Bishop Peak Natural Reserve is the SLO open space that includes Bishop Peak.
The Bishop Peak Natural Reserve was dedicated May 22, 1998. It is a collection of three large properties on the slopes of Bishop Peak, combined to about 360 acres. The reserve includes the 110-acre Gnesa Open Space, the 140-acre Perrini Ranch, and approximately 100 acres of the Bunnell Ranch.
The Gnesa family began the effort of an open space in the 1970s. Contributing to the creation of the reserve was the city, San Luis Obispo County, the Coastal Conservancy, the state Department of Parks and Recreation, the Sierra Club Morros Protection Fund, and the Gnesa and Ferrini families and Ray Bunnell. The Gnesa Open Space (as of 1998) was owned by the state and managed by the county. The Ferrini Ranch Open Space was dedicated to the city in 1994. The city purchased the Bunnell Ranch parcel (which includes the peak) in 1998.1
The Felsman Loop Trail is named after Gary Felsman, who contributed to creating the Bishop Peak Natural Reserve as Chapter Chair of the Sierra Club.2
More information
- Bush, Douglas J. "Bishop Peak Natural Reserve Conservation Plan Update," masters thesis, Cal Poly: https://digitalcommons.calpoly.edu/theses/1482/
- Sierra Club Santa Lucia Chapter, Bishop Peak: https://www.sierraclub.org/sites/www.sierraclub.org/files/sce/santa-lucia-chapter/lucians/BishopPeak.pdf
- https://www.centralcoastactive.com/content/trail-nine-sisters
- San Luis Obispo City documents
References:
1. "Bishop Peak open space will be officially dedicated Friday," San Luis Obispo Telegram Tribune, May 20, 1998, pg B-3.
2. Gary Felsman, Land Conservancy of San Luis Obispo County, https://lcslo.org/board/gary-felsman/.
