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

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The right amount of challenging for a beginner hiker like me with an amazing reward at the end if you 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! read more

There is not much to improve, in what occurs naturally! The springs are definitely worthy, but they are not developed, and they attract too many visitors! Unfortunately, few of them realize that these springs provide drinking water for household use in over 100 local homes. read more

Love this hike!! This only my second time taking the trip. It's been a good year or two since the last time I went and it was a much better experience because the weather (temperature) was perfect! While the out and back trial isn't extremely long, a little over 2.5 miles round trip, I would say it's a "hard" trail difficulty wise. It's a gradual incline the whole way up to the hot springs with very few moments it flattens out without an incline of elevation. Additionally, there are a lot of rocks on the trail, so you have to have good footing or take some walking sticks. My daughter who is 13 went with me and she did great. However, if it had been hotter she would not have enjoyed it. She took a few short rests on the way up, but almost ran the trail going back down! When we got to the hot springs it was pretty crowded, not excessively where we couldn't find a spot, but a lot of people were there and the traffic was a consistent flow. There's quite a mix of the crowd with some college age students, families, couples and solo hikers. Everyone is friendly and seemed to be respectful of each other. One group had a speaker playing music, but it wasn't obnoxious and didn't bother me. Also, remember, if you take children i believe clothing is optional, so they may get an eye full. Haha The upper pools are extremely hot and then as you go down the temperature is more tolerable to submerse your whole body. My daughter only wanted to put her feet in and even that it was still a little too hot for her at times. Just be cautious. We packed a lunch and sat there soaking for a little while. Even thought daughter didn't get in the whole way she still really enjoyed herself and said the hike was definitely worth it! A couple more mentions, there are a lot of dogs on this trail as they're allowed and even off leash. Parking is VERY limited. If you have more of an SUV type vehicle I suggest driving that. There is a side where you have to drive over a curb to park along the side of the road and we saw one car stuck! Get there early if you can, otherwise you might have to walk a little ways to the trail head. It was a great mother-daughter date and I'll be back again. read more

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Beautiful hike! more on the moderate side due to the gradual incline all of the way up, crossing over a few creeks, and some areas are rocky! Took about 40-45 min to reach the hot springs. The cloud and fog cover made the hike enjoyable! The reward at the top (the hot springs) is SO WORTH IT! One thing to note - PARKING! There is almost NO PARKING HERE! Either you have to come really early in the morning (5-6am) to snag one of the 6 parking spots or you have to Uber/Lyft. Please don't rush your car being towed. If you really want to enjoy the hike and the hot springs, highly recommend going very very early in the morning (between 5-7am) Be sure to bring water shoes, towels, bathing suit, add and a change of clothes. read more

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Love this hike, so worth the hike up but not the easiest. Took our Frenchie, trail is also dog friendly. Hot springs were mostly super hot with some shaded pools that were cooler. read more

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I did a night hike here with friends and let me just say that it was one of my favorite hikes in my entire life. Yes, hiking in the dark was a bit difficult, but it wasn't strenuous and it was peaceful and cool. The hot springs weren't too busy either and it was the perfect place to relax for a good hour or so. Oh, and let me just say that the lack of light pollution makes this one of the most beautiful places to stargaze in SB imo. I just had so much fun here and I totally didn't care if I smelled a bit like sulfur afterwards because the views and tranquility I experienced was beyond me. In short, this was the perfect night hike! Great for cool, relaxing hike and stargazing from pools/trail. read more

My husband and I recently went to this trail when we were visiting SB! We've been on many different hikes and this one was definitely one of the harder ones. I say this mainly because of the incline throughout the entire way there as well as different walking terrain such as walking over rocks big and small, wet slippery dirt and rocks, and some narrow path at times. Overall, the hike was rewarding with the end hot springs. If you are not a local, I recommend bringing a map or having an idea of how to get to the springs. There was no service the entire hike. There were a few times where my husband and I thought the path continued one way but we were wrong. Luckily we ran into another couple who were also confused and also ran into some locals who told us where to go, but they definitely reassured us that they made the same mistake too. I'd recommend this hike to anyone in for a 2.5 mile hike round trip with an incline one way and a rewarding hot spring at the end. I recommend going at 8 AM, parking is VERY limited and you may end up waiting in your car for a spot to open if you don't come early enough. read more

