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Lizard's Mouth

4.6 (42 reviews)

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Rock cave
Sarah S.

Lizard's mouth is the perfect get away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. The drive up is about 40 minutes coming from downtown Santa Barbara and is curvy, forested, and fun! There a sign that marks the trailhead and a good amount of parking on the side of the road. It's only a 5 minute walk up from the trailhead to Lizards mouth. There are a plethora of rock formations: ones to climb inside, ones to jump to and from like Lilly pads, and ones perfect for picnicking. There's a safer, flatter area that's great for kids and dogs and a little further on is a more advanced climbing area with larger boulders and crevices. Don't be alarmed if you hear gun shots in the background. There is a private gun range nearby, but they keep that area safe and secure. If you live in Santa Barbara and haven't gone up to Lizard's mouth yet, I highly recommend for a fun 1/2 day adventure.

To the left of the trail. It's easy to miss.
Tony H.

Just like the other reviews said, Lizzards Mouth isn't really much of a hike mileage wise. Depending how much you walk/climb around you can probably travel over a mile while you're here. The trail that leads in here is maybe about half a mile until you get to the rock area of the mountain. You can find Lizzards Mouth pretty quick, most of the area you'll can pretty much rock climb/hike. Up here you have an amazing view of the mountains in the distance, as well as the ocean. If you decided to venture around the rest of the area try to keep try of where you are because there are a ton of paths on the lower end of the mountain and you can get lost pretty easy since some of the paths lead you around in circles.

Chassidie L.

One of the best views in Santa Barbara! On the All Trails app it says it is a hard hike but it really isn't! It's only 0.3 miles but there is a lot of rock climbing! I recommend bringing a backpack with a blanket, some food, a speaker, and food company! Definitely a place you can spend all day at. For those that want to practice bouldering/ rock climbing there's a few you can practice on.

Melinda M.

When you see the sign for the hike, go to the RIGHT of it. We went to the left and wandered aimlessly for quite a while. : / Anyway, the hike is straight after that and pretty easy. After a short amount of time, you'll get to the cliff with great views! To get to the actual Lizard's Mouth Rock, it's a bit more treacherous and we decided not to go with a toddler. But the view is good at the end of the easy part!

Dilraj S.

Beautiful gorgeous hike. Very short trail so don't worry about the distance. It's perfect during any time. Not too crowded. Great for dogs. Careful there is a good amount of rock climbing. But even a grandma can do it. There's a shooting range next door. Easy to find. Definitely worth it. You can go any route and you'll end up at the lizards mouth. Great for pictures. My top 5 hikes. Explore the architecture and look at the different rock patterns and caves. Not many lizards LOL

Boulder scramble fun.
Ruth C.

There are so many alternate vantage points that you can easily avoid the crowds of teenagers at sunset. The view is fantastic, in case the winding drive up didn't clue you in. It took us almost an hour to figure out the proper way to ascend the infinite scramble options, but only 20 minutes back to the road. A lot of fun if you don't mind unmarked paths, a bit of challenge, and the occasional rabbit and some stubborn lizards. It gets dark fast, so I recommend bringing a light source for your return trip, and a light jacket if it's a windy day. The graffiti is certainly unfortunate at most vantage points, and watch out for broken glass between the boulders.

the view from the top
Annika H.

Came here on Saturday for a Yarn Bombing event! This isn't so much a trail hike as it is a labyrinth of trails! Pretty exciting, because you just adventure around looking at all sorts of stuff!, jumping on rocks and checking out the view! Heard its a great spot for bouldering or rock climbing. Took my dog and let her roam around. HOWEVER, this seems like prime rattlesnake territory so I would keep your dog on a leash for their own safety! There is graffiti on some boulders, which is thoroughly disappointing, but you can't do much about that. :[ The journey to get to this place is just that, a journey. The yelp directions did nothing, but get me lost so I had to get creative in looking for directions online. Here's how I got there, off the 101 you hop onto the 154 a few miles down the road (about 7) turn left onto West Camino Cielo and take this one lane road for about 3 miles. This road seems like you don't belong on it because it seems to only be used by residents, but once you drive down all the way you'll see the entrance to the trail head, which is a brown pipe in the ground and a wooden billboard just before the gun club. I put these into my gps (34.503055, -119.865691) and got there much more easily than the yelp directions. Once you see the pipe you just park along the side of the road.

Kevin P.

Good hike.... Although the path is wild. You have to do quite a bit if jumping and climbing and stuff like that. Definitely not ADA accessible, unfortunately... Takes not too long to find the lizzards mouth. Great views of the sunset and ocean

Lizards mouth front view
Jason C.

This place was kinda hard to find. We followed directions here and trip advisor but we didn't end up at the entrance of the lizards mouth sign. It's kinda hidden. So we just started up a trail before. We also got lost and had to figure out own way to the lizards mouth. It's actually a really short hike if you start at the right point, but we didn't. Once we got up there it was pretty cool. You have to go to the side and around and down some rocks to try to get a good picture of the mouth. But once you're there it was cool. The walk back was much easier.

