Camp Whittier

(8 reviews)

0.0 mi

Such an amazing experience. Beautiful, great Naturalist and wonderful food. This was just an…read moreamazing experience. Thank you

Went to camp last year for a while for school! Amazing place to stay at! Love the cabin and the…read moremultiple thing there are to do 12 mile hike !

Lunch area

Cafeteria

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Building a rock mountain

Outdoor School

0.8 mi

I used to be a naturalist at this outdoor school. One of the absolute best locations I have ever…read morehad the chance to work and live. The most dedicated and fun loving staff, and a wonderful location. Just two days ago, a fire burned through the camp, leaving more ashes than buildings behind. I am hopeful for the future of the outdoor school here because of the staff.

Circle V Ranch Camp & Retreat Center

4.5

(2 reviews)

1.1 mi

My daughter recently attended summer camp and she absolutely loved it…read more Nice and dedicated staff make this summer camp an unforgettable experience.

In July we had 17 cousins attended this Circle V Camp & both boys & girls loved it, they really…read moreenjoyed it.. For most of them it was they're 2 or 3 time there and they always enjoy it & look forward to going back the following year...

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Little Big Riding School

4.9

(18 reviews)

11.4 mi

Kaylyn is a 6-star instructor. She was patient, kind and friendly. Her students and horses…read morebenefit from her peaceful presence, and her enthusiastic spirit. We had a group of 5 (2 absolute beginners) and she was able to wrangle us in an orderly manner and brought a sense of security and calm to our ride. I highly recommend this riding school amongst the 6+ we have supported over the years and my kids absolutely loved their experience. The terrain is flat and safe so no surprises there. We will always hold this experience close to our hearts, thank you Kaylyn!

Went to watch my Granddaughter take riding lessons they actually are learning not only to ride but…read moreto take care of the horses I was very impressed with this Horse camp!

One of many school horses

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Camp Natoma

(12 reviews)

91.8 mi

My daughter just got back from her fourth year and it's already begging to go again next year…read more There is something so magical for the kids out there, and they are all incredibly well cared for! all of the counselors are incredibly kind, and she especially loves the pool and the hiking. See you next year, Camp Natoma!

My son just got back from session 1. He had a blast! Sleeping under the stars, meeting new…read morefriends, singing songs. Everything camp should be. He plans to attend next year and has said he might want to be a counselor. (He is only 9- he's got a few years to be a camper still!) My sister went to Natoma for years. She and my son compared memories and except for some new songs and food/candy no longer being allowed in care packages, not much has changed in 20 years. The value is fantastic. I'm very happy with the camp (and so is my son!)

Songs and stories around the camp fire

Hard working, extensively trained staff provide excellent leadership to campers.

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Forest Home Ojai

(8 reviews)

38.4 mi

It attended a women's conference the location made the event even better. I would highly recommend…read moreattending an event. They're having an event there or even just taking your family to very going back next year.

Church rented facilities for high school summer camp. Everything was great. Food was good. Kids and…read moreadults had a great time.

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Quiet time

Return To Freedom American Wild Horse Sanctuary

4.9

(14 reviews)

29.5 mi

Lori, our fantastic guide took us on an unforgettable adventure to experience this incredible…read moresanctuary. She was extremely knowledgable about the environment, the sanctuary and every horse on site. She know they herds, the horses names and habits. We got to be immersed in the world of wild horses, many who were interested in us and wanted to interact. We cant wait to go back!

Spent a wonderful day volunteering here today then thoroughly enjoying a 4 hour walking tour of…read morethis beautiful, wild horse sanctuary. The owner and staff shared so much knowledge and passion for these amazing animals. The horses are well cared for, healthy and have ride open pastures to roam in their herds. Absolutely fascinating- Highly Recommended for horse lovers!

My Dad with the ATV that took us around the 2,000 acres of land!

Wild Horses.

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Our tour guide, Lori in her element!

