStreetMap, mapped by volunteers, so coverage varies from town to town; the half mile is a straight line from each census block, so a river or highway in the way isn’t counted against it.
PAD-US, OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors), Census 2025 Gazetteer and 2020 blocks; details in Sources below. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →
The map
Conserved land, trails & bike routes
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it.
Easements protect land from building but are usually private.© OpenStreetMap contributors · USGS PAD-US
Places to walk
Pick a walk
The longest trail network is Irish Hills Open Space, with 10.3 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Laguna Lake Park
Park
401 acres3.6 mi of trail
Lake Side TrailAllen K. Settle TrailLaguna Lake Upper Loop TrailHans Rey
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
South Hills Open Space
Park
127 acres3 mi of trail
South Hills TrailRidge TrailNorth Side Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Cerro San Luis Natural Reserve
Nature preserve
119 acres2.8 mi of trail
Lemon Grove Loop"M" TrailLemon HillMental Biker Trail+1
Dogs on leash
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Islay Hill Open Space
Park
73 acres1.4 mi of trail
Islay Hill Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Charles A and Mary R Maino Open Space
Park
36 acres0.6 mi of trail
Lemon Grove Loop
Dogs on leash
Directionsto the parking lot
San Luis Creek (South)
Park
47 acres0.3 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
All 28 parks & preserves
Irish Hills Open Space711 acres · 10.3 mi of trail
DirectionsLaguna Lake Park401 acres · 3.6 mi of trail
DirectionsSouth Hills Open Space127 acres · 3 mi of trail
DirectionsCerro San Luis Natural Reserve119 acres · 2.8 mi of trail
DirectionsIslay Hill Open Space73 acres · 1.4 mi of trail
DirectionsCharles A and Mary R Maino Open Space36 acres · 0.6 mi of trail
DirectionsSinsheimer Park14 acres · 0.5 mi of trail
DirectionsSan Luis Creek (South)47 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsBowden Ranch Open Space27 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsRailroad Recreation Trail14 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsCuesta Park7 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsDamon Garcia23 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsMitchell Park3 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsLaguna Hills Park3 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Meadow Park16 acres
DirectionsSanta Rosa Park10 acres
DirectionsE A French Park9 acres
DirectionsIslay Hill Park7 acres
DirectionsLet It Be Nature Reserve6 acres
C.L. Smith Park5 acres
DirectionsJohnson Park3 acres
DirectionsEmerson Park3 acres · City of San Luis Obispo Parks and Recreation
DirectionsDe Vaul Park3 acres
DirectionsThroop Park2 acres
Mission Plaza2 acres
DirectionsHawthorne Park2 acres
Central Park1 acres
San Luis Obispo Creek Walkway1 acres
DirectionsWho protects it
1,864 conserved acres
21% of San Luis Obispo’s land. Who manages San Luis Obispo’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Town or city1,784 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits73 ac
County4 ac
State parks2 ac
Local Conservation Area · 803 acLocal Recreation Area · 727 acLocal Park · 162 acLocal Other or Unknown · 96 acConservation Easement · 73 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 69 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Irish Hills Natural Reserve Local Conservation Area | Town or city | 803 | Open |
| Laguna Lake Park/Open Space Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 319 | Open |
| Ferrini Ranch Open Space Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 133 | Open |
| Bunnell Open Space Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 100 | Open |
| South Hills Open Space Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 59 | Open |
| Priolo-Martin Park - Laguna Lake Local Other or Unknown | Town or city | 51 | Open |
| San Luis Mountain Open Space Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 48 | Open |
| Laguna Lake Park Local Park | Town or city | 38 | Open |
| Sinsheimer Park Local Park | Town or city | 31 | Open |
| Bowden Ranch Local Park | Town or city | 27 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
78 places to go in San Luis Obispo
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Public pools in San Luis Obispo
Sinsheimer Pool
DirectionsPlus 1 public pool without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Playgrounds in San Luis Obispo
Laguna Hills Park PlaygroundIn Laguna Hills Park
Directions49 playgrounds are on OpenStreetMap in all; the list shows named ones from the first 30.
Dog parks in San Luis Obispo
Laguna Lake Dog ParkIn Laguna Lake Park
DirectionsBoat launches in San Luis Obispo
1 boat launch without a name on the map.
Scenic views in San Luis Obispo
1 scenic view without a name on the map.
Peaks in San Luis Obispo
Bishop Peak1,493 ft elevation
DirectionsVulture Peak600 ft elevation · In South Hills Open Space
DirectionsRighetti Hill561 ft elevation
DirectionsTerrace Hill499 ft elevation
DirectionsOrcutt Knob364 ft elevation
DirectionsPlus 4 peaks without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Picnic areas in San Luis Obispo
Road Runner Picnic Site
DirectionsPlus 11 picnic areas without a name on the map.
