Seven Sisters of San Luis Obispo Tour

The Seven Sisters (7S) Tour of San Luis Obispo is a bicycle and hiking tour that visits the peaks of seven Morros (the Spanish word for a small rounded hill). These ancient volcanic mountains extend over 40 miles in a line from within the city of San Luis Obispo to the coast of Morro Bay. These peaks divide Los Osos Valley and Chorro Valley. Two of the nine Morros are on private property and cannot be hiked (Chumash and Hollister Peak).

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The tour begins at Islay Hill and starts with a quick hike to the top. Then hop on your bike to the next peak. The 7S tour consists of 27.9 miles of biking and XX miles of hiking, with a total change in elevation of X,XXX feet. The 7S tour culminates in a BBQ bonfire on the beach with Morro Rock in the backdrop.

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Each peak has a different mix of bare rock, grassland, and chaparral that provide a wide range of habitats. The volcanic plugs tend to have very steep sides of exposed rock, although formal and informal trails make the mountain accessible. The slopes can be divided into halves, the upper 700 feet being very steep and dominated in most cases by expose rock, and the lower 600 feet by grass, chaparral, or oak woodland that is mainly used as steep range land of less than 20% slope.

Road conditions vary from new asphalt on the city streets of San Luis Obispo to the old cracked and crumbling concrete on Highway 1. Traffic also varies depending on the time of day. The majority of the bike route does not have bike lanes and consists of rolling hills.

View the Seven Sisters Tour of SLO in a larger map

During the cycling legs of this journey we will be moving as a group at a 17mph pace. During the hiking portions we will move between a brisk hike to a light jog. Pace can vary more while hiking since we can spread out into smaller groups, but it is important to stick together while riding. DGI recommends you wear light loose fitting synthetic shirts or a triathlon shirt, and light comfortable hiking shorts. Don't forget to bring a bike lock!

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Things you should bring:

  • The usual bike, helmet, sun glasses, clip-in shoes, water bottles, pump, patch kit, and bike lock.
  • Any special needs items like snacks, toilet paper, sun screen, lip balm, medicine, etc.
  • You will also need to bring trail running shoes and a way to transport them while riding.
  • It is also good to bring a camera since there is amazing scenery on the hikes, as well as many memorable moments with friends and like minded adventurers.

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