Cold Spring

Cold Spring trail is located north of Santa Barbara, California and is part of the Front Country trails in the Los Padres National Forest. The front country foothills region is on the south-facing slope of the Santa Ynez Mountains and hosts some of the more popular Santa Barbara trails.

The Cold Spring trail terrain is a long and steady uphill climb totaling 14.4 miles round trip. With only one trailhead, the Cold Spring trail is an in and out hike that takes an average of 2 days to complete the entire circuit. The total elevation difference is 2741 feet so there are a variety of wilderness and climate zones to discover.

This trail is only for experienced hikers in good shape. As this is quite a long walk, hikers should bring enough supplies for the entire trek. There are several switchbacks along the trail which allow for shorter hikes for those that do not wish to continue to the end.

Along the trail there are several points of interest including the Montecito Peak, Tangerine Falls, the Forbush Campground and Mono Creek at the end of the trail. The hiking trail is sometimes very dry during summer, so visitors are encouraged to check for any fire restrictions before starting long the trail.