Day Hikes Around San Luis Obispo: 128 Great Hikes

by Robert Stone

Book Overview

San Luis Obispo County is located where the white sand beaches of central California merge with the dramatic Big Sur coastline. Inland from the Pacific Ocean are oak-studded hills, verdant farmland,... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1573420514
• ISBN13: 9781573420518
• Release Date: April 2006
• Publisher: Day Hike Books
• Length: 288 Pages
• Weight: 1.05 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 5.8" x 8.5"

Customer Reviews

Useful guide

This book is just what is promises - a practical guide to local hikes around SLO. Gives very clear directions and advice on where to park, etc. It is handy to have along in case plans change.

Great Day Hikes for All

Another great book for those of us on the Central Coast. Even as a native I found some that I didn't know existed! Great fun.

With a Heavy Emphasis on Casual Walking

Robert Stone has written dozens of day hiking guides since 1991. His work originally centered around his home near Montana's Beartooth mountains. But several years ago he discovered coastal California and he has since written some of the most comprehensive guides to these regions available. Unlike other outdoor authors, many of the trails he highlights are can truly be completed by just about anyone. This second edition of the San Luis Obispo volume includes 128 hikes. The majority of these trails are 3 miles long or less, and require only minimal elevation gain and loss. Ten trails are less than a mile. Such routes are more suited to casual strolls, perhaps with one's pet, than strenuous hikes. Of course, the search for the perfect sunset along the central coast should not involve a masochistic endurance test. Even many of the longer routes Stone offers, such as the five mile tour of historic La Purissima Mission grounds, are so easy that most people could finish the walk with some careful pacing. Stone does suggest a few more challenging routes, such as the summit of Cerro Alto and some longer trails in the Lopez Lake area. But this book is mostly for people who want to get out of their cars a bit and explore some of what the central coast has to offer. And for my part, that is exactly what I wanted when I purchased this volume. South of Monterrey and north of LA is a stretch of California coastline I have spent very little time along. I always seem to be passing through and not pausing sufficiently along the way. This book is great because, in the final analysis, the best way to really get a feel for the south central California coast is to take a variety of short walks during the limited time I have there. Stone tells me where these trails are, how to get there, and provides decent sketch maps of each route. What more can one ask for?

SLO Hikes

This book is great because it has a plethora of various hikes in the area. It has hikes that I had never known about or seen in other books. It also shows maps and describes how to get to each location in detail, which is helpful. It does a good job describing the hike in detail as to the perks and what you'll see. However, some hikes seem grander in the book than when you actually do the hike yourself. For that, I wish they had a picture of the highlight of each hike (but I know that costs more money). Overall, good book and I'm glad I bought it.

An excellent title

Over a hundred fine day hikes are recommended for visitors and residents to California's central coast in DAY HIKES AROUND SAN LUIS OBISPO, which is certain to receive added attention from students from the local college as well. From bluff trails along the mountains to city paths to canyons and nearby state parks, DAY HIKES AROUND SAN LUIS OBISPO is an excellent title for in the area. Diane C. Donovan California Bookwatch