Rancho Palomino - Santa Barbara

2.9

(21 reviews)

11.8 mi

My daughter has been riding with Sadie for the 2 1/2 years now but am just now writing a review…read morebecause a) I feel I have enough background at this point to share an informed review, and b) I see some negative reviews that confuse me. RP was recommended to me by another parent at my daughters school and I was taken with RP immediately. Sadie loves her animals, and passes that love and respect on to the kids. While my daughter is not required to muck or feed, she loves taking part in these essential activities which are part of the whole horse experience. Caring for the horses is a beautiful thing and it has created such a bond between my daughter and all the horses, even the ones she doesn't ride. This, as well as all the general horse-care instructions Sadie imparts is what has made my daughter so comfortable on and around horses. I have shared RP with 3 other families that have all had great experiences with Sadie. RP is a small, family-run organization. As I see it, they are providing the community with a wonderful service: the chance for kids to learn horsemanship and riding skills without spending a fortune. As a former horse owner, I know Sadie is not making money off RP. She's doing it because she wants to share her love of animals/horses with kids. That is exactly what she's done with my daughter and I am so grateful to have a place like this in SB.

Scammed me and many others out of camp in summer of 2024. Came up with many excuses as to why she…read morecouldn't provide us the week camp. I showed up the day it was supposed to begin (earl Warren show grounds) and police were there escorting her off the property. Stay away!!!

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Lobster Jo's Beach Camp

(5 reviews)

18.6 mi

Does your kid want to spend all day at the beach hanging out with cool surfers who do gymnastics…read moreand crafts and being allowed to just follow their bliss all day? Send them to Lobster Jo's! This camp is fabulous because it's just incredibly loosely structured; the kids get to do some fun games and activities and crafts, and they can surf and boogie board and swim and snorkel and paddle with supervision and expert assistance, and they can also just sit and dig holes all day, and they will get a high five and to pet the camp doggie! There are tons of sunny campers to supervise their all day play and help them all have a great experience. One of my kiddos had a hard time with waves and got scared (we aren't from here so she isn't super down with the ocean yet) and was hysterical, but one of the counselors was there to get her through that fear, offered her a private surf lesson the next day and got her excited about the ocean and she did some surfing and boogie boarding independently! The counselors are super kind and stoked to get all the kids to love the beach. Obvious this would be awesome for any locals, but I will add we came down from Seattle to go to a family reunion thing and we put our kids in this for the week, and it was the most brilliant vacation scheme ever; the kids got a great California experience, the adults got hours every day where we got to be kid free! I would highly recommend this if you have friends planning a summer vacation in SB to suggest they look into if this camp is happening!

This is the second summer my daughter has done multiple weeks of Lobster Jo's Beach Camp and she…read morehas loved every minute. The program is well run and the counselors are all fantastic. They make sure the kids have fun while also ensuring they reapply sunscreen and stay hydrated. As a result of this camp, my daughter has gone from liking the beach to loving both the beach AND swimming/boarding/paddling in the ocean. Can't wait to do it again next summer.

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Stuart C Gildred Family YMCA

4.4

(20 reviews)

8.5 mi

SC Gildred Family YMCA is a nonprofit organization devoted to health and fitness of its community…read more This huge facility has an olympic size pool, basketball gymnasium, cardio room, weight room, pilates, locker rooms etc. They have membership plans and free wifi. It was my first time here and staff were affable and respectful. Facility is clean and organized. I came to workout and play some basketball. I really enjoyed my experience here. Overall, this is a fantastic facility for the community. I recommend you visit if you're in the area.

My wife is the member and she is very frustrated over the pool being closed for several issues such…read moreas the heater going out, to much Chorine and the pump going out

Main Entrance of the Stuart C. Gildred YMCA.

Cardio Room.

Gym. #basketball

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Ventura Aquatic Center

4.0

(76 reviews)

48.0 mi

Tucked away in the Ventura Community park off of Kimball is a large aquatic center that I've been…read morewanting to check out. I hear of this place every summer but never had the chance til this week. What a great place for kids to enjoy water play. But actually for the entire family too! We went during free swim time from 12-4pm and it was only $10 for ages 3 and up. There's a big shallow kiddie pool with water activities and then 2 water slides on the back side of the park. There's a rec pool that maybe goes to 4.5 ft depth so it's perfect for just enjoying the water when you can't lap swim because the pool is crowded. A large picnic table area can be found in the middle of the center too so you can being lunch and snacks too. There a larger Olympic size pool on the west end of the center that can be used for lap swimming so overall it's great for all ages and swimming levels. We're planning to be here quite a bit for the summer! There's also cabanas to change into and showers to rinse off before and after swimming.

