NO HIKE IF RAINING. Remember to take water.  No need to register, just show up.

RATTLESNAKE CANYON – 8:30 AM.  The shady trail follows the creek up a winding canyon through a lush riparian forest, past beautiful sandstone formations to panoramic ocean views.  Total hiking Distance: 3.5 miles round trip, but hikers can do what is comfortable, turn around at any point, and still enjoy the hike.  At the end of the usual hike, there are options to extend the hike via the connector trail toward Tunnel Trail for those interested.  Elevation gain: 1,000 feet; Hiking Time: 2 to 2.5 hours (go at your pace); Difficulty: Moderate-Strenuous.  Co-leader sweeps the trail, Hikers look out for each other, No one left behind.  DIRECTIONS: Trailhead is at the Los Conoas stone bridge over Rattlesnake Creek. From either direction, Exit 101 at Mission and head toward mountains. Three blocks past State, turn left on Garden, go two blocks and turn right on Los Olivos. Pass the Santa Barbara Mission on your left, staying in left lane into Mission Canyon Rd. Reaching dead-end at Foothill Drive (Hwy 192) turn right. After 0.1 miles, turn left on continuation of Mission Canyon. Go 0.5 miles to Las Conoas, turn sharply to right and follow Skofield Park sign. Take winding road 1.2 miles to the trailhead, by the stone bridge. Pullouts on the right just before the bridge, and more parking across the bridge in Skofield Park. HIKE LEADERS:  Bo Kite,roykite2004@yahoo.com; + Richard Haro richardharo@icloud.com, Deborah Rodgers, Donna Haro, Neil Polans, & Susan Wong.

If you are uncertain about the difficulty of our hikes, you might want to begin with Jesusita Trail to Moreno Ranch.  It is the easier of our hikes, with less elevation gain.  But all of our hikes have significant stretches with uneven footing.  Happy Hikers events are open to graduates of Newcomers, visitors of Newcomers, and members of the general public.  Our hikes feature good conversations and the opportunity to make new friends.

Hope you will join us.

Richard and Bo