Day Hikes Around Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara is a captivating, inviting community that is located in a beautiful, natural setting along the Pacific coast. The oceanfront and mountains that surround Santa Barbara are much more than a backdrop for the city. The temperate climate and refreshing ocean breezes, very similar to the Mediterranean, have distinguished this area as “the jewel of the American Riviera.” The landscape around the city includes mountainous terrain, preserved forests and wilderness areas, and stretches of undeveloped coast. The area is home to a vast network of hiking trails that lie in beautiful, lightly travelled areas.

Day Hikes Around Santa Barbara is a comprehensive guide to 116 day hikes within a 50-mile radius of the city. The hikes include an excellent cross section of scenery and difficulty level, ranging from coastal beach walks to steep canyon climbs. Highlights include oceanside bluffs, beaches, tidepools, wetland preserves, sculpted gorges, rock outcroppings with caves, numerous waterfalls, secluded pools in mossy canyons, mountain ridge trails, historical sites, and stunning overlooks of wide mountain valleys, towns, and the Pacific Ocean. All hikes can be completed within a day (although map sources and references are included for extending the hike).

Each hike includes:

• detailed map
• accurate driving and hiking directions
• distance/time/elevation statistics
• list of relevant maps
• summaries to help hikers find a trail appropriate to their ability and desire
• several overall maps to show the hikes in the greater area