Some beloved hiking trails and campgrounds are still closed months after torrential winter storms eroded hillsides and flooded campgrounds across Santa Barbara County.
The U.S. Forest Service “got an earful” when it closed all of the Montecito-area frontcountry trails — and the rest of the Los Padres National Forest — after the torrential January storm, spokesman Andrew Madsen said.
Most forest areas reopened in March after a two-month blanket closure.
“We were able to in pretty quick order get seven of the nine open, and San Ysidro and Romero are just in really bad shape,” Madsen told Noozhawk.
The Santa Barbara South Coast’s frontcountry trails are known for their beautiful views as they climb through canyons and up into the Santa Ynez Mountain foothills. (They also have limited parking, limited shade, and no water or bathrooms provided at trailheads.)
Several of the most popular trails are still closed, including Inspiration Point, the upper San Ysidro Trail and the Romero Canyon Trail.
There are no estimated reopening dates for the San Ysidro or Romero Canyon trails.
“Romero is teetering on the edge of just being lost,” Madsen said.
San Ysidro Trail is open to the creek crossing and start of the McMenemy Trail, which is about a half-mile up from the East Mountain Drive trailhead.
“The most significant safety hazards are beyond the creek crossing to McMenemy,” Madsen said.
The Forest Service and the county closed the popular Inspiration Point trail in February, including portions of the Tunnel Trail and Jesusita Trail.
Signage along the roadway states the Tunnel Trail will be closed through May 19 for repairs.
Traffic management crews are stationed on Tunnel Road at the trailhead every day, starting at 5 a.m., to keep people off the trail during the work.
Since the storms in January, February and March, nonprofit organizations — including the Montecito Trails Foundation, the Los Padres Forest Association and the Sage Trail Alliance — have rallied volunteers for trail repair days on a network that stretches across Los Padres National Forest and county lands.
The City of Santa Barbara also held a trail volunteer day in mid-April for the Rattlesnake Canyon Trail and the Tunnel Trail.
Scroll down for a full list of what’s open and closed in Los Padres, including trails, day use, campgrounds and OHV areas.
Santa Ynez Recreation Area Closures
Along the Highway 154 corridor, almost all trails, day-use areas and campgrounds are still closed in the Santa Ynez Recreation Area off Paradise Road.
First Crossing Day Use Area (just east of the Los Prietos Ranger Station) is open, and the areas beyond that are open to non-motorized use.
Madsen said people can roll up their pants and cross, or carry mountain bikes across the creek crossing — and they have been.
“But I’ll be honest, River Road is in really bad shape,” he said.
River Road provides access to the Red Rock Day Use Area — which is closed — and other popular recreation sites in Los Padres National Forest.
“If you have the gusto to get past all the road slides past River Road and get back there, that’s possible now,” he said. “It’s going to look a lot different than the last time you were back there before the storms.”
“If you’re thinking, ‘Ehhhh,’ then turn around and come back, because it’s not going to get any better the farther out you go,” Madsen said.
“We’re hoping to get crews out there to clear River Road. We’re focused on areas where we have less repair work to do and we can do those quickly, and then we’re going to focus on some of the longer-term projects that are going to take a little more work.”
The Forest Service is working with volunteer organizations such as the Los Padres Forest Association for trail repairs, and LPFA is starting work on the Santa Cruz Trail and the Snyder Trail this week, Madsen noted.
Getting Into the Backcountry
In the Figueroa Mountain area, Davy Brown, Nira and Figueroa Mountain campgrounds are all open and “very beautiful right now,” Noozhawk outdoors columnist Dan McCaslin said.
He noted that there was no water at Figueroa Mountain camp as of early May.
The Figueroa Lookout Day Use Area is open after being closed for several years and has “incredible vistas,” he added.
Nira Camp and the nearby Manzana Creek trailhead are a major hub for backpacking access to the San Rafael Wilderness.
South Coast Frontcountry Trail Status
Open as of Friday:
- Buena Vista Trail in Montecito
- Cold Springs Trails — West Fork to Tangerine Falls in Montecito
- Cold Springs Trail — East Fork in Montecito
- Hot Springs Trail in Montecito
- McMenemy Trail in Montecito
- Rattlesnake Canyon Trail in Santa Barbara
Closed as of Friday:
- Arroyo Quemado Trail at Baron Ranch
- Franklin Trail in Carpinteria
- Gaviota Peak Trail
- Jesusita Trail/Inspiration Point
- Romero Canyon Trail in Montecito
- San Ysidro Trail in Montecito
- Tunnel Trail in Santa Barbara and Montecito
Santa Ynez Recreation Area Trails (Off Paradise Road, 154 areas)
- Aliso Canyon Trail: “Aliso Trail may be open if water levels are not too high at the crossing. Call the ranger station ahead of time to find out the status of accessing this trail.” Station number: 805.967.3481 or 805.724.0079
- Arroyo Burro Trail: closed
- Camuesa Connector: closed
- Matias Potrero: closed
- Matias Potrero Connector: closed
- Nineteen Oaks Camp on the Santa Cruz Trail: closed
- Red Rock: closed
- Red Rock Trailhead: closed
- Santa Cruz Trail — Upper Oso Trailhead: closed
- Snyder Trail: open
- Upper Oso Trailhead: closed
Santa Barbara Ranger District Campgrounds in Los Padres National Forest
- Fremont: open
- Paradise: open
- Los Prietos: closed
- Upper Oso: closed
- Sage Hill Group Campground: closed
- Mono: closed
- Rock Camp: closed
- Middle Santa Ynez: closed
- P-Bar Flat: closed
Santa Barbara Ranger District Day Use Areas
- First Crossing Day Use Area: open
- White Rock Day Use Area: closed
- Lower Oso Day Use Area: closed
- Red Rock Day Use Area: closed
- Sandstone Day Use Area: closed
- Live Oak Day Use Area: closed
- Falls Day Use Area: closed
Santa Lucia Ranger District Campgrounds
- Bates Campground (Highway 166): open
- Cerro Alto Campground: open
- Davy Brown Campground: open
- Figueroa Mountain Campground: open
- Nira Campground: open
- American Canyon Seasonal Campground: closed (only open during Zone A deer hunting season)
- Baja (Rock Front OHV Area): closed
- Barrel Springs Campground: closed
- Brookshire: closed
- Buck Springs (Rock Front OHV Area): closed
- Friis (Pozo/La Panzan OHV Area): closed
- Hi Mountain Campground: closed
- Horseshoe Springs: closed
- La Panza Campground (Pozo/La Panza OHV Area): closed
- Miranda Pine: closed
- Paradise (Rock Front OHV Area): closed
- Wagon Flat Campground: closed
Santa Lucia Ranger District Day-Use Areas Currently Open
- Cumbre
- Figueroa Lookout Day Use Area
- Pino Alto Picnic Area
- Navajo Flat OHV Staging Area
- Turkey Flat OHV Staging Area
