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Hot Spring Trail

4.1 (41 reviews)

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Beginning of the trail with the map.
Erin W.

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.

Krista F.

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.

8 different pools with different varying temperatures. From scolding hot to warm.
Imo O.

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.

Hot springs
Kiana A.

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.

Hot springs
Miranda R.

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!!!

Hike
Marley B.

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!

Sara G.

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.

Entrance
Lotta S.

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.

Hot springs
Brandy R.

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.

Hayeon Y.

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!

Anna P.

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.

Montecito Hotsprings
Chassidie L.

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.

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

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Hot Spring Trail Reviews in Other Languages

Ask the Community - Hot Spring Trail

How long or far is the hike?

2 to 2.5 hours round trip.

Where do you change after the dip? How bad is the sulfur smell? Can kids tolerate it?

Where do you change? Anywhere you like near the spring. It is clothing optional- you don't even need a bathing suit if you don't want to wear one!

Like how much is the water temperature there?

100°F

Can you go camping?

No, I don't think so.

View All 7 Questions

Review Highlights - Hot Spring Trail

once at the top you will end up at the hot springs- actually you can smell the sulfur before you arrive.

Mentioned in 6 reviews

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San Ysidro Falls Trail

San Ysidro Falls Trail

(21 reviews)

All Trails rates this hike as moderate by I say it's more towards hard. It is a steady steep…read moreincline for 3+ miles. All trails also says it's only 3.5 miles, that is one way! So your looking at 7 miles round trip. It's rocky but with shade the first 2 miles. After that bye bye shade and hello dry and dusty trail. You will want to wear hiking boots has it's very easy to loose gripping on the rocks and roll your ankle. I called it quits at 3 miles and went back down the trail. I was exhausted from the steady climb. I am not the most in shape person right now but I am fairly active. I just hiked 5 miles last week too. So unless you are in decent shape, be prepared to not make it all the way to the top. Bring plenty of water. As someone else said, walking through the private property portion until hitting the split off of the McMenemy trail is filled with dog poop and abandoned dog poop bags. It seems people don't take their dogs on the San Ysidro as I no longer says dog poop or bags unless they just kick it off the cliff side. On my way back down I saw a Gardner snake just off of the trail path. We started at 10:45 am and arrived back at the car at 1:42 pm.

Favorite hike in the region. Shaded, cool breeze up the ravine even though we were there in heat…read morewave during our visit. Moderate to easy hike. Loved the creek to put feet in at end and cool down with splash of water. Plenty of little critters, water striders, and other insects to entertain our kiddoes.

Montecito Peak Hike - Creek.. I guess?

Montecito Peak Hike

(7 reviews)

She came from out of town and said she wanted to do something fun…read more.. The conversation shifted to the hot springs in this neck of the woods... From the tone of my voice... She said I was unenthusiastic about it. But then I thought..... On our way to this place... The first thing that came off weird to me was parking.. Their isn't much parking This is about the only negative thing I have to say... I'm not an avid hiker I really don't go hiking at all In the middle of the day I was walking towards "The peak" Out of all days that could be chosen I found gold The weather was superb... Of course it had it's weird breaks (heat and sun) For the most part it was great And if you want a great experience Choose a day featuring great weather.. The hike up had lots of elevated climb to it I loved it... Their was lots to look at I didn't encounter any strange animals/ indigenous people or what have you I did see a bright blue dragon fly that seemed to follow me Wherever I went... The people along the hike we're friendly and nice We all seemed to share the same thoughts "Lost and confused " Not sure what hikes are to entail But this one would definitely called for strength, calories and hydration... You will need all that.. There was off beaten paths that led to points of scratching my head.. And in those moments I just turned around and went the way I came... While all this was happening I was reminded how far we have come along as humans How tough things were for our ancestors Just how appreciative I am for the life I have

