On Friday, May 5th 2026 at 8:30 AM we will circumnavigate Madonna Mtn. (Cerro San Luis) beginning at the Marsh Street trailhead.  This is 3.7 mile hike that took us two Hours and 21 minutes the last time we hiked it.  It is in the SOFT hardness category bordering on Medium.  The total of UP waypoints is 994 feet.  Maximum elevation 729 feet; elevation change 590 feet.  Most of the climbing is at the very start and then it settles into a fairly level hike under trees with particularity good views. For some unknown reason, this version of Madonna hike is not nearly as busy as the wide fire trail that leads to the top.  It is sort of a "hidden gem."

 

TO GET THERE: See map below.  From within SLO you can take Marsh St. West until is passes under Hwy 101.  As it swings around and heads South, you will need watch carefully and take the Fernandez Lane exit.  Then right onto Fernando Rd.  The trailhead is at the North end of the lot.  If you approach via Hwy 101 South, take the 202A Marsh Street exit.  If you are headed North on 101, you take another Marsh exit, also named 202A, and as you are exiting the freeway onto Marsh you get into the left lane, and when the opportunity presents itself, you do a 180° turn onto the Southbound on-ramp to 101S.  After going under the freeway you turn right off the on ramp to Fernandez Lane.  The bright side of this maneuver is that it is theoretically less dangerous than crossing southbound traffic coming down Cuesta Grade at 85 MPH.  As the SLO Department of Streets has said, there are more accidents with round-abouts than without, but they occur at lower speeds.

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