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I always enjoy a beautiful hike. This is a great trail for a decent workout out. The trail has a great mix of flat areas as well as inclines to leverage to build up a great sweat. If you are a runner or enjoy biking this is also a great choice. The views are worth the hike as when you hit the tops of the paths you have great views to enjoy while relaxing with a book or a coffee. read more

This hot springs trail hike is so nice!! I definitely recommend it for a beginner hiker or children. I would recommend to park around the little bend before you go up to the hike. There is designated parking areas for it. Take a water bottle and pick up after yourself!!! read more

Hot Spring Trail - Hot springs - Hiking Near Me - Montecito, California

AMAZING!!!! This is absolutely the best hike ever and so worth it! It's around a 3.5 + hike and there are a lot of rocks. Make sure you are wearing comfortable shoes. It is easy to get lost if you are new because once you get closer to the hot springs, you will need to cross over with a ton of rocks. It's easy to just keep going up and following the trail. We followed some people and that was helpful. I recommend downloading the app; AllTrails app as it was helpful tracking the route. Hot springs: Amazing!!! It gets hotter as you climb up. Be careful because you can get easily hurt by stepping on the wrong rocks or slipping on a rock. Other than that, you can just relax Parking: Horrible if you do not get there early enough to get the parking located in the front of the entrance! There had to be around 9-10 parking spots. You can park a few miles down in the neighborhood but be careful because there was a sign on the trail saying that parking tickets were being given out. I encourage you to arrive early! We drove around for 10 mins until we actually got a parking spot. THIS IS A MUST IF YOU ARE IN THE AREA! read more

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A beautiful trail in the hills above Santa Barbara. I hiked this trail while on vacation with my family in December. The trail is nice with a moderate incline the whole way up. The entire loop is around 4 miles. The hot springs are about halfway through the hike. You will know you are getting close to the hot springs when you can smell the sulfur. The smell is very strong. The hot springs itself are nice to see and visit, but are usually very crowded, so I'd recommend just stopping for a little while, but keep on going with your hike. After the hot springs, you will continue to climb until you reach a beautiful lookout at the top. From here, you can see the city of Santa Barbara and the ocean down below. Parking can be challenging as there is no designated parking lot or anything. You have to find parking around the streets. However, I would recommend this trail as it is a short, family friendly hike. They even allow dogs on this trail. read more

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This trail is kept authentic. Nothing to make it any easier, no port a potty, no steps etc, and that's the way I like it. The terrain was very difficult at times such as when you have to navigate among big rocks, and focus on not to slip on loose dirt etc. once at the top you will end up at the hot springs- actually you can smell the sulfur before you arrive. The water was HOT!!!! Omg- really hot. Remember to pack snack and cold water to enjoy while soaking in the "boiling" water. The hike was easy to descend! I saw families with young kids on the trail and few dogs. read more

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This is one hike everyone should try. The hike takes you on a loop. Whichever direction you choose, you'll still be able to find your way to the hot springs. Once you catch the smell of sulfur, you'll know you're close by. It is a therapeutic experience. It is a moderate hike, but one that's worth the energy to then relax on the spring of your choosing; depending how warm you like your water . More people should try visiting these hot springs. Personally, it it was what I needed mentally and physically. I hope that whoever finds their way here, also finds it mentally and physically beneficial. read more

Hot Spring Trail - Hot springs - Hiking Near Me - Montecito, California

It used to be good. LA people bring their speakers beer cans and self-centered energy. You'll hear club music the whole way up. Why hike into nature to hear nature when the loudest EDM music is there unsolicited. And then people let their dogs run everywhere. NO LEASHES EVER. I'm here right now and there's a cocker spaniel off leash sitting the water . They say they're locals but can't respect the land. This hike used to be so peaceful. Now it's a rave read more

We got an impromptu invite to do this hike and so glad we joined!! It's beautiful and somewhat reminiscent of "old California". Will definitely go again next time we visit. read more

This place was insane!!! I had no idea there was a hot spring so close to me, but it was such a unique hike and experience that made for a fun weekend trip! In theory, the hike itself is relatively short (~3 miles round trip) but it is STEEP! Definitely recommend wearing proper shoes with good grip for this hike. Halfway through, I was pretty burnt out and was wondering if the hot springs would even be worth it. IT. WAS. While there were a decent number of people around, the hot springs had individual pools for people to be separated in. I figured the hot springs would've been a nice temperature to cool off in after the hike, but it was almost like a jacuzzi in terms of temperature! Quick word of warning - for those with silver jewelry, the hot springs have sulfur in the water and WILL react with your jewelry and turn them into a rusty orange shade. I found out the hard way, but you just have to brush them with toothpaste and they were back to being good as new! read more

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Got information from trail walking group. We then started off from Los Angels on a Tuesday afternoon. It took more than two hours drive due to LA traffic. Following the GPS, we arrived at 4 pm. We followed the trail direction to walk uphill for about 10 mins to see a sign saying we have 0.7 miles more to hot spring. We kept walking uphill. While waking up, there were pipelines and we could feel they were hot but the water through those rocks was cold. We did believe there was somewhere hot uphill. As it's not daylight saving time, it got dark so quick. When we were up after almost an hour, we saw a left and right direction. While we couldn't decide which direction and it was getting dark, we gave up and walked back down for safety reason. Coming back down was kind of slippery due to the steep and dusty road. we had a strong flashlight to help. It was good experience even we had not found the hot spring. We will try again next time. read more

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Hidden away in the Montecito mountains is this beautiful hot spring!! It is around a 3 mile hike round trip. To the hotsprings is mostly up hill but going down is all downhill! When you get to the hot spring, the highest one is the hottest and the lower you go the cooler it gets! Perfect place to bring a face mask and relax. read more

Hot Spring Trail - Montecito Hotsprings - Hiking Near Me - Montecito, California

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These hot springs are infested with German Cockroaches. They are nocturnal and you will only see them at night. Please shake out your clothes and check your shoes you can very easily bring them home. I lived in a german roach infestation and would not wish it on my worst enemy. Please be safe! read more

The water was lukewarm, not worth the hike at all. On top of that, my car got ticketed! Turns out, you can't park anywhere on the streets around there. #NotWorthIt #BadExperience read more

One of Santa Barbara's true hidden wonders! I navigated this trail yesterday and it was easier than I had anticipated. We took the "long route" up, from the San Ysidro trailhead. The distance to the top was 2.9 miles and around 1300 feet of elevation gain per my Strava app. After hearing from other hikers, we decided to take the "short route" back down which was closer to a mile - but then walked for over a mile up the main road back to our vehicles. The trail was very well maintained and was just gorgeous the entire time. There were areas toward the base which were littered with horse/dog feces so be cautious where you step. I also saw patches of poison oak but it was pretty well cleared off of the trail itself. The San Ysidro trailhead ventures off into a handful of different hiking trails. I know that the most advanced of them was the route to East Camino Cielo which takes you up to an elevation of over 3000 feet and adds an extra 3.4 miles. The hot springs were breathtaking and very clean. There were about 10 different pools in a row, and each were on different levels which made for a more private experience. The higher the pool, the warmer the water temperature. The pool we soaked in was the third from the bottommost one and felt like a bathtub. While the pools are all ages (there were children and adults hanging out), we did see a handful of nudists so keep that in mind. I'd also recommend starting your hike before 8am as the pools will become rather crowded later in the day. Definitely will hike up here again. read more

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*DISCLAIMER* Sterling silver will get severely tarnished (can be fixed - google it), and some stones/gems can even be permanently damaged by the sulfur & hot water, so probably best remove any jewelry prior to soaking, just to be safe. *DISCLAIMER 2* If you go at night (which I'd highly recommend!), be sure you have been given solid directions, and be sure everyone has a flashlight. If using your phone's light, make sure you start with a full charge, cuz you will NEED to see where you are going! Though this hike (2-2.5 hrs. round trip) is pretty easy and safe, there are still several spots that could potentially be very dangerous, if you can't see clearly. Aaanyway (finally lol), this place is simply AMAZING! Absolutely the highlight of our trip. It could not have been more perfect. If I could, I'd rate this place as many stars as we could see in the gorgeous night sky (basically infinity), as we reclined in soothing wonder at mother nature's jacuzzi (highest/hottest pool was at least 100-103 degrees F, fyi). If you are thinking about going... STOP, and just GO!!!!!!! ;) read more

Amazing spot!! Just be mindful they will tow if u stay too late, no overnight parking.. just re-park and Uber in .. late night soak is epic!! (I think it's called lower hot spring trail on all trails and aka Montecito .. ps make sure u know when to cross the creek!!! ) read more

if you plan to come here for hot springs, then don't go ,just waste time and the water there so dirty and crowded,i will take you a hour to hiking to hot springs.people bring dogs and let in stay in hot springs with people around,the spring water tub is very small.People came and ruined that place.Even for hiking ,the trail is narrow and crowded not safe and not worthy to go there.if you go there make sure bring water. read more