Community gardens in San Luis Obispo
Emerson Park GardenFee · In Emerson Park · City of San Luis Obispo Parks and Recreation
DirectionsLaurel Lane Community GardenFee
DirectionsRotary GardenFee · In Meadow Park
DirectionsTrails & water
25 named trails and 3 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 13.1 miUnpaved · 19.2 mi
Lemon Grove Loop2.1 mi
Mariposa Trail1.9 mi
Felsman Loop Trail1.8 mi
King Trail1.3 mi
South Hills Trail1.3 mi
Froom Creek Trail1.2 mi
Bog Thistle Trail1.2 mi
Hans Rey0.9 mi
"M" Trail0.9 mi
Islay Hill Trail0.8 mi
15 more trails
Laguna Lake Upper Loop Trail
0.8 miLake Side Trail
0.7 miAllen K. Settle Trail
0.7 miMorro View
0.7 miRidge Trail
0.6 miMariposa
0.6 miBowden Ranch trail
0.3 miSterling
0.3 miBog Thistle
0.3 miMine
0.3 miNorth Side Trail
0.3 miBishop Peak Trail
0.3 miPoppy
0.3 miCanyon View
0.3 miLemon Hill
0.2 miLakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
69 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
36 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
19 mi
off-road bike paths
15 mi
shoulders & shared lanes
Courts & fields
41Basketball
21Baseball
17Tennis
11Golf
5Beach volleyball
5Soccer
1Volleyball
1Pickleball
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →9 places on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 16 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
Myron Angel HouseBuilding · listed 1982
About itPacific Coast Railway Company Grain WarehouseBuilding · listed 1988
About itRobert Jack HouseBuilding · listed 1992
About itTribune-Republic BuildingBuilding · listed 1993
About itSan Luis Obispo Carnegie LibraryBuilding · listed 1995
About itAh Louis StoreBuilding · listed 2008
About itWilliam Shipsey HouseBuilding · listed 2010
About itPereira Octagon BarnBuilding · listed 2014
About itMonday Club of San Luis ObispoBuilding · listed 2016
About itWhen to get out
The best walking months in San Luis Obispo: April to August
NOAA’s 1991–2020 normals for the town and the daylight at its latitude. Outlined months have long days, highs of 59 to 86 °F and little rain for the place.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daylight (h) | 10.0 | 10.9 | 11.9 | 13.0 | 14.0 | 14.5 | 14.3 | 13.5 | 12.3 | 11.2 | 10.3 | 9.8 |
| High (°F) | 64 | 65 | 66 | 68 | 70 | 73 | 74 | 76 | 77 | 75 | 69 | 64 |
| Rain (in) | 3.9 | 3.9 | 3.2 | 1.1 | 0.4 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0.7 | 1.5 | 3.0 |
July is the driest month (under 0.1 in) and September the warmest (highs of 77 °F). 3.9 inches fall in January, the wettest month. The climate in San Luis Obispo →
Next door
San Luis Obispo and its neighbors
San Luis Obispo has the most mapped trails of the 2 towns around it. Tap a town to see its outdoors.
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Luis Obispo | 21% | 2.8 | 43 | 99% | A+ |
| California Polytechnic State University | under 1% | 6.8 | 1 | 99%+ | B |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in San Luis Obispo
Where can I hike in San Luis Obispo?
The longest trail networks: Irish Hills Open Space, 10.3 miles; Laguna Lake Park, 3.6 miles; South Hills Open Space, 3 miles; Cerro San Luis Natural Reserve, 2.8 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of San Luis Obispo is conserved land?
21% of its land, against a typical 4% for a California town and 4% nationally (PAD-US). Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors: easements are usually private land.
Are dogs allowed on San Luis Obispo’s trails?
OpenStreetMap records dogs as welcome at Cerro San Luis Natural Reserve (on leash) and Charles A and Mary R Maino Open Space (on leash). For the rest, check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in San Luis Obispo?
69 miles of bike routes are on the map: 36 of painted or protected lanes, 19 of off-road paths and 15 of shoulders and shared lanes.
Is there public land near San Luis Obispo?
45,115 acres of parks and open public land lie inside San Luis Obispo or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 2,082 of them inside the city line.
How much outdoors does San Luis Obispo have?
Ahead of 98% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #52 of 847 in California. The grade combines the share of land that is conserved, miles of mapped trail per square mile of land, park acres per 1,000 residents and the share of residents within a half mile of a park. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from San Luis Obispo neighbors.
Share a tip
Sources
Where this page comes from
Conserved and public land: USGS Protected Areas Database of the United States (PAD-US), service updated July 2026. Parks, trails, playgrounds, beaches and other places: OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL), map data as of 2026-10-28. Land and water area: Census 2025 Gazetteer. Residents near a park: 2020 Census blocks. National Register: National Park Service. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →