In this publication, I will discuss the state of hiking in Paso Robles. Compared to other cities on the central coast we have significantly fewer hiking trails in Paso Robles.

Our best, and debatably only, hiking trail in Paso is a flat two-mile looping trail in the Montebello Oaks open space in between Highway 46 and Union Rd. Other than that we only have the flat-as-a-pancake “River Trail” which follows Salinas River and has become occupied by the homeless population, or the two “Creak Walks” which are paved flat paths. One is located off of Rambouillet Rd, and the other off of Appaloosa Dr.

Being a runner on the Cross Country and Track team, I have thoroughly experienced these trails and what they have to offer. The River Trail, while providing good views of the Salinas River, is very dirty. Along with this the River Trail and the sur-
rounding land are home to much of the homeless population. On my own time I have experienced passing a homeless man holding a machete on the trail, seen baggies of pills on the ground, and been yelled at.

While the Creak Walks have no inherent problems they are much too short and flat for my liking.

These “hikes” leave much to be desired. Looking to the west side of town there is an abundance of hills perfect for trails. While much of the land we see is privately owned and already developed, driving only 10 minutes further into the hills towards Adelaida there are large chunks
of undeveloped land ready for the city to buy and create some much-needed hiking space.

On my own time, I am working on adding a trail of my own to the Creek path off of Rambouillet Rd. which will take the hiker up onto the hill where they can experience great views of the city and see the large deer population that lives in the open space. It will be around a 1.5-mile loop going off the main well-traveled path.

While it may be short, it will be steep and in the closest thing we have to wilderness so the hiker can really experience hiking. While some may argue that there are perfectly good trails in Atascadero or San Luis Obispo, it is a barrier to hiking for someone with a busier schedule. I believe our city should put more effort into building hiking trails for the community. If I can do it on my own with a hoe and my bare hands there is no excuse.