Jane M.

If you're looking for a couple hours of fun for family with kids, consider this place. Kids would love climbing around the rocks. Getting there is not very difficult but the road is narrow. GPS will not take you to the entrance but it'll stop in the middle of the road. Keep on driving up. The entrance is on the left before the gun club. If you reach the gun club, you already go too far and must turn around. When you drive down, not far from the gun club, you'll see the entrance with the sign on the right side. The sign is not curbside and it's easier to spot when driving down than driving up. Parking is on the street. There are a few large areas off street nearby the entrance. Just park in one if those areas. With a short walk on the trail, you'll teach the rocks area like a vista point with the views of Santa Barbara and the Pacific Ocean. It's windy up there so bring a light jacket or a windbreaker even in summer. Wear comfortable shoes, hat, put on sunscreen, bring water & snacks to enjoy the day. Kids will love climbing around the rocks. This place is not suitable for people with mobility problems.

Shadia H.

This is an amazing place to explore and discover. It isn't much of a trail, more like big rocks to climb and see the view of Santa Barbara and the Pacific Ocean. If you are in this area this is definitely worth checking out. Did it with my husband and almost three year old. We all loved it!

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Photo of Amber F.
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10 years ago

very good hike, especially if you go down to paradise falls and up to lizard rock, beautiful views and yes there are lizards lol

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12 years ago

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Ask the Community - Lizard's Mouth

Can you camp at Lizard's Mouth?

I suppose you could. But you'll be camping on top of rocks. Large boulders. There are some flat spots.

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Review Highlights - Lizard's Mouth

It is as easy or difficult as you want since there isn't much of a trail but lots of boulders for rock climbing.

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Tequepis Trail - Parking

Tequepis Trail

4.7(3 reviews)
4.3 mi

Better than you'd expect…read more From the road, the Mtns across the way look more enticing, but this trail was well-maintained, yet rugged. We mostly saw bikers, but didn't see a whole lot of people overall. Once you pull off of the highway, stay to the dirt road to the left; it will eventually become pavement again shortly before you hit the trail head. When you get to the creek, look for the trail to the left that goes across a wooden branch bridge, before it gets too deep. Most of the elevation gain is on the upper half and you will pretty much know immediately when that is going to start. We started on the trail about 7am and got down at 12:15pm. Broadcast Peak was our destination and we ended up with 12 miles hiking and probably approx. 2800' elevation gain. You don't really need to do the peak to see the best views, as that is right at the end of the trail near the lone tree, where you can see the Pacific Ocean on one side and lake Cachuma on the other; The peak of Broadcast doesn't really have any better views.

I embarked on this trail with a group of younglings on a cool day. I'd never been on this trail,…read morethe view was spectacular! It wasn't as difficult as I'd expected, though a couple of the youngsters grumbled halfway. We all pushed through and encouraged each other to keep going. When we reached the top it was not clear towards the ocean side, but the Lake Cachuma view looked like a painting! So beautiful, no words to describe the feeling. We also ran into some brave souls biking down the trail!

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Tequepis Trail
Tequepis Trail
Tequepis Trail - Top!!

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Top!!

San Antonio Creek Trail - Along the trail, fall 2021

San Antonio Creek Trail

4.5(4 reviews)
5.8 mi

During golden hour this afternoon, I walked along the first third or so of the San Antonio Creek…read moreTrail (20 minutes out and 20 back). As Richie D. mentions, this is not a strenuous hike. It's a (leashed) dog- and bike-friendly trail with only a small elevation gain. The pathway is mostly smooth, though there are some areas with boulders and places that would be awash in wet seasons. Scenery is lovely, and I saw birds, lizards, and bugs aplenty. At between 3pm and 3:45pm on a Monday, I only ran into a few others: some solo walkers, a couple of small groups, one person with a dog, and one on a bike. With sun setting earlier in the afternoon after Daylight Savings and the park closing at sunset, I didn't want to aim to go all the way to the other end of the path where it ends at the 154, but this is something to look forward to!

A nice easy near 3 mile out and back trail that starts around the back end of Tucker Grove park…read morenear area 5. The trail is fairly shaded and covered, the elevation gain is maybe around 300 feet total so their aren't any crazy high climbs. It's pretty much a natural trail type of hike along side the creek. Pets are allowed on leash, there is also an off leash dog park next to the trail near the entrance to area 5 by the paved road. Aside from hikers and runners the trail is also shared with mountain bikers, most of which ride will bells on to alert nearby people on the trail that they're approaching. Near the end of the trail by Hwy 154 you'll get some nice views of the mountains in the area and the coast out in the distance. Overall it's a nice relaxing local trail.

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San Antonio Creek Trail - End of the trail around the 154 Hwy.

