Depending on your entrance to Bishops, you either have a slow and steady or strong and steep entrance, followed by a medium difficulty hike of switchbacks to get to the top. The top is where it's at so just keep on pushing (people of all ages and sizes do it everyday) and the view is one of the best in SLO. Be wary of random patches of poison oak, especially if you like to go off trail or climb rocks at the top. I learned the hard way what the plant looks like, feels like, and does to your body when I passed between two 4ft plants of the stuff while exploring the top. Still worth it.

Bishop's Peak seems to be the favorite hike that people who know and love SLO want to do when they visit. It's a pretty decently long hike, and gets very steep toward the top. Making it all the way to the top of Bishop's Peak is not for those who are not in good shape, and there are big boulders at the top that you're navigating around. For someone who wants a lighter hike, you could easily do the Felsman loop around the base which is easy, or go as far as you'd like up Bishop's and turn around before it gets too steep. The hike is dog-friendly (dogs on leash). If you go to the top, you are rewarded with incredibly gorgeous 360-degree views. Parking is free on the street right at the trailhead (Patricia Drive near corner of Patricia Court I believe) And bring lots of water - for you and your pup!

This challenging hike is on a good trail. Not for the out-of-shape hiker, the views from the top are amazing and well worth the effort. I would not recommend taking your dog, though, as the trail gets very narrow the nearer you get to the top.

I would have given this Bishop Peak trail 5 stars except for the lack of signage and the confusing trails. (We ended up climbing a steep open "trail" several hundred feet before realizing that it was a dead-end -- and probably formed by runoff. There was seemingly a trail to the left at the point where we made this decision, but it was unclear if it was really a trail.) The views of San Luis Obispo, Cal Poly, etc., to the east are spectacular. This trail is not part of any state park, and is not really maintained.
The only parking is along the road leading up to the trail-head. On the Saturday we were there there were perhaps 30 cars parked along this road. We had to go about a mile down in order to find a space -- and then and walk up the road. On weekdays, this would probably not be a problem.