Santa Barbara Sports & Outdoors

The Santa Barbara Sailing Center has a large selection of boats you can rent, charter or learn on. They range from 16.5'- 50' (J boats and Catalina). The staff is extremely nice and helpful. The sailing center also has great kayak tours in the mornings and afternoons.

Here are some sample Prices:

3 Hour Kayak Tour: $60 per person
28' Catalina: $295 a day
32' Catalina: $370
19' Victory : $30 an Hour or $120 a day
18' Blue Water Fishing Boat: $150 per hour

The Santa Barbara Harbor is home to restaurants, boat ramps, boat mooring, and boat rentals. This scenic harbor area has several shops to rent a sailboat for an hour or by the day. Easy access to the sea, and picturesque setting.

Equipment: The Santa Barbara Sailing Center rents 13-22 foot powerboats and 32-42 foot yachts by the hour or day, some with skipper included. All type of cruises are available as well, dinner, island, and even music cruises are available.

Santa Barbara/Goleta has a good network of bike paths throughout the city. Some these are simply a designated lane on the side of roads (sometimes a little narrow for comfort) but in other cases they are separate and generally well maintained paths. The main route between Goleta and Santa Barbara has long stretches away from street traffic and is a good route for a more serious bike ride (at time pretty scenic at times not so much). Likewise there are many trails that run from the beach to the hills where you can pick some roads that will test your climbing skills.

Surfing off the cliffs off of State street you can find great surf. The water, unfortuantely isn't as warm as I would like for it to be, but the waves are nice and I recommend you giving it a go. It's right off the campus (UC Santa Barbara), it's so beaufitufl up there and highly recommend the visiti to the area!

Equipment: A wetsuit for sure, warm cloths to change into after and a towel..ANd of course your board..

Cathedral peak hike is a fantastic 6 mile RT hike up a mountain ridge just behind Santa Barbara. The views of Santa Barbara and the ocean are gorgeous.

If you are in great shape, you may take around 1.5 hrs each way, but most of us take around 3 hours each way. You may meet some dogs at the trailhead who want to join you. Welcome them. They are great climbers!

Here are some route descriptions

http://www.santabarbarahikes.com/hikes/frontcountry/descriptions/index.shtml?cathedral_peak

http://www.opl.ucsb.edu/grace/hikes/cathedralpeak.html

http://www.sbtrails.org/Trails/index3.php/?ID=30

Geocaching:

http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.aspx?wp=GC1F42

and some photos:

http://photos.sb-outdoors.org/albun53

Equipment: No technical equipment required. Just will and water. Start early if it looks like a hot day.

Santa Barbara is a great location to go on a hike. Unfortunately, we did not have a lot of time to do this as it was just one of the activities we were trying to pack into our short time in Santa Barbara. If you come into Santa Barbara and want to go on a hike or two but don't know where to go, I suggest going to the visitors center across from the beach in downtown Santa Barbara. They have lots of hiking resources, from entire books to $3.00 maps with a general overview of popular hikes in the area. We got a $3.00 map and found a nice moderate hike and went out and explored. Hiking in Santa Barbara is fantastic- if you can get one in, even if it is a short little loop, I suggest it. If you cannot find the visitor center, I have included a number I found- hopefully they can give you directions to get to them and get the materials you need.

Equipment: Bring water- it is quite warm in Santa Barbara

In the little community of Painted Cave, there is a cave with guess what?... Paintings. These are actually hieroglyphs drawn by the Chumash, the Native Americans that lived on this Land. Their reservation is located in the Santa Ynez Valley, (where the Casino is located).

The cave is heavily gated, but the road that passes it, is just another option besides going up or down all of San Marcos Pass (154) and reaching EAST Camino Cielo Rd.

easy direction: right on East Camino Cielo Rd, and about 2.5 miles, (Knapp’ is a mile further) make a right on Painted Cave Rd. Drive down this about a mile and look up to your right for the cave.

Equipment: alternate directions to the cave... much better than mine. (written by vt'er "paintedcave")

Take 154 North -> turn right on Painted Cave Rd (about 7 miles from the 101)

Drive up and up Painted Cave Road, soon the road will flatten out a bit (at about 1.5 miles). A few 100 meters after a tight right hairpin turn in fron of a grand gated brick driveway you will find yourself under cover of trees in the "enchanted forest". Look immediately to your left and you will find a few parking space turnouts and a sign by some stairs that says "Chumash Painted Cave". You're there!!

If you end up navigating three extremely tight hairpin switchbacks under the forest canopy, you've gone too far. But don't turn around yet, it's much too dangerous. Further up the road is an archway with a sign saying "Painted Cave" THIS IS NOT THE WAY TO THE CAVE. This road leads into a private community. Turn around and head back down the road you came up about .5 miles to return to the cave.

Also, please drive slow and carefully on this road. And stay on your side of the road. Many people have plummetted off the road to an ill fate. Save the gawking for the passengers, or wait until you park. Respect bicyclists and other hikers. And park in a turnout.

A short hike (20m) off the road to the Chumash Painted Cave (seen in the photo). There is an additional hike beyond the cave if you desire.

Other folks have written about the cave. I live in the Painted Cave community (see my name!) and wanted to clarify some directions. If you just "wing it" you'll probably end up turning around in my driveway like the dozens of tourists every day in the summer. So frustrating!!!

Take 154 North -> turn right on Painted Cave Rd (about 7 miles from the 101)

Drive up and up Painted Cave Road, soon the road will flatten out a bit (at about 1.5 miles). A few 100 meters after a tight right hairpin turn in fron of a grand gated brick driveway you will find yourself under cover of trees in the "enchanted forest". Look immediately to your left and you will find a few parking space turnouts and a sign by some stairs that says "Chumash Painted Cave". You're there!!

If you end up navigating three extremely tight hairpin switchbacks under the forest canopy, you've gone too far. But don't turn around yet, it's much too dangerous. Further up the road is an archway with a sign saying "Painted Cave" THIS IS NOT THE WAY TO THE CAVE. This road leads into a private community. Turn around and head back down the road you came up about .5 miles to return to the cave.

Also, please drive slow and carefully on this road. And stay on your side of the road. Many people have plummetted off the road to an ill fate. Save the gawking for the passengers, or wait until you park. Respect bicyclists and other hikers. And park in a turnout.

Enjoy the cave, but please stay out of my front yard!!

Equipment: Bring a flashlight. The insides of caves are dark!!