No Hike if Raining. Bring plenty of water.

 Friday 8:30am meetup – no need to register.

West Camino Cielo – 8:30am.  This hike is on a forest service road that extends west along the Santa Ynez Mountains above Goleta.  The trail starts downhill to the west, turning south and continuing below a tall rock face beneath the gun club. Two wide switchbacks continue down the west-facing slope, a total descent ~ 600’. The road continues west, gently up and down, offering spectacular views to the north into the Santa Ynez Valley overlooking Lake Cachuma, and to the south into the valleys above Goleta and overlooking the Santa Barbara Channel and the Gaviota Coast.

The grade is generally easy.  We will hike out for about 3 miles and then back, making it 6 miles round trip. One can turn around sooner or hike further before turning around (the road continues all the way to Antenna Peak, a distance of more than 8 miles). This hike is shady and cool at the start and then sunny and warmer as we progress.  Dress in layers for both conditions.   Hike time: Roughly 2 hours. 

OPTIONAL: Lizard’s Mouth is a large, popular landscape consisting of sandstone outcroppings, boulders, caves and crevices overlooking the ocean.  Located just before the gun club, it is just a 10-minute hike off the road.  You can stop there after our hike if you are interested.

Link to the trailhead.   20 minutes from 101 & 154.

DIRECTIONS: From Foothill Road, take CA Hwy 154 6.3 miles, exiting to the left onto West Camino Cielo.  Turn immediately right onto West Camino Cielo/Kinevan Road. In 0.2 miles, take the fork to the left, continuing on W. Camino Cielo, up the narrow switchbacks and along the ridge for 3.6 miles to the Winchester Gun Club.

Park off the road on either side, before or after the gun club.  Allow a little extra time to get there—you can set your GPS to Winchester Canyon Gun Club.

Hike Leader: Mike McCourt

 Hope to see you there!