This is our all time Favorite Hike, a little bit of everything! Waterfalls, rocks, lots of lizards…read moreand beautiful views

This was a mid/challenging hike depending if there is a lot of mud after the rain. When we came…read morethere were streams that we had to cross over via rock steps. If you're not careful you can easily fall in. Also there was a recent rock slide that occurred but you can easily navigate around. After the 1.75 miles journey up, the view was breathtaking and worth. You can enjoy the great view Santa Barbara and the ocean. Total 3.5-4 mile hike dependent on where you parked. Parking is right at the entrance on the side of street. Luckily it was empty because I went on a Monday but I assume it could be filled up on weekends so probably come early.

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.

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. :)

My friend and I hiked this 2 mile easy trail on a Tuesday morning. It was great! Temperature was…read moremild, there is quite a bit of shade throughout the hike. The waterfalls are small but beautiful. There were not a lot of people when we hiked, maybe we saw 8 people max through out the hike. To Note: there is A LOT of Poison Ivy-Oak. I wore light long hiking pants. There are some stretches with no shade so wear sunscreen if sensitive to sun. Great if you are time limited, short hike. Landscape: little waterfalls, there is limited parking.

If you're going to Cold Spring Tavern, you can also hike around the area and enjoy the marvelous…read moreviews and do some bird watching. Theres blue jays and finches all around and they are not scared of people so you can get some great pictures. There's also lots of butterflies.

The good: I think it's dog friendly (at least there were…read moretons of unleashed dogs there). this was a beautiful beach with soft sand. There were lots of cool sticks and some small shells. I came around 8AM and enjoyed the warm morning glow from the sun as well as easy street parking directly next to the stairs that led to this beach. It's easy to access. My kids enjoyed playing on the sand here. The waves weren't too strong and the water washes up for a long shallow stretch. The bad: There's no bathroom. Luckily, we had an emergency toddler toilet for my kid. The interesting: I did see one butterfly while at this beach. I saw folks come for paddle boarding, swimming, fishing, remote control rock climbing cars, walking their dogs, and scuba diving.

Awesome beach with great views, a great way to escape from all the tourists in Santa Barbara and…read moreenjoy a more intimate and private beach. The houses on that street are stunning , great shallow beach to hang on if you don't want restaurants and shops and people everywhere. Got a tip from a local to check out butterfly beach and it was great !!

Ohhhh my gosh! This is a hidden gem! Seriously HIDDEN! Went for a drive thru the hills of…read moreCarpenteria and Montecito and stumbled upon this park... saw the sign for the turn off and decided to take it! Drove for a while on this gorgeous lush road with so much foliage and trees that you could barely see the sky, that led us to a beautiful park with a ton of trees, and a creek running through it! A wooden bridge crossing over...There was a huge dog park area; A nice bathroom; Playground for kids; There are several picnic areas available to reserve for events... Just lovely!

Only four stars for lack of puppy water…read more.. GPS is a little misleading. Once you see the Toro Canyon Park sign on the road you must keep going. It's definitely worth the extra drive. The fenced in off-leash dog park is big, but all dirt. The entire park itself is Amazing!!, Huge!!!, Clean And nicely done. We lucked out & were the 1st ones in. When we were leaving this nice park ranger type woman asked us if we'd be interested in attending a Rattlesnake Avoidance Training Class ?!?!? Lucky, Blessed, Confirmed! (9/14/22)

This trail is so nice and leads to beautiful hot springs!…read more Parking is limited so get here early or come mid day during the week. The hike up to the hot springs has a lot of rocks and a bit of a steady incline, so wear closed toe shoes. You can get some beautiful views of the ocean from high up on the hike right before you take the trail to the hot springs. Breathtaking. Love the layout of the hot springs. The very top one is scorching hot!

11 AM on a Friday yielded no parking spots in the dirt lots allotted for parking. All of the homes…read morearound here are private, so these two sections are the only available parking spots if you drove. We waited a bit and were able to replace someone's spot. The entrance to the hike is a small opening. This is an easy, 1.5 mile hike up to the hot springs and 3 miles round trip. You'll cross a few streams and have to climb a bit, and the end result at the hot springs is amazing. There were several pools available, though the ones at the top are much hotter. The sulfur smell is stronger in certain areas but not overwhelming. This was a lovely hike! Remember that with all hikes, please leave nothing behind!

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.