Hot Spring Trail - on the way to hot springs - Hiking Near Me - Montecito, California

0 stars. By no means an easy trail. Filled with tree branches, rocks, plain oak, and certain parts are super steep. The hot springs smell awful and are not worth going to by any means. All the pictures you're seeing are highly edited. Stay away. read more

I love hiking in Santa Barbara, the weather is usually cool and overcast, there is plenty of natural beauty to enjoy. For this particular trail, I enjoyed this hike more than the destination therefore I'm unsure if it defeats the purpose since everyone goes for the hot springs. I've only been once so maybe it was just a bad day considering all the reviews seem rather positive! The trail was easy for me and I'm a beginner hiker. The entrance of the hiking is on private property so remember to be polite! Parking is terrible, thankfully I got a spot but parking enforcement came by and gave at least 20 cars tickets for parking on the side of the street so be cautious and read the signs. The hot springs were beautiful to see! But the people there gave off such an unpleasant energy. I went with my boyfriend and dog and as we approached the hot springs we received plenty of nasty glares in our direction. apparently the higher spring, the hotter it is. We saw two empty springs in the middle so attempted to hang out there. The way towards the middle you basically interrupt and walk by the other hot springs. This didn't appear to be an issue but as we tried to get in, the top three springs were full of naked middle aged women that seemed upset that we were there. Definitely don't want to make anyone uncomfortable and felt like we were breaking into something, we walked back down. As we tried another route to get to the springs, they continued to glare and rub dirt all over their naked bodies. Some of them even laid on top the rocks with their legs wide open, again they were completely naked so I'm not sure why they're acting like we're making them uncomfortable. As we walked back down, we decided to just leave since it seemed like we disturbed their nudist, mid life crisis ritual and a couple of them caught up to us and loudly discussed how rude we were. Ummmm.... I never intended to make anyone uncomfortable, we didn't even get in the springs because their angry fixed gaze. Overall it was a weird experience. I have nothing against nudists, I have been to several other hot springs that attract plenty of nudists but i don't know if I'd return here. But the hike itself is breathtaking and there's more to see than just angry naked women. read more

This trail is one of the best that I have visited. It's not that long and very enjoyable, with a beautiful view halfway the hot springs. Although, lately is growing on number of visitors and sometime they forget to pick after themselves. Also, this place is perfect for those with kids because at the very bottom there are hot spring that are not very hot and kids have an opportunity to enjoy. read more

My favorite hike in Cali. The hike is beautiful and overlooks the ocean. A hike with a dreamy destination. The hot-spring pools go from hottest to warmest (the top being the hottest.) We usually bring fruit, snacks, and lots of water. Hang out in the pools, rub some of the mud that sits at the bottom of the pools on your face and body. After a couple hours of hanging out we head back at around sunset and warch the sun go down as you are heading back to your car. Parking is limited, please be respectful of the neighborhood. All of the tires have to be OFF the pavement. We saw law enforcement writing out tickets. If you find dirt parking make sure it is NOT on private property I cant stress this enough. These people pay hundreds of thousands of dollars/ even millions to live here in tranquility, just to have people park on their property, leave trash behind, and be disrespectful. Not everyone is like this, No, but I do see loads of people parking on the pavement & the occasional person who litters or isn't respectful of their surrounds. Enjoy this place but treat it like your home so that we can all benefit from visiting these beautiful hot springs. read more

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there are no normal signs on this haik, there were also many nudists and people smoking marijuana. if you plan to go there with children, then I do not advise you to do this, plus you need to choose the right time, it's best to start at 5 o'clock read more

Okay so the hike is definitely a bit intense, I brought 2 kids, husband and MIL. We had to stop multiple times on the way up for rest. It's all uphill and if it's hot out, the sun is beating down on you. Keep this in mind when trying to bring extra gear, snacks, coolers etc. It's a good 45- an hour hike depending if you stop. Make sure you're asking people as they're coming down for directions because as you get to the top of the mountain there's a few different trails. We almost got lost because of this but thankfully someone came down from the hot springs and told us where to go. The hot springs are gorgeous. We lucked out and there was only 8 other people there, we have heard that on the weekends there can be upwards of 200 people there. The water is nice and hot, a pretty blue color. As other reviews mention the top pool is the hottest (felt like a jacuzzi) and the bottom ones are more lukewarm. Love this place but just be prepared for the hike, we were not and it was tough. read more

