Cerro San Luis Obispo is a 1292 feet (394 m) mountain in San Luis Obispo, California

San Luis Obispo, California

San Luis Obispo is a city in California, located roughly midway between San Francisco and Los Angeles on the Central Coast. Founded in 1772 by Spanish Fr. Junipero Serra, San Luis Obispo is one of California’s oldest communities...

. It is part of the chain of peaks called the Nine Sisters

Nine Sisters

The Nine Sisters or the Morros are a chain of nine volcanic peaks and hills between Morro Bay and San Luis Obispo, California. They are popular with photographers and rock climbers. Their volcanic origin makes them of significant geological interest. They support a wide variety of plant, animal,...

, and is often referred to as San Luis Mountain, Mount San Luis, or Madonna Mountain. It is a popular spot for mountain biking and hiking, offering spectacular views and steep terrain. There is a wide dirt road traversing the mountain that leads to the peak. Right below the west side of the visible peak, there is a fairly large plateau with a large wooden stage on the east end. A large white "M" is present on the east face, which derives from the Mission School and not Madonna as most believe.

History

Some time around 1900, an American Civil War

American Civil War

The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...

 veteran, G. W. Chandler, lived on the mountain and planted lemon

Lemon

The lemon is both a small evergreen tree native to Asia, and the tree's ellipsoidal yellow fruit. The fruit is used for culinary and non-culinary purposes throughout the world – primarily for its juice, though the pulp and rind are also used, mainly in cooking and baking...

s and oranges

Orange (fruit)

An orange—specifically, the sweet orange—is the citrus Citrus × sinensis and its fruit. It is the most commonly grown tree fruit in the world....

. The trees still overlook the city and are watered by two springs.
The Lemon Grove Trail at the base of the mountain takes its name from these groves.

Around 1958, a local business owner, Alex Madonna

Alex Madonna

Alex Madonna was a prominent builder and real estate developer on the Central Coast of California. He is perhaps most noted for the Madonna Inn which he built for his wife, Phyllis Madonna.Madonna was a self-made man...

 purchased a ranch on a portion of the slopes of Cerro San Luis Obispo, and constructed the now famous Madonna Inn

Madonna Inn

The Madonna Inn is a motel in San Luis Obispo, California. Opened for business in 1958, it quickly became a landmark on the Central Coast of California. The Inn was created by Alex Madonna, a successful construction magnate and entrepreneur who died in April 2004, and his wife, Phyllis...

 at its base.

Activities

There are several trails on the mountain that are good for hiking, mountain biking, and jogging. The primary trail head is at the end of Marsh Street which provides access to the Open Space and Lemon Grove Loop. A dirt road accessible from Lemon Grove Loop leads to the summit. There is a second road cut to the summit which has been abandoned and eroded to a narrow rocky path giving it the name "Rock Garden" and making it a popular decent for mountain bikers. There is also a trail that encircles the mountain about one third the way up.