End of the trail around the 154 Hwy.

San Antonio Creek Trail - Signage at top trail entrance off San Marcos Road/Route 154

Signage at top trail entrance off San Marcos Road/Route 154

San Antonio Creek Trail

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Decker's Cabrillo Park - Takeoff from runway 25 of KSBA as seen from one of the benches

Decker's Cabrillo Park

5.0(1 review)
5.1 mi

I happened upon this beautifully maintained park up on a hill overlooking the Santa Barbara Airport…read moreand behind Decker's Headquarters. For me, it's the perfect spot to take my dog for a walk. (Note that pets should be leashed.) There are multiple loop gravel trails all under 1 mile--check out the map here: https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/deckers-cabrillo-park-goleta?select=GfzL-X1iVYKRzcnrrhRm5w). It's quite shocking how quiet it remains given its proximity to the airport and being directly in the flight path. For kids, it is fun to watch planes take off and land, just bring earplugs. There is a large, green grassy area with a basketball court, volleyball net and picnic tables. When you go down a small hill, you enter Decker's private property so be respectful. This trail is pleasant and among native plants with lizards, bunnies and other creatures running about. Shockingly there was quite a lot of history here since the area was originally a native Chumash settlement (https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/deckers-cabrillo-park-goleta?select=iXs_k01LUwoGxavV9dQGfA). Many locals have no idea that the Pacific Ocean's tides use to reach where Hollister Avenue presides... Later, the area became more industrial with the technology and engineering companies moving in to the area. One being Delco which has a plaza here several signs about how it transformed the area and improved technology. Check out, enjoy and care for our local parks!

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Decker's Cabrillo Park - Airplane landing/take-off direction light towers

Airplane landing/take-off direction light towers

Decker's Cabrillo Park - Available trails aim the park

Available trails aim the park

Decker's Cabrillo Park - Be respectful--it's technically private property

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Be respectful--it's technically private property

Enjoy The Mountain - Such a nice place to visit

Enjoy The Mountain

4.7(47 reviews)
11.8 mi

My two brothers and I spent the long Thanksgiving weekend in Solvang and decided to end our trip…read morewith an ATV tour in the Santa Barbara mountains before heading back to L.A. Best decision ever! Although getting to the meeting point was a bit scary as we drove 15 mph through winding roads next to steep cliffs, the views were nice and the ATV experience was totally worth it! We gave ourselves plenty of time to get lost and it took us about 1.5 hours to get to the checkpoint. Luckily Google Maps was on the entire time and we even had an hour to kill on top of the mountain before our 12:30pm appointment. (Also had screenshots of the directions in case we lost service). Upon arrival, we met with the two girls who were wearing face masks and face shields so we felt safe. They had all the sanitizing stuff. They checked us all in, gave us each a mesh covering for our head, pairs of gloves, goggles and helmets. They offered different insurance plans (just like a rental car company), each ranging in price. Then, they walked us over to the ATVs where Jorge was our tour guide. He asked us if we've ever rode before and taught us how to use the automatic ATVs and made us feel comfortable and safe. (Throttle was on the right handle bar and brakes on the left. Second brake was a foot pedal). We drove on wide and narrow trails, over some fun rocky areas, kicking up lots of dust, and he took photos of us the entire time. This was a great family bonding experience and we're all still talking about how fun it was and want to do it again. Know Before You Go: It gets dusty so wear clothes and closed toe shoes that you're ok getting dirty. Give yourself plenty of time to drive to the location because the last thing you want to do is rush through the scary mountain roads. 10/10 would definitely do this again!

WARNING We saw all…read morethe awesome reviews from this place and thought to give it a shot. My wife has been wanting to go ATV'ing awhile, we were staying in Santa Barbara for the weekend so the timing was perfect. We live almost 2 1/2 hours away from the location (Santa Barbara)but gave ourselves a 40 minute cushion before our reservation. We past through 2 counties and caught anADDITIONAL hour of traffic on the way and completely missed our reservation. Now before your reservation you sign a agreement with a reschedule disclosure attached. We didn't make the appointment, didn't reschedule and we were forced to forfeit our prepaid $250 for two riders. This is an online business so you won't be able to talk with a single soul. I reach out via email, and was surprised how quickly they responded in NOT caring about helping me with my issue. Bottom line; no they didn't do anything wrong by not helping, but they could care less about having satisfied customers or anything outside of collecting our money. So if you're planning on going with this company then please be on time cause you'll not be shown any leniency, or to cough up an additional 40% of your initial cost PER PERSON just to reschedule.

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Enjoy The Mountain - Christy, Sean and Steven

Christy, Sean and Steven

Enjoy The Mountain - Jorge told us to get off the ATVs and took this photo of us with the cool mountain background

Jorge told us to get off the ATVs and took this photo of us with the cool mountain background

Enjoy The Mountain

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Lizard's Mouth - hiking - Updated May 2026

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