Santa Barbara County will begin towing away vehicles left overnight at the entrance to the Hot Springs Trail in Montecito.

The Board of Supervisors approved new enforcement measures for drivers who do not follow the county’s parking ordinances and leave their vehicles past sunset.

On Tuesday, the board voted to approve the new rules for Riven Rock Road and East Mountain Drive. Since the trail and its hot springs became a popular tourist destination, hikers have begun parking their vehicles on the sides of both roads near the trailhead.

The road has become a point of contention between neighbors and hikers using the hiking spot.  

The county Parks Division recently added new signs along Riven Rock Road and East Mountain Drive prohibiting parking from sunset to 8 a.m., when county parks open. The areas now will become no overnight parking tow-away zones.

The board also approved no parking, stopping or standing tow-away zones for some areas near the trailhead.

Conflict over parking first escalated in 2020 after the hiking trail and hot springs went viral on social media. Videos of the man-made pool along the trail made it a popular destination for locals and visitors.

However, the trailhead has only eight legal parking spots.

Residents have complained that hikers have parked their vehicles alongside the road, in front of driveways and blocked the street. They claim that visitors also have left trash, been noisy and even damaged property.

In March, the Board of Supervisors voted to strengthen parking enforcement in the area on red flag warning days. Those are days when the weather makes wildfires more common.

The supervisors worry that the area around the entrance is at higher risk of wildfire because of its steep terrain and dry vegetation.