Hikes In Santa Barbara

With Spring time here, Santa Barbara is green throughout town and the mountains; a perfect time to go out and explore one of the great hikes around the Santa Barbara area. Here are a few well-known hikes that are relatively easy with beautiful waterfalls or overlooking views.  Get out there before all the water dries up and the green foliage and mountainsides are no longer rich with color. The four featured hikes around the Santa Barbara area are Inspiration Point, Seven Falls, Lizards Mouth Canyon, and the Santa Barbara Botanical Gardens –

 

Inspiration Point –

 You can’t go wrong at any place named Inspiration Point. There are a couple of ways to reach the panoramic views about 1,800 feet above Santa Barbara. Taking the San Roque Road to the Jesusita Trail is just under an 8-mile round trip, with about 1,400 feet of elevation gain. A shorter alternative is to take the Tunnel Trail to Jesusita, which is about a 3.75-mile round trip, but you don’t have the ocean views on the way up. Whichever way you decide to get there, you’ll enjoy hiking through the oaks and sycamores at lower elevations, and the views at the top are, well, inspirational.

 

Seven Falls hikes (& three pools) – 

This easygoing, 2.5-mile out-and-back climbs through oak groves on a paved path, then turns into dirt singletrack within a mile. The path crisscrosses Mission Creek as it winds through the canyon. Hop or wade across the water, depending on the season, and follow the creek upstream to Seven Falls. Don’t forget to bring your swimsuit: Mission Creek cascades down step-like sandstone outcroppings, creating several warm, deep swimming holes. If you’re fortunate enough to come during or just after spring rains, take a dip in one of the upper pools. When you’re ready, turn around and retrace your steps back to the trailhead.

 

Lizards Mouth Canyon –

Lizard’s Mouth is a mountain top rock formation overlooking Santa Barbara. Wind-carved pockets on the underside of this sandstone outcropping give the rock a resemblance to a frog or lizard’s mouth. The short hike to Lizard’s Mouth offers sensational views and is a quick excursion for anyone traveling the 154 between Santa Barbara and Lake Cachuma or Los Olivos.

A path from West Camino Cielo meanders through boulders and brush, heading slightly uphill to a clear spot overlooking Santa Barbara. Although there are a few overlapping paths, they all lead to the same place. Turn right and ascend the slope of sandstone that forms the lizard’s back. When the side of Lizard’s Mouth becomes visible, either climb over the rocks to get to it, or continue along the path as it swings around to the destination.

 

Santa Barbara Botanical Garden-

With sweeping views to the Santa Ynez Mountains and the Santa Barbara Channel Islands and stunning landscapes, the Santa Barbara Botanic Garden is a great place to explore California’s native plant diversity.

The Garden’s 78 acres encompass a variety of cultivated displays as well as stands of natural coast live oak and riparian woodlands.