Ellwood Mesa is celebrating an important milestone and we hope you will mark it with us on Saturday, May 17th. Decades ago, our community came together to save Ellwood Mesa’s breathtaking open space from imminent development. This extraordinary effort by hundreds of individuals, organizations, and agencies culminated in a creative land swap and purchase, and in 2005 the City of Goleta established the Ellwood Mesa Sperling Preserve. Today, Ellwood provides sanctuary for monarch butterflies and other wildlife, and is a beloved destination for outdoor activities including hiking, biking, horseback riding, surfing, painting, birdwatching, experiencing the natural world, and more.

Join us for a fun-filled day where we will gather to honor the heroes of Ellwood’s remarkable past and inspire a new generation of stewards to benefit its future. Whether you helped protect Ellwood decades ago or are just discovering its magic, this event is for you!

Schedule of Events

8:30 AM: Fun Run – A non-competitive, scenic 5K-ish run through the eucalyptus forest and along the bluffs. Sponsored and organized by the Santa Barbara Half Marathon. Park at Ellwood Elementary, then cross the street. The run starts at Sperling Preserve.

11 AM: Bike the Bluffs – A community celebration on wheels! This is a family-friendly bike ride from Isla Vista through Ellwood Mesa. We will ride at a slow pace, mostly on trails. Bring your off-road, gravel, or adventure bikes. Sponsored and organized by MOVE Santa Barbara County.

11 AM – 12 PM: Tribute to Ellwood – Past, Present and Future. Hear the inspiring story of Ellwood Mesa by those who helped protect this beautiful sanctuary from development.
Tribute will be held at Ellwood Elementary, 7686 Hollister Ave

12 PM – 4 PM: Fun & Nature Activities – Join us at Sperling Preserve for fun activities for kids, adults, and the whole community: a guided bird walk, nature journaling, classical music in the grove, kite-flying, scavenger hunt, bubbles, a fire safety discussion and more!

Freedom Trax Wheelchairs available for Ellwood’s 20th Anniversary
NatureTrack Foundation will be providing 8 Freedom Trax mobility devices to help make the trails more accessible for individuals who use wheelchairs or have mobility challenges. Freedom Trax converts a manual wheelchair into an electric, all-terrain device—ideal for exploring natural trails.
Reserve a Freedom Trax in advance:Sign up here to use a Freedom Trax

Activities provided by Ellwood Friends, The Land Trust for Santa Barbara County, Environmental Defense Center, Move Santa Barbara County, NatureTrack, Santa Barbara Bucket Brigade, Santa Barbara County Fire Safe Council, Santa Barbara Zoo, Sierra Club Santa Barbara-Ventura Chapter, The Skunk Corner, and Wilderness Youth Project.

For all the details, visit ellwoodfriends.org.

All activities are free!

Other Details

Pedal to the Party! Skip the traffic, love the planet—ride your bike to the event! Free bike valet provided by MOVE Santa Barbara County. For those driving, parking will be available in the Sperling Preserve parking lot and Ellwood School parking lot (7686 Hollister Avenue).

Make a day of it! Bring or purchase a picnic lunch and spend May 17 celebrating Ellwood with us!

Mo’s To-Go is a fully inclusive scratch kitchen where your order supports people with disabilities. We employ a team of dedicated and diverse team members. 10% of each purchase will be donated to Ellwood Friends, and the remainder supports local food justice and job training through Mo’s To Go.

In preparation for this event, we are collecting stories about the 1990-2005 campaign to save Ellwood as well as current efforts to enhance the monarch butterfly habitat and ensure Ellwood is safe and accessible for generations to come. View these stories at ellwoodfriends.org/stories.

This event is not possible without the help of generous sponsors. Thank you to: Appfolio, Patricia Bragg Foundation, Kevin Gleason Fine Art, Santa Barbara Foundation, Sierra Club – Santa Barbara-Ventura Chapter, Community Arts Music Association of Santa Barbara, eji event co., LegacyWorks, Performing Arts Scholarship Foundation and Santa Barbara Half Marathon.

Activities provided by Ellwood Friends, The Land Trust for Santa Barbara County, Environmental Defense Center, Move Santa Barbara County, NatureTrack, Santa Barbara Bucket Brigade, Santa Barbara County Fire Safe Council, Santa Barbara Zoo, Sierra Club Santa Barbara-Ventura Chapter, The Skunk Corner, and Wilderness Youth Project.

For information on Ellwood Mesa’s 20th anniversary celebration, visit ellwoodfriends.org.