SLO Stewards
Through educational hikes, the SLO Stewards program encourages the community and visitors to be guardians of the natural environment and to help support the activities of the City of San Luis Obispo’s Natural Resources Protection Program.
Hike Schedule
In-person hikes have been postponed during the COVID-19 pandemic. Check out our virtual hiking videos on our YouTube channel.
SLO Open Spaces
Surrounded by rolling hills, rocky peaks and open fields of wildflowers, San Luis Obispo has so many incredible open spaces to explore. Check out this map to plan your next hike or local adventure!
Meet the docents!
Learn more about our incredible docents who lead the hikes in SLO. Having extensive knowledge on our local flora and fauna, these guides offer informative and fun hikes throughout SLO’s open spaces - you will definitely learn something new!
About SLO Stewards
The SLO Stewards Program started in 1996 out of a collaboration between the Environmental Center of San Luis Obispo (ECOSLO) and the City of San Luis Obispo’s Natural Resources Protection Program. The goal of the program was to empower citizens to help in restoration and management of the community’s open spaces. The program started as a pilot in Winter of 2000, the first of its kind for the City of SLO. The program continued with a group of dedicated docents, but dwindled to just two volunteers by the Winter of 2013. With a grant from The Community Foundation of San Luis Obispo, ECOSLO was able to have its first Docent training in many years. Five smart, fun, and passionate volunteers graduated from the program in November 2014. The expansion of the program allows for more monthly hikes, and the opportunity to reach more of San Luis Obispo’s community members. This unique collaboration give us the opportunity to orchestrate trail maintenance workdays and host ECOSLO docent-led hikes. Both the County and City of SLO have come to rely on ECOSLO staff time and volunteers to support park and trail projects.