Love, love love this place! I took shallow & deep water aerobics classes for the summer of 2025…read morehere and had a good time experience overall. Mary is a great Aqua Fitness instructor and her classes are always packed with about 50 people per class. She is very knowledgeable, gives excellent queuing, and provides modifications for various levels, even for those of us who need more of a challenge. I have been able to get my heart rate up, get resistance, core & flexibility training here. I've noticed significant improvements in my overall fitness and physique. The pools & facilities are clean and in great condition. Water temperature is about 78 degrees and they have multiple pools to accommodate lap swimming, classes, and a kid's pool. The restrooms are pretty clean, contain 3 private shower stalls, multiple open showers, and a machine to wring out your bathing suit which is a plus. I hope to be back next summe

Even superheroes love this pool!

Open Friday nights for the summer!! :-)

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Not so institutional looking

Hot Spring Trail

4.1

(41 reviews)

19.4 mi

Amazing hike! It is one of the easier hikes to access to the relaxing hot springs…read more Watch out for poison ivy! Totally worth it! Thank you to the BW Staff for providing me helpful tips. 10/10 will return.

The right amount of challenging for a beginner hiker like me with an amazing reward at the end if…read moreyou choose to do this trail. My only downfall is the smell of sulfur that takes some getting used to, but overall, the mini pools was something I have never experienced before. Parking is limited, there are free areas where you have to drive over a curb, but my car did fine with parking. The pools are the hottest at the top and gets cooler on the bottom. If you are curious to see if there were more pools past the top, there isn't as I asked those who ventured a little further. I definitely recommend this hike if you're thinking about it and it's a cool day. There was some incline that I wouldn't find enjoyable if it was any hotter. I'm pretty beginner at hiking and this took me a little longer than anticipated to get to the springs, but if you're an avid hiker you can probably get to the trail within 35-45 minutes! The trail is my favorite activity I've done in Santa Barbara so far!

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Camp Whittier - summer_camps - Updated August 2026

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Solvang Prelude

3.0

(2 reviews)

I had actually never done a bike race outside a triathlon before. But I pretty much expected it to…read morebe a closed off, nicely paved path to accommodate thousands of bikers. The Solvang Prelude wasn't anything like I had pictured it. There are many distances including 100 miles, metric (63 miles), 50 miles, 25 miles, and 10 miles. I came here for the 25 mile race. There wasn't much information readily available. Once I registered, I received a card in the mail with an address and a pick up time. No other details. I never even received an email with any details of the upcoming event (which I have always gotten for every event I've done). There is also no official starting time since it's not a timed race. You can get here whenever and start whenever, but that is not really clear until you arrive. I decided to bike here the day of the race instead of drive since I was staying in a hotel 5 miles away. The starting line is situated inside a park. There is a tent set up where you pick up your bib and directions on where to go. To my surprise, they do not close off the streets for this event. You literally bike in the road while traffic is free-flowing. What was the point in paying for this event?? I could've just came and biked the course without paying anything. The list of directions is long and there was no way I was following that. You're suppose to ride single-file and you usually lose people since everyone's doing a different distance. So it's difficult to navigate. This was a very unorganized event and honestly, a little dangerous. Parts of it are really pretty but I was so cold and worried about getting in the way of cars and oncoming bikers to enjoy it.

