What we’re about
Weekend Hikers is a group that’s passionate about hiking in SLO County and beyond. The “Common Hikes” PDF lists some of our favorite trails to find which one’s right for you. We host day hikes at varying skill levels on weekends, and sometimes weekdays.
Upcoming events (4+)
See all- Trail Walk to Pismo Beach for the Holiday Harmony Tree Lighting (see details)1 W Grand Ave, Grover Beach, CA
For this evening's adventure, we will head out with flashlights on the Coastal Access Trail behind the dunes to the Pismo pier so we can watch the Holiday Harmony tree lighting at 6:00pm (see link or attached pic for more info). We will be getting into Pismo before the tree lighting takes place, so there will be time to get a snack or beverage from a vendor, if you choose.
Flashlights required as we will be walking after sunset. Our group will be leaving the pier shortly after the tree lighting and walking back to the parking lot at the end of Grand together. If you choose to stay at the Holiday Harmony in Pismo, please be aware that you will need to make your own way back to the parking lot.
- Time: 5:00 pm.
- Location: End of Grand Picnic Tables @ 1 W Grand Ave, Grover Beach, CA 93433
- Distance: about 3 1/2 miles
- Pace: Moderate to brisk
- Elevation Gain: minimal
- Bring: Water, hat, gloves, & layers, per weather conditions.
- 🔦 Flashlight required for this event
- ⚠️️ Rain cancels
WAIVER OF LIABILITY - Please read this important disclaimer: This Meetup group, its organizers, and members, take no responsibility for any injuries or accidents that may occur during events. By joining this event you take full responsibility for your own safety. Please ensure that you are in good health before participating and understand that there is risk involved in your participation. This Meetup group does not certify the qualifications of any of its organizers or trip leaders, and they are not responsible for your safety. We are all just participants.
- Winter Solstice Hike at Miossi PreserveMiossi Open Space, San Luis Obispo, CA
Bundle up and join us as we mark the winter solstice*.
Our route will follow a loop at the Panorama and Rollercoaster trails at Miossi Open Preserve and return at dusk. I plan to be back before full dark, but having a flashlight or headlamp wouldn’t hurt.
* Due to the holidays, we’re hosting this hike the week before the shortest day of the year.
Essentials
- Terrain: Mostly narrow dirt, one Jeep road, some steep sections
- Distance: 4 miles, about 850’ elevation gain
- Duration: About 2 hours
- Trail info: GaiaGPS
- Dogs: Allowed on leash
Bring
- Sturdy shoes
- Water
- Flashlight or headlamp
- Trekking poles (optional but might help)
- Sense of fun and camaraderie
⚠️ Parking
- Trailhead parking is at the bottom of the grade, not the top at Cuesta Pass. It’s about where the two north bound lanes turn into three.
- Coming from the south, it’s a left-hand turn.
- Be careful when leaving via Stagecoach Road, as some drivers don’t take speed limits seriously when coming down the grade on highway 101.
☔️ Rain cancels this event.
Disclaimer
This Meetup group, its organizers, and its members, take no responsibility for any injuries or accidents that may occur during events. By joining this event you take full responsibility for your own safety. Please ensure that you are in good health before participating and understand that there is risk involved in your participation. This Meetup group does not certify the qualifications of any of its organizers or trip leaders, and they are not responsible for your safety. We are all just participants. By participating you acknowledge you have read this Disclaimer and agree to its terms. - Winter Solstice Hike-Lower Dutra Valley from Coast (~12.5 miles / ~3,800’)Needs location
COVER PICTURE: View of Lower Dutra Valley (the mid-part of our route)
I used to always organize a hike in the Monterey Bay Area Hiking Group (MBAHG) on or around the Winter Solstice, the last one having occurred way back in 2019. It's time to resume that tradition. This year's hike will be on the actual Winter Solstice. We will start and finish at the Ragged Point Inn on Highway 1.
WARNING-THIS IS AN ADVANCED HIKE! Lots of steep up and down, partly on obscure and unmarked tracks, and potentially some bushwhacking in places.
