Cold Spring Ridge Loop -

Highlights

This is absolutely my very favorite trail. Within a few yards of your car the pools begin. Deep and shaded by alders, the perennial creek offers scores of places to spend an afternoon. Even the name suggests something special. Cold Springs represents the shortest distance you can travel to get the furthest away from Santa Barbara. Above the trailhead you will find bedrock pools and places to sunbathe, overlooks of the coastline and a route to the mountain crest, the one memorialized by Stewart Edward White in his epic book, The Mountains. Though no trail leads up into it, you’ll find a beautiful waterfall hidden deep in the watershed.

The Basics

• Length : .75 miles to the pools; 1.5 miles to the loop trail; 1.75 to the Montecito Overlook; 3.5 to Montecito Peak; 4.5 to Camino Cielo.
• Gain : 1000’ to the intersection with the East Fork Trail.
• Difficulty : Moderately strenuous.
• Path : Native soil path with several creek crossings and rocky sections if oyu loop back down via the canyon trail.
• Season : All year. The best loop hike in the springtime when the chaparral is in blossom and the water is flowing.
• Restrictions : Expect to see mtn bikes coming down the trail.
• Canine : OK for dogs off-leash.
• Points of Interest : Canyons,Creeks,Swimming Holes,Waterfalls,Family Friendly,Viewpoint,Sunset,Loop Trip

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