A great hiking spot with nice reward at the end. It was moderately strenuous, about 3.8-4 miles…read moreround trip. A lot of pocket of shades along the way, steady incline but not too bad. You cross a stream of water a third of the way. What's missing is direction, or sign at intersection, there is one sign that said "trail" but which trail? There is tunnel trail, jesusita trail that branches out from the main trail. I am so used to POST and Midpen trail where there are signs with the distance pointed in the right direction. The view is gorgeous. You can see a dam and the city of Santa Barbara. Easily one of the best hikes.

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

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. :)

Once upon a time, my boyfriend Matt B. brought me on a hike on Cold Spring Trail. This was probably…read morefifteen years ago, when we were in our twenties, and Matt--who I've since married--still brings up how I struggled on that hike. Cold Spring Trail is apparently short and easy and well suited to inexperienced hikers. We went again on a recent Sunday morning, and took our two boys, who are three and six years old. We didn't make it all the way to the top, but I can't say we did the first time, either. The trail was quite pleasant in the morning, before the sun came out in full force (I believe this was what made that long-ago hike so difficult). The grade was never too steep, even for our three-year-old, and there was plenty to see. All kinds of interesting bugs and plants and rocks, and several lovely little waterfalls. There was poison oak, too, but we got away clean, and our six-year-old seemed to enjoy spotting it. We also saw several other hikers and good dogs on the trail, but it never felt overly busy. I'm sure we'll be back to Cold Spring Trail, and maybe next time, we'll make it all the way up. Piece of cake for me, of course, just have to be mindful of the children.

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.

Absolutely amazing views. It was so serene. All you hear is nature. Beautiful trails.read more

This was a great hike that was a challenge from the beginning. It can be as short as a few miles or…read moretake it up to the tower and add a few more miles, regardless, it's a good work out. The trail is a scramble at times with loose gravel and big boulders but it's clean, and visible. The outlook off to the right about .5 miles is gorgeous on a clear day. Definitely dog friendly and there are a few ponds with clean water that dogs were splashing in. All dogs were off their leashes that we came across, including ours. Everyone was friendly and picking up after their pets, please do the same. Parking was easy and plenty of spaces available right off the trail head. You can choose between two trails that loop together, we took the one to the right, over the bridge, the steepest and most challenging of the two to start. Definitely wear sunscreen as there is no shade, wear a hat and don't forget your water. Take your time and enjoy the small, but peaceful waterfall and ocean views. Enjoy!

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 !!

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.

This is one of the coolest hikes I've done. The reward is a natural hot spring, which makes the…read moredestination feel truly unique and well worth the effort. The hike itself is moderate, with a constant incline and uneven terrain. The biggest challenge is navigation. The first part of the trail is straightforward and fairly enclosed, but as you get closer to the hot springs, the route becomes confusing and isn't well marked. I talked to several other hikers who also got lost before eventually finding the springs. In general, stay close to the creek and continue uphill. Eventually you'll reach a fork where the trail goes left uphill away from the creek or right toward it. Go right and cross the creek. Continue until you see the Montecito Water Company sign and begin to smell the sulfur from the hot springs. From there, you can go either left or right; walk to go left even though it doesn't seem like a path. It looks more like a rocky stream crossing than a trail, but keep going for a few more minutes and you'll reach the springs. There are several pools. The upper pools are the hottest, and the temperature gradually cools as you move downstream. Most people were wearing swimsuits when I visited, although I've heard clothing optional use isn't uncommon. Insider's tip: Bring a towel! Parking is limited. You'll have the best chance to find parking on weekdays or very early morning on the weekend.

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!

Went on this beautiful hike with my friends on my little trip to SB and it was perfect!…read more On the way there, we got a little lost and took the more difficult route. It was definitely tough and much longer. But on the way back we took the trail that followed the water and it was much easier. So make sure you note that if you go. When we finally reached the 7 falls, it was gorgeous. I took a little dip in the water and it was chilly, but it was nice to cool off after the trek there lol.

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!