Madonna Mountain - #MadonnaMountain

Socal - San Luis Obispo County - Downtown San Luis Obispo NickNames: #MadonnaMountain hoosefeld, the rock garden

From Marsh St. Head toward the entrance to the 101 Freeway South. Just right before you enter the freeway, turn right and enter the parking lot. Note, paralleling the 101 on ramp road is BONUS SINGLE TRACK :-)

11 Review(s)6 Photo(s)Login

• Trail UpdateSan Luis Mountain (aka Madonna)-Please be aware the majority of San Luis Mountain is private property. The property owners have been very generous in allowing nearly full access to multiple trail users. PLEASE respect their property. DO NOT under any circumstances cut fences, climb fences, make new trails or leave any gates open. Failure to care for this property will jeopardize opportunities for access. Also, please do not ride any trails when they are wet.
  christie

  Posted:01/28/2009

• Trail UpdateRock Garden-This was my first "real ride" in SLO since starting Cal Poly. (The other ride was just some exploring up Poly Canyon). did it wednesday morning about 9:30. took about an hour and 45 min total. back just in time for class. went with a mountain biker i met at poly from san clemente. overall a good ride and when they call it rock garden it really is a ROCK GARDEN. very fun and challenging top section.
  
  From Marsh st make an immediate right after the 101 underpass. just a note, there is a parking lot immediately after the turnout to the right where the trailhead starts if you go up the road a little you will arrive at some private house and know you've gone too far. from the trailhead take the left fork kinda steep climb until you get to some eucalyptus trees where it levels off and goes across the mountain where you eventually meet the fire road leading to the top. take the fire road another mile or two up to the madonna mt (cerro san luis) summit. the top has a nice 360 view of SLO including Los Osos, the ocean, parts of Montana de oro, laguna lake, cal poly campus, and bishop's peak to the northwest. very clear on the day we went. at the top there are also some horse corral cages and a large white stage. scramble up a few rocks to the "true" top. when descending take the trail to the left. as long as you hit a ton of rocks on the trail, you'll know you're on the rock garden single track. very technical singletrack. i've never seen dirt so fertile to produce so many rocks especially such big ones. the rocks grow everywhere. so very fun, feet touch ground at times for stability. the trail next hits an oak grove setting zig zagging around the mountain and up and down. i'll admit i had a pretty good crash in this section. one of those bushes with a bunch of annoying thorns-n it happened going too fast on a turn going into a dip for a dry creek crossing. scratched me up pretty good and lost some blood but nothing too bad. recovered fast and adrenaline kept me going all the way. pretty soon you're out of oak and get to some rolling hill singletrack on the town side of the mountain. fun and fast. cross under a barb wire fence once. don't worry about it. easy. continue until you kind of hit a eucalyptus area again. take the left fork lemon grove down to the parking lot or to complete the loop and add a madonna extra take a right back to the fire road and keep going across to hit a singletrack behind madonna inn. loved the ride. will definitely be back. nice view and easy to get to from cal poly or anywhere in SLO. also planning to hit up MDO and Cuesta Grade rides.
  Steve K a 18 year old Weekend Warrior riding a Mongoose XR-100 from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, CA

  Posted:10/22/2005

• Trail UpdateMadonna Mountain-Rocky, technical downhill. If you can go down without ever touching your feet down, you're the bomb. Condition was great. After the set of small jumps, there is a gate and you must go right onto Lemon Grove trail, which was a bit muddy. Awesome, "quick" ride, 2 hours if you're decent.
  Ride rating: Intermediate
  big-D a 31 year old Die-hard Enthusiast riding a '04 Specialized Big Hit from Chino

  Posted:02/03/2005

• Trail UpdateSan Luis Mtn, Cerro San Luis-Maino Open Space and Lemon Grove Loop are city property. Everything else is private including the perimiter trail and the trails to the top. Please be extremely careful of other trail users in both directions. Don't skid, cut trails or ride like you are the only one out there. This trail is very popular with runners, hikers, cyclists and an occasional horse on the private property. The mountain stays wet on the North and East sides for a few days after a rain. PLEASE do not ride when it's wet. This does serious damage. thanks

  Posted:12/15/2004

• Trail UpdateSan Luis Mountain-The public land here belongs to the city of SLO and is called the Maino Open Space. Some of the trails also go on private land, Particularly the trail to the top. This is one of the few pieces of city public land that permits bikes. Please be courteous to other trail users, and careful with our resources..Don't skid, cut switchbacks or ride like a bonehead. Thanks.
  ps. put some time into trailbuilding and preventing trail user conflict in your home town!

