Poly Canyon Loop
Poly Canyon Loop
4.5
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Eight-mile running trail lined with plants, flowers, and cows.
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4.5
4.5 of 5 bubbles22 reviews
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Tim T
San Luis Obispo County, CA54 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2019 • Solo
Park at Cal Poly, or you can also take it the back way up Stenner Creek Road, if you want less of a climb. Walk or ride your Mt. Bike, this trail heads up the canyon, past the "architectural graveyard" (where Poly senior projects go to retire). That's a fun little hike if that's as far as you want to go.

If your on your bike, keep going up past the gates (be sure to leave them how you found them) and you can go all the way up to the railroad tracks! There are some great views of SLO and Morro Bay up there.

Drop back down to Stenner Creek road, and back to your car at Poly, it will be about a 6 mile trip.
Written 12 February 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

nancyzalzalah
Paso Robles, CA48 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
May 2018
First time there! It was really cool seeing all those structures all over this hill in the middle of no where. Best time is on weekends when parking is free if you go during the week you need to obtain a permit. Best to go in cooler weather. Right in the heart of cal poly campus. Trail is well maintained can't get lost . Best to wear good sturdy shoes like hiking boots
Written 31 May 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

SLOJon
San Luis Obispo, CA839 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Apr 2018 • Family
Our family thoroughly enjoyed hiking into and around the creative architectural oddities that are awaiting you here. We didn’t know what to expect, but what we found was quite interesting — an array of structures running the gamut from formerly semi-functional residences to pieces best described as installation art. It appears these structures are not being maintained so they are on a slow downward glide to eventual oblivion. Some have characterized this as an architectural graveyard, which isn’t off the mark. Our enjoyment of the experience was aided by taking this hike on a perfect spring day while the surrounding hills were still green. The higher you go up among the structures, the better the views become. The views are enough reason to go.

We may well return here with out of town visitors.
Written 31 March 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Anastasia0221
9 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Dec 2017
Has some neat architectural things to see, a nice hike and many horses around! Our favorite was the Mushroom looking house, it was oh so creative.
Written 6 January 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Charlene M
136 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Sept 2017 • Family
The girls were asking to go on a hike to see new things. They loved it here! It was a easy hike and the girls loved all the structures. I highly recommend!
Written 3 October 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Jerry M
Los Angeles, CA525 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Apr 2017 • Couples
We arrived late in the morning at Cal Poly SLO campus in search of its Experimental Structures Facility, also known as the Architecture Graveyard. This little-known element of the campus was largely created and, in some cases, renovated by teams of architecture and design seniors from 1963 to 2009. Rain was in the forecast as we walked across a portion of campus containing athletic fields and an Irrigation Practices Field with goats grazing on it, Cal Poly being an agricultural college.

After some bumps and starts, we found the trailhead and walked up a dirt road a half-mile to reach the entrance to the Graveyard, pausing to review a map of the grounds before heading up the path to see each piece in numerical order. The site is in poor repair, attributed to the absence of student caretakers, who until about six years ago lived on site for free and received a small stipend for low order maintenance. When the recession of 2008 hit, that arrangement stopped and subsequently there’s no presence there, leading to a lot of vandalism and general deterioration of the pieces.

It was still exhilarating to be out walking up and down the pathways, a gusty wind heralding a storm front coming in, spending time at each piece trying to get a handle on what its intended purpose would be should it have been actually produced as a product. Finished with our tour, we quickly walked back to the car hoping to avoid what promised to be a downpour.
Written 24 May 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

mgward3560
Santa Rosa, CA137 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Apr 2017 • Couples
This was a nice easy hike into the area behind the campus. There are a number of old Senior Projects on the trail that are interesting to look at.
Written 11 May 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Liza W
San Luis Obispo, CA203 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Apr 2017 • Couples
This is a great place for short or long trails. Foot or mountain bikes. Flat and hilly. The view from the ridge (where the P is) is worth the hike. Right now, lots of water running in the creek. Hiking length can vary from mile to miles. On weekend, parking is free closest to the beginning of the trail. All season hiking area.
Written 5 May 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Cathe O
Nipomo, United States60 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2016 • Solo
Not only is this a great moderate hike that doesn't require a high level of fitness, but exploring Cal Poly's architectural graveyard makes this really fun for both kids and adults. Come on a weekend for best parking availability.
Written 3 February 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

nancypants911
Bakersfield, CA203 contributions
1.0 of 5 bubbles
Nov 2016 • Couples
We anticipated this hike because we wanted to see the architecture graveyard and the swing. We circled around for 45 minutes to find a parking place. We found metered parking for times up to two hours. All were full. Very disappointed. We went to the Elfin Forest instead at Los Osos. Nice walk on boardwalk with nice views of Los Osos and Morro Bay.
Written 27 November 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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POLY CANYON LOOP: All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (with Photos)

Frequently Asked Questions about Poly Canyon Loop