San Luis Obispo's Nine Sisters

            Climbing has a long history in the San Luis Obispo region. The Chumash Indians climbed the Nine Sisters to hold sacred rituals, and to scout hunting paths, and used the foothills of the peaks for mortar sites. Many of the first non-natives to explore the region also climbed our counties "morros" or "crown shaped hills," to gain a broader view of the area. In the late 1800's and early 1900's many people climbed on and around Morro Rock and Bishop's Peak, though it was most often for the work of mining and quarrying rock. People have had the freedom to climb our epic backyard peaks for the last several centuries. Only in the last century have regulations been implemented and enforced to restrict access to many of the peaks.

            The issue of whether all of the Nine Sisters should or should not permit public recreational access is multifaceted.  On one hand, as a citizen of the region, it seems only natural that the morros of San Luis Obispo County belong to it's people, and to climb one or all of them should not be punishable by law. On the other hand, there is the issue of preserving the ecosystems of the morros from the inherent damage that would occur from public use, as well as the fact that many of them are on private property. To fully understand the current situation of public access to San Luis Obispo's Nine Sisters one must take a brief look back at the history of this region and of the land surrounding each of the individual peaks.

            The Chumash Indians occupied the Los Osos and San Luis Obispo regions long before any Europeans came to Central California. In 1542, the Spanish explorer Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo sighted Morro Rock on his maiden voyage up the California Coast. He called the massive rock "El Morro" or "crown shaped hill," and the name has stuck ever since. After the Mexican revolt of 1822, much of the lands surrounding the San Luis Mission were divided into ranches among preferred Mexican citizens. This was the true beginning of privately owned property in this region, and most of the privately owned land containing the peaks have been simply passed down or sold from these original ranches.

            Morro Rock, at an elevation of 576 feet, sits partially in the ocean, concluding the forty-mile chain of our famous Nine Sisters. It was mined from the mid 1800's until 1963, and provided most the material for the Morro Bay and Port San Luis Harbor mouths. In 1969, Congress gave full title of the rock to the state of California, which has since made it an official state and historical landmark, as well as a bird sanctuary for threatened species like the Peregrine Falcon and Snowy Clover. Today, authorities arrest and fine up to 2,500 dollars anyone who is caught climbing the rock. Select members of the Chumash Indians are still allowed to summit the rock a few days a year to perform sacred rituals.

            Black Hill rises to an elevation of 665 feet, and in recent history has become part of Morro Bay State Park, which means it is both protected from development, and open to the public. It is rumored the name comes from an old tar seep on the north side of the hill. It is a one of the least strenuous hikes of the five peaks, which allow public access, and is a popular spot for a great view of the coast without breaking your back. The third visible volcanic cone from the ocean is Cerro Cabrillo, which was named after the explorer. At an elevation of 991 feet, this rocky peak is also located within Morro Bay State Park, and is full of publicly accessible hiking, climbing, and mountain biking with a great view of the estuary, back bay, and dunes.