Nice trail and the hot springs are awesome. Most of the hike up is uphill, there were naked people when we got there

The springs are great if u go at a time when it's not crowded. Seems to be crowded all the time!! The hike is nice. Very rocky and a takes about 45 min to get up there. An hour if u have kids. Last time we were there was about 2 months ago. Unfortunately there was a very intoxicated man on drugs and alcohol that was destroying the rock formations. He had this idea that the water should flow more. When he pulled the rocks, all these bugs and spiders got everywhere and my family and friend and I got dozens of bites all over us. He continued to pull the rocks all the way up and was endangering people for some of the rocks he was pulling were big. He ruining the experience for all that were there that day. We were there in the early afternoon. He may have been homeless. It's very sad when people can't respect the hot springs. People drink and smoke there as well so I don't recommend going at night. Overall it's a great spot with lots of different water temperatures. Mostly very hot which is great. It's a journey to get there and it's really hit or miss, which I guess is expected from a place that is free. read more

I am writing this for the people reading the reviews here and wondering if they're actually fit enough to handle this hike. I'm in my mid-forties, and based on the reviews, this sounded maybe a little strenuous, but doable. I cannot stress this enough: this hike is ALLLLLLLL uphill to get to the springs. I brought three younger people with me--two eighteen year-olds and an twenty year-old--and they struggled almost as much as me. So if you're a gym rat (and we saw many people wearing gym clothes on the way up!) this is probably absolutely no big deal. However...if you're middle-aged with a few extra pounds...this is gonna take some time and going to be pretty damn strenuous. It's probably NOT going to be a two or even three hour round trip hike. And unfortunately, there are no benches to rest whatsoever. By the end of two hours we were dying and turned around...which sucks, because I think we were 80% there. We just couldn't take any more effing climbing. And coming back in the dark?? Some of you are a lot braver than us. There were a few places with some sheer drops off to the side, poison oak and tonnnnnnnnns of rocks to navigate (omg so many rocks). So I while I guess it's possible with enough time and a flashlight, I can't see it being a pleasant experience. Especially since signage is lacking in a few key spots. Again, this "hiking down in the dark, nbd" vibe is coming from fit locals that do it regularly. Tips: don't bother bringing much with you except good trail shoes and a fully-charged phone with offline trail maps. Anything extra will have you hating life, and there's a reason you don't see people carrying much on the trail. Maybe some bug spray. Parking is pretty bad, and getting creative is risky. We also came on a weekday--I suspect parking is nigh impossible on weekends. But it was definitely a beautiful hike! Will try again when we're a little better prepared. read more

Super duper easy hike on a beautiful day with some toasty hot springs. When you get there, the crowd varies. Some times people like to get lit there and some are just there for the vibezz. I would recommend trail shoes instead of big OL hiking boots, but that's your instinctual decision. Pro tip: the hot spring towards the top of the hill are hotter than the springs on the bottom. Loved the experience. read more

Best hike we have ever done! Pretty easy with some tricky part, good for kids also. The hot springs is a nice goal to hike towards! Lots of different scenery, good amount of shade. About 2h30 round trip. Must try!! read more

Amazing place go early like 6am if you want QT or alone time. Some people (me) may be nude. Parking is easy off the street and hike was about an hour for me but it was safe and worth it to the hot springs. read more

Careful parking... we saw many cars being towed. Just be smart and don't park on the street or in front of peoples homes there's only a few spots at the base of the trail and a few others up the street off the road. Moving on to the trail... it's about 1-mile up the mountain to the hot springs (right 2 miles round trip). Wear proper shoes it's a hike folks. Beautiful views, area is mostly kept clean, friendly hikers to help with direction in the 1-2 area that it may get a little confusing, but still relatively a easy to mid level hike depending on your physical fitness. read more

All the people that have contributed to these springs have done an amazing job! It's a great place to get in touch with nature and just scape the concrete jungle! It's an amazing experience... I'm just truly delighted and grateful for this place and the way it's kept for all of us read more

To my knowledge, these are the closest hotsprings to Los Angeles, and they are a delight. The hike is doable, but they can be tricky to find... there are no signs and the trail doesn't take you the whole way... you have to cross a creekbed towards the end to a different trail that is hard to see. Do your research and read directions from hikers who have gone before. We still got lost and wouldn't have found the hotsprings without running into some helpful locals. If you do make it, you will be rewarded. There are several large pools and they are the perfect temperature. There will almost definitely be other people there, but it still feels like a vacation. read more