  Posted:03/23/2003

• Trail UpdateCerro San Luis - Original Name-My Yahoo Photos show the Marsh-Higuera Streets at the Hwy 101 overpass going to and leaving the Lemon Grove Gate to Madonna Mtn bike-hike trails. There's also a Tribune newspaper view photo of the top, plus an article all about it with a map of directions to the trailhead as previously described in other posts.
  CJ Flys Like The Wind™ a forever year old Cross-Country Rider riding a DiamondBack Racing V Link 3.1 dual suspension from Bike View Heaven™ on Yahoo. San Luis Obispo County, CA URL: Cerro San Luis: SLO Streets -> Trailhead pics

  Posted:03/17/2003

• Trail UpdateLEFT-Ah yes, go left on the way down, for "over the bars" fun. Good stuff. Single track. Steep. Rocks. Scenic. It could just be a bit longer, but go LEFT on the way down, and your in for a chilling ride.....
  Lagwagon a 28 year old riding a Endo Pro from 92656, 949

  Posted:03/17/2003

• Trail UpdateGreat Ride-I have lived in SLO for almost 2 years now and for some reason have never riden madonna mountain. What a great ride. Like others have said, make sure you go left on your way down (close to the top) and hit the single track. This is the rock garden everyone talks about and they are not kidding. More rocks than you could ever wish for. Have fun!
  Ride rating: Advanced
  joe bob a 19 year old Cross-Country Rider riding a GT from SLO

  Posted:03/17/2003

• Trail UpdateIf You Are In SLO, Ride Here.-Directions: Higuera turns into marsh at 101 South on ramp and/or Marsh to 101 South. Act like you are gettin onto the 101, go under the brigde and turn right into a gravel parking lot.(dont get onto the 101, but act like you are) On the bike now, Head up. Lemon grove only takes you around the base, you want to go up, so go up.

  The fireroad climb up is about 3 miles. It wraps around the steep mountain. Once at the top, enjoy the view. Head back down. BUT.

  When you go down, head left. Go left. Then, find the single track at the top. Meaning, at the top, there is a right and left way down. Go left. Then, go straight, dont head down. If you find this, your stoked.

  It is over the bars fun. Technical. Steep. Scenic. Winds you through an oak habitat. Single track through some great trail. Through a fence or two. Dont worry about it, its ok since your up high.

  Take this back to the fire road you came up on. Then, for an extra credit, go right at the fork when you came up on, instead of going down. THIS extra credit takes up the hill behind madonna inn. It takes you down a steep single track once you climb it. GLTY.

  Short, fun, plenty of time to do other things in slo.
  
  Ride rating: Intermediate
  Ride distance: 8 miles Elevation change:
  Lagwagon a 28 year old riding a Endo Pro from 92656, 949

  Posted:02/11/2003

• Trail UpdateGrueling climb to the top, but a rewarding view and downhill ride. You get to see ALL of SLO, including the ocean on good days. I had a hawk flying over me on the last 3 turns. It was pretty cool watching him dive for dinner as I struggled up the hill pedaling. Loose rocks and walkers were the only thing slowing me downhill. Oh yeah, two barbwire fences that you have to manuever your bike through.
  Ride rating: Novice
  Ride distance: 8 miles Elevation change: 3000
  Singletrack=10% Dirt Road=85% Paved Path=5%
  Daver13 a 25 year old Cross-Country Rider riding a MARIN HARDTAIL from LANCASTER

  Posted:09/26/2002

• Trail UpdateMadonna Mountain-The ride up Madonna Mountain gives you a 360 degree view of San Luis Obispo. That's because the trail goes around and around where she stop nobody knows. oops! After two miles the ride abruptly stops at the top. You can climb up to the summit to get a TRUE 360 degree view. But after you get all emotional and stuff, hang on to your panties and point your bike downhill. Take the trail away from the fire road until it narrows. Notice the RoCkS! Bitzh Ass ROcks everywHere! Babyhead, Giant Head, Large siZe, Small everywhere! Ride it back to your car. Oh yeah, watch out for the gates. hehe.
  Ride rating: Novice
  Ride distance: 4 miles Elevation change: up n down
  Mr Superlight a 2 year old Cross-Country Rider riding a I don't gotta huck nothing, I ride XC :-)~ from Cambria, Ca 93428 URL: A funny Description of The Rock Garden

  Posted:02/03/2002