Los Padres National Forest

Trail
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4stars (4.00)2
4stars (4.00)
3point5stars (3.50)
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Yes
Yes
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Santa Barbara
Santa Barbara
More Info
Photos
Heading back
Reversing course the way we came up we descended back down the canyon back to our trailhead. (Photo by Austin Explorer)
Alt Inspiration Point
A better view than Inspiration Point at our turnaround point. You can actually see Inspiration Point on the peak to the right, below us. (Photo by Austin Explorer)
Hidden Valley
Near the turnaround point for our hike we found this "hidden valley" to be peaceful, quiet and mostly devoid of other hikers. (Photo by Austin Explorer)
Gone
As we turn to the west the canyon opening disappears and we are surrounded by the mountains. (Photo by Austin Explorer)
Deeper
As we get deeper into the canyon the canyon opening towards Santa Barbara appears smaller. (Photo by Austin Explorer)
Still climbing
Coppertone continues to ascend up the canyon. Farther from the creek there are more open skies. (Photo by Austin Explorer)
Grotto
This grotto with a pool of water nearby seemed like a perfect lair for a hermit. (Photo by Austin Explorer)
Waterfall
The sometimes dry creek did have some running water, such as at this small waterfall. (Photo by Austin Explorer)
Rocky terrain
Parts of the trail were quite rocky, particularly near the creek. (Photo by Austin Explorer)
Looking back
Looking down Rattlesnake Canyon towards Santa Barbara and the Pacific Ocean. (Photo by Austin Explorer)
Rattlesnake Canyon
Ascending up Rattlesnake Canyon. (Photo by Austin Explorer)
Trail Monster
No rattlesnakes, but we did spot a trail monster. Thankfully, he turned out to be harmless. (Photo by Austin Explorer)

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Log Entries
Rattlesnake Canyon
By Austin Explorer on 10/29/2022
Rating: 4stars Difficulty: 4stars Solitude: 3stars
Distance: 6.65 Miles Duration: 4 hours, 49 minutes

Our hike at Rattlesnake Canyon was to be our final hike during our week long trip to Santa Barbara and it ended up being our longest outing.  We parked on the street along Las Canoas Road, adjacent to Skofield Park.

We headed north through the canyon and encountered more people than we were expecting.  It was a Saturday, but we thought the rougher terrain would mean fewer people.  The path was the most technical we had encountered than any of our other hikes this week.  It was not really hard, but the rocky, twisting, uneven terrain did require more careful foot placement than the more level paths we had become more accustomed to during the week.

Despite the dry conditions and dusty creekbed for some of its length, the creek here and there managed to maintain a flow of water in spots.  Some of the small waterfalls even provided some nice background noise in spots.

Looking at maps online, our plan was to hike an ambitious balloon loop that would deposit us along a high ridge even higher than nearby Inspiration Point.  At the point in our hiking map marked "Turnaround" we found the trail that was supposed to run along that ridge was practically impassible.  There was a trail of sorts there but the effort required to continue pushing through the brush would have been exhausting.  We elected to drop back down to the "real" trail and continue back the way we came up.

Though we did not make it to the top of the ridge the views at this turnaround spot proved to be every bit as inspirational as those at the nearby hotspot.  We could actually see Inspiration Point beneath us from this higher vantage point.

Doubling back was a little confusing at times since it was not always clear which forks we should take.  In many cases we had not noticed that some other trail segment had merged into ours.  We followed a few folks who seemed to know what they were doing and made it back to the trailhead without any issues.

At no time did we see any Rattlesnakes in the canyon.  We had no complaints about that false advertising.  :-)

Iconic Ocean view overlooking Santa Barbara at Inspiration Point
By Austin Explorer on 10/25/2022
Rating: 4stars Difficulty: 4stars Solitude: 4stars
Distance: 4.69 Miles Duration: 2 hours, 50 minutes

Inspiration Point is one of the iconic views over Santa Barbara, so we wanted to hike this one once we started planning our trip to the area.  The fact that its trailhead was about a mile from our AirBnB was an added benefit.  We parked at the end of Tunnel Road.  Because it was the middle of the week finding a spot was not a problem.  Your mileage may vary on the weekend.

Right from the start we could tell that lots of locals use the trail.  Many knew each other even if they were not hiking together and all were very friendly.  They picked up trash or dog poop, though there was not much of either.  They care about this trail.

The trail is actually a continuation of Tunnel Road that's closed off to traffic.  So the surface starts off with a paved road.  A utility placement, perhaps related to water delivery, marks the end of the paved part of the trail.  It transitions to something like a jeep trail.  When coming across a prominent information kiosk the trail will transition to rougher single track.

There is some signage, but not at every possible junction.  I saw in a writeup elsewhere that recommends following the general rule of "veer left".  Except at the very top the rule holds.  If you come to a trail fork, take the left option.  It just works.

Black flies were a bit of a nuissance at times, but mostly for me.  They didn't seem as interested in my wife.  Are they trying to tell me something?

When you get to the top you'll come to a four way intersection.  Here's where the veer left rule should be ignored.  Go straight to get to Inspiration Point.  From the trailhead, it's about 2 miles to get to this spot.  From here you'll great views over Santa Barbara below and the Channel Islands offshore further afield.

Inspiration Point is aptly named.  However, we found an even better vantage point nearby that we might call Inspiration Point+.  Going back to the four way intersection turn right onto the service trail for the powerlines nearby.  After a short distance, look for a narrow trail opening to the right.  It looks like a tight fit, but it does open up a bit and becomes even easier as you go.  It only takes about a tenth of a mile to get to another vantage point that provides even better views.  From the rocky perch at the end you'll have a panorama of about 180 degrees.

We doubled back down the mountain along the same route and clocked in at 4.69 miles.

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