After meeting at the Ragged Point Inn, we'll start by heading up the Baldwin Ranch Road for about 3/4 mile to the unmarked turnoff onto a track that quickly climbs through a fern forest up to an open grassy ridge, from which we will begin a steady and sometimes steep climb on various use trails all the way up to the main ridgeline. From there we will descend on another usetrail down the backside of the ridge to San Carporforo Camp which sits on San Carpoforo Creek at the bottom of Dutra Valley. We will then head up-valley along the Baldwin Ranch Road and the San Carpoforo Trail to the rarely visited Turkey Springs Camp (this may be our lunch stop). We'll then backtrack slightly and drop down a short but steep grassy hillside to the Baldwin Ranch Road which we will take a short way to a usetrail that will then take us steadily uphill back to the main ridgeline, from which we'll take a steep downhill track to the Baldwin Ranch Road which we'll then take back to the Ragged Point Inn. We'll enjoy spectacular ocean and inland views throughout.
RSVP: I'm crossposting this event with the MBAHG, and will limit total attendance to ~15. Note that this will be a strenuous hike considering the steep, sometimes off-trail and overgrown terrain. As is the case with most of my hikes, this is a waitlisted event, so please be sure you are confident of your ability to hike the distance+elevation before signing up. I will check in (via Meetup messages) with those who sign up with whom I haven't hiked previously before adding them.
Bring:
- Sturdy hiking shoes or boots with good tread
- Layered clothing for protection against wind and cool temperatures (there will definitely be poison oak at some points along our route, so be prepared for that; I would definitely not wear shorts and I highly recommend gaiters!)
- Sun protection (hat/sunscreen)
- Water (2-3 liters)
- Lunch (and other food/snacks for extra fuel) (we are going to stop for a leisurely lunch somewhere in Dutra Valley)
- Trekking poles are strongly advised for the steep up and down sections
- Rain or the threat of rain cancels
A Couple of Requests:
- Don't Be A No Show - if you can't make it, please remove your name from the attendee list in advance of the start time (there's no cell service at trailhead)
- Know Your Own Capabilities - Please don't sign up for a hike that is beyond the limits of your health & conditioning. This is not fair to others who expect to enjoy the hike at the level it was described.
Disclaimer
This Meetup group, its organizers, and its members, take no responsibility for any injuries or accidents that may occur during events. By joining this event you take full responsibility for your own safety. Please ensure that you are in good health before participating and understand that there is risk involved in your participation. This Meetup group does not certify the qualifications of any of its organizers or trip leaders, and they are not responsible for your safety. We are all just participants. By signing up for this event and participating you acknowledge you have read this Disclaimer and agree to its terms and to the release set forth in Section 6 of the Meetup Terms of Service. - Casual Walk at Montaña de OroSpooner's Cove, Los Osos, CA
Heya hikers, join us as we enjoy a casual coastal walk at Montaña de Oro State Park just before sunset. We plan to follow the bluffs trail — an easy gravel road — from Spooner’s Cove to the Point Buchon junction and back. Bring water, sun protection, and jacket.
Optionally, those who feel hungry or thirsty after the walk can join us for dinner at Beerwood, 690 Santa Maria Ave, Baywood-Los Osos, CA 93402.
Rain cancels this event, but we can always hope.
Essentials
- Pace: Casual
- Duration: 2 hours
- Distance: 4 miles out and back, about 150’ elevation gain
- Map: GaiaGPS
- Bring: Sturdy shoes, water, headlamp or flashlight, wind protection, warm layers, camera, sense of fun
Disclaimer
This Meetup group, its organizers, and its members, take no responsibility for any injuries or accidents that may occur during events. By joining this event you take full responsibility for your own safety. Please ensure that you are in good health before participating and understand that there is risk involved in your participation. This Meetup group does not certify the qualifications of any of its organizers or trip leaders, and they are not responsible for your safety. We are all just participants. By participating you acknowledge you have read this Disclaimer and agree to its terms.