I rode the Solvang Prelude a few years ago and enjoyed it a lot!!…read moreTo be clear, this was NOT a race (untimed) and the roads were open to traffic like most every "century" I've ridden. You are free to ride as slow or fast as you like within reason. The start time window was appropriate. Set start times don't seem to be used much anymore as large groups of riders can be dangerous to each other and hamper vehicle traffic which causes law enforcement to not allow it. The fee was reasonable considering that the route was researched, permissions obtained, route sheets provided, turns marked, snacks and refreshments at rest stops and lots of really nice people to meet and ride with!! I think triathlons may charge more because they may have to close roads and do all the timing and have 3 courses. The newer Fondos usually do timing and are kind of a cross between a century and a real bike race. The traffic was very light in general and views were wonderful. I think most locals usually avoid driving on the routes and if they do need to are extra careful. We had a great day with not problems from drivers. We did one section where there was a turnaround and the road was so beautiful I rode up a little further. I met a guy that I rode with for a bit, he was fairly new to cycling so we talked about how to safely go into single file with traffic but we did have lots of quiet time where we rode double file and talked. I like the system where the rider on the outside usually slows down and pulls behind the rider at the edge of the road. I would encourage you to do this ride or the century in the spring. One of the best organized rides I have ever done and the Solvang area is a fantastic place to visit, I'm a pastry person too so it was extra fun. BTW another one of my favorite rides is the Indian Valley Century in Northern California, usually on Memorial Day Weekend, a really nice area to ride with minimal traffic and the valley area is the perfect combination of flat and small little rises. I have found Cycle California magazine and the Western States Ride Calendar http://bbcnet.com/ridecalendar/Ride_Calendar.aspx?ID=2&Area=3&Sort=1 great sources for rides and if you would like to see or participate in bicycle races google USA Cycling. I really enjoy watching bike races.

Cachuma Lake Vista Point

4.0

Nice lookout point with parking and vault toilet. There's a trail near the parking lot - Sweet…read moreWater trail, with bushes and dusty trails. There's another trail near the road that is shorter and you can see the grand opening view of the lake. Refer to my pics for more details.

Above the Water Line

James is the best to work with and extremely knowledgeable. I wouldn't think of using someone else…read morewhen it comes to the Marine electronics on my sailboat. Thank you Above the waterline.

Bridal Bootycamp

Where do I begin to describe how amazing Beth is?! I began training with her 3 months before my big…read moreday and what a difference it made! Being a long distance runner, I've always been fairly active, but recently have been plagued with small injuries and aches that hinder my active lifestyle, and thus my quest to have a fit and healthy body. Additionally, running has caused me to lose focus on my upper body fitness, which I really wanted sculpted for my big day and honeymoon. Beth came to the rescue to fix all of this with fun workouts that truly maximized and help me prevent injuries from my other activities. Beth was so fantastic over with my pre-wedding training that I thought what better way to kick off my big day than with an energy boosting workout with my girls! Beth set it up perfectly-on the beach, all equipment set up, and beads and tiaras to set the fun mood! And the workout was amazing-not too rough so that we wouldn't be able to walk down the aisle haha, but just enough to make us feel great when getting in our dresses, and we had so much fun! Her bridal booty camp games will make you sweat just as much as you laugh! This is a must-do with your bridal party...such a fun way to bond and get fit! Needless to say, my girls and I were beyond elated with our morning workout on the big day, and I felt beyond sexy and healthy on my big day thanks to my training with Beth!

Leslie Sack Dance Studio

(5 reviews)

Leslie took on beginner salsa dancers and turned us into pros! I wouldn't hesitate to hire her for…read moreany style of dance. She's charming, warm, and makes everyone feel like a dancer!

Leslie taught me and my fiancée waltz well and choreographed our wedding dance. Highly recommended!read more

Santa Barbara County Triathlon

(2 reviews)

Bottom Line: I…read moresomehow got talked into doing a sprint about 5 years ago and have not missed this event since! This is my absolutely favorite event of the year. If I only do one event; bicycle race, marathon, tri - whatever - it's THIS event. The venue is second to none, its very well organized, professional.... besides you finish and go load up on pancakes and bacon from East Beach Grill! EVERYBODY WINS, PEOPLE

This triathlon offers an incredible family friendly venue. From the parent/child race which is one…read moreof the numerous activities in this weekend long event and the finish line at the beach where kids can play in the sand while waiting for the adult triathlete of the family to make their arrival, to nearby Shipwreck Playground and all of the wonderful kid friendly eateries in walking distance of the race course, this is one of the most family friendly triathlon venues I've seen in my years of rooting for my husband at these races. It is also a beautiful setting with lots to offer varying interests that occur naturally in a family or group. A sidewalk art sale along the sidewalk next to the beach, kites sailing in the sky near the wharf and cheering everywhere you turn, these were only a few of the sights and sounds I enjoyed at this event with my nine and six-year-old in tow and I look forward to doing it again. Register for this race again, Honey!!!

Abraham Ruiz