more stats
4,291 ft
Distance
-529 ft
Descent
00:09:00
Avg time
-529 ft
Altitude change
1,877 ft
Altitude min
2,406 ft
Altitude max
2,406 ft
Altitude start
1,877 ft
Altitude end
-12.3%
Grade
-42.6%
Grade max
-1.6%
Grade min
4,058 ft
Distance down
236 ft
Distance flat
00:09:00
Avg time

Botanical Details

  • Activities
    • Mountain Bike
    • E-Bike
    • Hike
    • Trail Running
  • Riding Area
    Cuesta Ridge West
    San Luis Obispo, California
  • Difficulty Rating
  • Voted Difficulty
    Black Diamond (3 votes)
  • Local Popularity
    90 in Mountain Biking [+]
    • 90 in E-Biking
    • 50 in Trail Running
    • 5 in Hiking
  • Global Ranking
    #46450 in Mountain Biking [+]
    • #17680 in E-Biking
    • #149895 in Trail Running
    • #297554 in Hiking
  • State Ranking
    #1,366 in Mountain Biking · California [+]
    • #399 in E-Biking
    • #7,737 in Trail Running
    • #13,034 in Hiking
  • Trail Type
    Singletrack
  • Bike Type
    DH, AM, XC
  • Direction
    Downhill Primary
    Popular Direction Shown
  • Climb Difficulty
    Black Diamond
  • Physical Rating
    Hard
  • Trail Visibility
    Always easy to follow
  • Dogs Allowed
    Yes
  • eBike Allowed
    Yes up to Class 1
  • TTFs on Trail
    Berm, Drop, Jump, Gap Jump, Rock Face, Rock Garden, Other

Chunky, loose, and fast, Botanical is a classic San Luis Obispo trail. Upper half (before intersection with Morning Glory) is covered with small pebbles, baby-head sized rocks, and rain ruts, however, it's pretty easy to get going really fast, just make sure you have some tough tires Difficulty is in between a blue and a black, definitely harder than other blue trails in the area.

Tags
Trail Supporters
Local Trail Association
Traditionally Indigenous Territory

Recent Activity on Trail

Past Week
  • 2 rides
  • 15 miles average
6 Months
  • 65 rides
  • 21 miles avg distance
All
  • 447 rides
  • Last: Oct 18, 2026
c1c2c3c4
January
February
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April
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December
Status:
on Jan 2, 2026
Variable
Avg: 4.04 (15 votes)
Your vote: 0

view (3,877)
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      Directions to botanical trailhead (35.361820, -120.657870)

      Photos

      19 more »
      mtb
      134 |
      Nov 7, 2020 @ 6:43pm
      Nov 7, 2020
      mtb
      110 |
      Feb 20, 2020 @ 3:17pm
      Feb 20, 2020
      mtb
      148 |
      Feb 20, 2020 @ 3:17pm
      Feb 20, 2020
      mtb
      129 |
      Oct 15, 2019 @ 9:48am
      Oct 15, 2019

      Videos

      5 more »
      youtuber Botanical Trail - San Luis Obispo, CA
      mtb
      3:23 | 624 | May 24, 2020 , San Luis Obispo
      Quest For Fun on Cuesta Ridge & The Eucs |...
      mtb
      30:06 | 111 | Mar 18, 2024 , San Luis Obispo
      Mountain Biking Botanicals & Morning Glory...
      mtb
      15:52 | 169 | Apr 26, 2023 , San Luis Obispo
      youtuber Hidden Gem in San Luis Obispo | West Cuesta...
      mtb
      14:56 | 432 | Apr 9, 2021 , San Luis Obispo

      Routes with this trail

      ★ 4.0 • 27 miles • 4,716 ft • 49 • Shuttled •
      The near Ultimate Point to Point Shuttle route that covers all the major trail on the Ridge except for...
      ★ 4.0 • 6 miles • 252 ft • 6 • Shuttled •
      A mostly DH shuttled ride from the top of Cuesta Ridge down to CalPoly.
      ★ 5.0 • 12 miles • 1,478 ft • 37 • Shuttled •
      Best trails on West Cuesta Ridge for an "intermediate" rider. Slightly more challenging than most of the...

      Links

      4.1 ★★★★★
      15 Ratings
      5 ★ 33%
      4 ★ 47%
      3 ★ 13%
      2 ★ 7%
      1 ★

      1 Review & Comments

      BenKoe
      It was alright, the description is very accurate. Felt like an old moto track they turned into a mtb trail. Definitely not purpose built for mtb, loose rocks but still kinda fun. Much preferred the eucs

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      • By aoneal & contributors
      • #28366 - 4,323 views

      Frequently Asked Questions

      ▼ Where is Botanical located?
      Botanical is located in Cuesta Ridge West, San Luis Obispo, California, United States. It is part of the Cuesta Ridge West trail network. The trailhead is located at coordinates 35.36182, -120.65787.
      ▼ How hard is Botanical?
      Botanical is rated as Blue difficulty. The physical rating is Hard. The average grade is 12.3%. The climb difficulty is rated Black Diamond.
      ▼ What is the elevation gain for Botanical?
      The trail has 529 ft of elevation descent. The elevation ranges from 1,877 ft to 2,406 ft.
      ▼ Is Botanical a point to point trail?
      Botanical is not a point to point trail. The direction is Downhill Primary. The trail type is singletrack.
      ▼ How long is Botanical?
      Botanical is 4,291 ft long. The trail type is singletrack.
      ▼ Are dogs allowed on Botanical?
      Yes, dogs are allowed on Botanical. Please keep dogs on a leash where required and clean up after them.
      ▼ How do I access Botanical? Where is the closest parking trailhead?
      The closest parking and trailhead locations to Botanical are: View all parking locations in the area.
      ▼ How long does it take to ride Botanical?
      Based on recorded activities, it takes an average of 9 minutes to ride Botanical. The trail is 4,291 ft long. Actual times will vary based on fitness level, conditions, and pace. View recent activity logs for more details.
      ▼ How busy is Botanical?
      Botanical is a very popular trail. There have been 3,916 recorded activities on this trail. The trail has received 3,877 check-ins. View recent activity on this trail.

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