(I am more than confused with what trail(s) are actually located here, and need to state that sadly…read moreI hadn't hiked here pre-fire and flood.) My first trip I was trying to locate Tangerine Falls, which may or may not be located on the other side of the washed out area of E. Mountain Drive. So once I turned my car around and was heading back to Olive Mill/Hot Springs Road I found a very small place to park. (NOTE: If that small area is full, you can park on Riven Rock Drive.) I began the trail, again fully thinking I was heading for Tangerine Falls. (But even today, as I check Google Maps, they call this: HOT SPRINGS CANYON TRAIL HEAD.) - so doesn't that constitute a name change? As a very beginner hiker the trail starts fast. I had boots and walking poles, which helped my footing immensely, Once I realized I had no idea where I was headed to I asked a few people for help who were on the trail, too. They informed me that now (post fire and flood) the way to access Tangerine Falls is via Gibraltar Road. Lots of dark green trees, lots of black burned trees, too. There is a place where you cross the road and then continue on the trail. After about 1/2 mile, I believe, there are 2 signs that gave direction to HOT SPRINGS trail, and I think there may have been a bridge (since washed out) where you could cross the creek to hike another trails? SEE PHOTO - Not too sure about this though, only inferring from the signs and what *looked like where a bridge may have been. I wasn't confident crossing over fallen trees and logs to cross the creek to literally "see what was on the other side". I did hike just a bit past this sign - and the trail is very narrow and drops off steep to the creek. Since I am a big newbie I turned around from there ASAP, but quite a few people flew right past me. Again, this review is from a newbie hiker. I'm in love with this place regardless and am determined to figure out what exactly is up there still and what trails a hiker has access to. (Cold? Hot? Tangerine? San Ysidro? Saddle Rock? What else?) Since I'm not a local I am putting together piece by piece on my own as I can. Apparently there are hotel ruins up higher as well? Expect more pictures ASAP! And bring water, good shoes, and maybe a trekking pole if you're a newbie like me. :)

7 Falls Hike

7 Falls Hike

(38 reviews)

Hot Take: La Cumbre Peak is home to the best sunset I've seen on the west coast…read more The 7 Falls Hike is enjoyable, but you really have to take in the splendor of Santa Barbara, in all its glory, on the top of the Peak. There are some picnic tables and benches up there as well, and it's (fortunately) not very crowded at the moment. If you can get up there an hour before sundown, you'll have yourself a heck of a time. One tip: there's no gas within like 20 miles of here, so make sure you tank up before you roll up this mountain!

Seven Falls is located along Mission Creek, the same creek that once provided water to the nearby…read moreSanta Barbara mission. If you visit from Dec to May you will see 7 little distinct waterfalls, all flowing into small pools, directly one after another. The waterfalls have been attracting visitors since the 1800s. The trail to reach the falls is about 3-miles out-and-back. Navigating the different trails can be a little tricky and involves multiple trails and unsigned forks so you may want to use AllTrails app as your guide. The first mile you'll walk along an uphill paved road with some really nice ocean views. After you pass a bridge and then a trail kiosk you'll take a left at the fork. After passing Mission Creek you'll take another left up a steep and rocky incline. Eventually you'll reach the point where you'll need to take a sharp right and head downhill to the canyon floor. You can use the assistance of a rope that's attached to a tree. Climbing up the first waterfall is pretty easy but the next 6 should only be attempted with caution. It's best to visit from Dec to May, preferably after a good rain. It's a popular destination so it's best to visit early on a weekday. Parking is limited.

Douglas Family Preserve - Pearl and a too-big stick.

Douglas Family Preserve

(188 reviews)

We had no idea that this nice easy trail existed when he headed out to Santa Barbara with our 9year…read moreold lab mix for a 4 night vacay. What a great find this place was. Parking is Free and Plentiful -- In early August 2025 we showed up at 6:30pm on a Monday (to hike the preserve). There was tons of parking in the lots that abut The Boathouse, and the lots are always free for the public. There is also free street parking on the street just past the traffic circle. The hike/trail (The Douglas Family Preserve): A nice easy trail, and really fun for the doggos as it is an off-leash area. I'd say that half the people we saw on the trail had a pup, while the other half had no pets. The loop from the ground to the top and back is 1.5miles. There is 150 feet of elevation gain over a distance of about 1/3 of a mile; the rest of the hike is flat (w/ a large mesa at the top with lots of interconnected trails if you want to make the hike more extensive than a 1.5mile loop). Our dog not only enjoyed the walk, but had lots of fun trying to start some small play sessions with other dogs that she saw on the trail. Bonus: this trail uses the same parking lot as Hendry's Beach (Arroyo Burro Beach), which is leash free along the coastline east of the lifeguard tower (to the left of the lifeguard tower if you are facing the ocean).

It's nice to see how different the ocean views and the vegetation on this trail changes in…read moredifference seasons. I had previously visited in September and this visit it is May. Still a nice day to walk and enjoy the cool ocean breeze, friendly people and dogs on the trail.

Hot Spring Trail - hiking - Updated May 2026

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