SANTA BARBARA COUNTY, Calif. – For the first time, the public will now have access to geographically and biologically unique Baron Ranch, 13 miles west of Goleta, where a new trail has opened up.
The Arroyo Quemado Trail traverses an area from right next to Highway 101 up to about the 2500-foot level. It is located on property to the east of the Tajiguas landfill.
The President of the Santa Barbara County Trails Council remembers the first time he saw it. Mark Wilkenson said, “Wow! This has promise, there’s a thousand acres here. Where else in the county will there be a new park?”
Santa Barbara County Supervisor Joan Hartmann said, “It’s really, really incredible to have this place in our Gaviota coast.”
She said it has views from the mountain peaks that are unlike anywhere else where she has hiked.
The trail is open to hikers, bikers, and equestrian uses. No dogs are allowed.
Images from trail cameras show how healthy the environment is and how it is a home for large wildlife.
Hartmann said that includes, “a black bear, a mountain lion, and a bobcat. We have a camera here that shows a resident mountain lion, he’s really amazing.”