Hiking is a great way to start your outdoor adventure journey. You don’t need any outdoor gear, you can choose what length of hike you want, and the activity itself can be limited to a few hours. Here in Santa Barbara, there are several hikes to choose from, including easy trails right here in Isla Vista. Read on for a quick guide on how to go hiking!
When to go: The best time to go hiking is in the morning. This way, you’ll avoid the afternoon heat and the sun beating down on you. The earlier in the day you go, the more chances there are that you’ll find parking if you are going to a trailhead you have to drive to. In Santa Barbara, you can go hiking year-round because of its moderate climate.
I love hiking on cloudy days because it’s a pleasant way to make the most out of the day, especially when going to the beach isn’t an optimal activity.
Where to go: Whenever I’m in a new spot, I look for hiking places on AllTrails. This is a great website that describes the difficulty of the trail, how long it takes, what type of terrain to expect, and what people who have hiked the trail have to say.
Let’s look at Inspiration Point, a popular hiking trail in the Los Padres National Forest, and about a 20-minute drive from Isla Vista.
AllTrails tells you that this hike is moderately challenging and will take almost two hours to complete. Looking at the route type, this trail is an out & back trail, meaning that you will hike back the same way you came in (the other type of trail is a loop trail, which means that you will hike back to the point where you started). Reading the reviews, Inspiration Point has very limited parking, and you may have to walk along a paved road to get to the trailhead, or the beginning of the trail. Another way to gauge the parking situation at trails is by reading the Google Maps reviews, too!
If a car isn’t accessible to you, don’t worry. There are a few trails that you can check out in IV. North Campus Open Space, accessible through the road that goes from El Colegio to Family Student Housing or through Sierra Madre, has 2.5 miles of hiking trails. The trails are flat and great for new hikers.
North Campus Open Space used to be a golf course and has been in restoration for the past five years. As a UCSB-led restoration project, there are plenty of native birds and plants to identify on your hike. Merlin and Seek by iNaturalist are two awesome apps that help with bird identification and plant identification.
Pro tip: If you want to go bird watching, the best time to go is in the early mornings during the springtime, when baby birds have just hatched and when birds are migrating through Santa Barbara. You can borrow binoculars for free from the Goleta Coast Audubon Society.
What to bring: For hiking, all you need is:
Water
A hat
Sunscreen
Closed-toed shoes
A snack!
Depending on the weather, I’d go for shorts or leggings as my outfit of choice. Look at the trail pictures to see what the terrain is like: if there are tall grasses, you should wear tall socks to avoid ticks. If you get into it, you might want to invest in some hiking boots, which are good for steeper and rougher terrain. Hiking boots can also be borrowed for free through MAPAS.
What to expect: Regardless of whether the trail is flat or steep, hiking might be a bit strenuous, especially if it is your first time. You will get sweaty and you might be out of breath at times. Remember to pace yourself, and stop if you do not feel well. It’s more important to enjoy your hike than to complete it (I’ve never actually hiked to the top of Inspiration Point because I’ve always turned around and decided to go home).
If you are hiking alone, tell someone where you are going and when you should be expected to return. Never stray off the paved path, both for your safety and to protect the wildlife around you. Trails are usually marked by signs so you won’t get lost!
Watch out for: Poison ivy! You can identify poison ivy by its jagged leaves of three. This plant is common along hiking trails, even along Campus Point at UCSB. If you accidentally graze on it, rub that area with dirt and wash with soap and water when you get home (don’t stress out too much about this plant: we accidentally picked it as part of our botany midterm and none of us had a reaction!).
Stop and smell the roses (or in Santa Barbara’s case, the Artemesia californica, a native plant found on the California coast that smells like cologne) and enjoy your hike!
Lizzy Mau (they/she) is a recently graduated senior in Environmental Studies at UCSB. They’re horrible at going downhill and takes thrice as long as their friends. Her preferred method of hiking down steep hills is on all fours, like a crab.