The less-traveled San Ysidro Trail in Montecito offers glorious creekside riparian vistas as well as considerable shade in the lower segments. Wild Pete asked why I had never written up this gorgeous Santa Barbara frontcountry day hike — and I had to consider his query. The great majority of my 300-plus hiking columns focus on Santa Barbara’s more remote backcountry. Out on the Manzana or Sisquoc, one encounters that rare and much-sought “solitude in the wild” that eludes most of us most of the time.

With my teaching gig in Montecito stretching for 36 years, I began to avoid the already-crowded frontside trails running up from the very narrow littoral, particularly in Montecito. I’ve thus almost always skipped hiking the Cold Spring Trail, Romero and McMenemy, and I never recommend the Hot Springs Trail. Around west to Santa Barbara proper, I mainly avoid recommending these equally busy frontcountry trails (Jesusita and Tunnel among them) with the exception of glorious Rattlesnake Canyon Trail.

Strange as it may seem, over these many decades I have no memory of ever hiking Montecito’s alluring San Ysidro Trail (26W15), and thus I remedied this omission on Halloween with wild Peter as my eccentric guide.

Arriving at the well-marked San Ysidro trailhead (and parking area), you’re about to enter a chaparral-clad path generally running along flowing San Ysidro Creek. (See 4.1.1. for driving directions.)

The trail ascends but not too sharply at first, and various oak and bay trees shade long sections of this very well-maintained trail. Kudos and gratitude to the Montecito Trails Foundation and the Los Padres Forest Association, whose members have kept the trail open and clear.

We wondered if there would be much if any water in the creek given our emerging mini-drought, but the pace and flow were excellent for late October.

Many amphibians and even larger mammals such as foxes and coyotes desperately need the water source in an otherwise deadly dry series of hillsides.

After roaming along the exceedingly pleasant path for about a half-mile, we came upon this very convenient sign erected by the Montecito Trails Foundation folks: Take the left-arrow direction, and it’s a steady pull of about four steep miles to reach the scintillating summit at the top of the East Camino Cielo ridge.

On days without the marine layer, hikers also will catch glimpses of the gleaming seascape and the Channel Islands.

You could return back onto hard-scape Park Lane by veering right on the Old Pueblo Trail, but we wanted the left path that would take us to San Ysidro Falls and eventually the summit if we chose.

Hikers will go past and around San Ysidro Falls (some nasty trail erosion here, an exception), which was dripping away but none too lustily. We cheered just knowing the water source still moved along and sustained the myriad plants and animals in the area.

The first couple of miles slide along easily, and we were out in the early morning around 7:30.

End of October temperatures had remained moderate, so we began trekking in a mild 60 degrees. Since I knew the trail would become increasingly rocky, and steeper, I wore my heaviest boots with well-defined lugs, wielded two hiking poles with care, had a wide-brim hat, gloves, a long-sleeved shirt and a major fanny pack with two liters of water.

By the time you reach the well-known falls and hike up around them, you can tell that the second, exhausting phase of your hike is about to commence. Steeper and even rockier, I chose to cut my trek off at this point and settled for a most rejuvenating four-mile round-trip hike.

I had wanted the long views from atop East Camino Cielo (elevation 3,450 feet) — and will try for them another time. It would involve, as wild Pete interjected, more careful planning and more food since the totals would then be more than nine miles for the round-trip hike, with a 3,000-foot elevation gain that will indeed torque your quads and heart muscle in order to complete safely.

We hiked on a weekday and met no one else on the way up until near San Ysidro Falls. On the return, we met two groups, quite a minimal number on such an entrancing mountain trail on a delightful sunny day.

For trail enthusiasts, there are several interesting loop hikes and signed variations to explore, such as a loop involving the signed Girard Trail and others. Given the very thoughtful trail signage, these interlocking paths are easy to figure out right at the moment. I suggest hikers study the excellent map on the large sign at the San Ysidro trailhead.

4.1.1.

Directions: From Highway 101 in Montecito, take the San Ysidro Road exit (93) and motor north about one mile to East Valley Road (past Montecito Union School) to East Valley Road (CA 192). Turn right here and continue 0.9 miles to Park Lane and turn left. It’s easy to miss Park Lane. Proceed a half-mile to the split in the road and stay left for another half-mile to the parking area along the street. There is parking here for eight to 10 vehicles on both sides of the road. There are no facilities here. Take the time to study the map on the large sign. Please do show respect for the homeowners here.

Best map: Bryan Conant’s “Matilija and Dick Smith Wilderness Trail Guide.”