Cachuma Lake is a visible reminder of California’s severe drought with drastically lower levels than in previous years. ... Great hiking trails for the kids and lots of playgrounds and things to do also. A map of the trails is available at the park entrance. The Area offers a multitude of activity options, plus the option of doing nothing at all. Enjoy the hike back down. Gotta hike up (on foot) to see the views! Ask the park ranger for the info on the trail hikes. Tent, yurt, and RV camping, naturalist-guided lake cruises, some of the best fishing to be found in the region, boating, hiking, picnicking, and more. Continue 7.7 miles past Cold Springs Arch Bridge and turn left at the sign for Circle V Ranch. Panorama of Lake Cachuma My last stop was Lizard’s Mouth, which is nearly four miles up narrow West Camino Cielo. Skip the holiday ham this year and catch a trophy trout for your meal. The trail is marked with a kiosk and a few general hiking signs, but does not say Lizard’s Mouth. To get to the trailhead: From Santa Barbara, take the 154 north toward Lake Cachuma. Oak Canyon Trail, a nature trail, extends 0.75 mile from the Nature Center to the Sweetwater Trail. The adventure never ends here. Red Rock is a deep swimming hole popular to weekenders. Site was clean and … However, there is a shooting range very close by. If you internet search “Cachuma Hiking & Trails” you will get descriptions of the trails. The hike to Red Rock is only about 2 mile or less, round trip, but you will get your feet wet sloshing through the creek. Once she finally noticed me she just sat and watched Cachuma Lake to Cuyama Valley. Click on the link above to access the flora and fauna found, along with a map of this "Easy" rated trail. Don Wimpress Nature Trail Enjoy this 1/2 mile hike that starts and ends at the Nature Center. From Highway 101 in Santa Barbara, exit on Highway 154 and drive 20 miles to the lake. This is the second turnoff with a sign for Camp Allegre. North of Santa Barbara, CA East of Santa Maria, CA ... (east to the Owens valley) are from the paved road up, or from the hiking trails leading up outta camp. Park Features: But it’s still a wonderful place to hike, camp, fish, and boat (no swimming allowed though). It was 103, after all, and I was doing a heat acclimation hike in preparation for an upcoming visit to the Grand Canyon. I spotted her/him/it before she saw me. DIRECTIONS. Lake Cachuma: Bradbury Dam - Lake Cachuma vista point - See 222 traveler reviews, 144 candid photos, and great deals for Santa Barbara, CA, at Tripadvisor. There are also several hiking trails available at the lake for additional exploring, the most notable of which is the Sweetwater Trail which follows the southern shore from Harvey’s Cove, near the Nature Center, to Bradbury Dam at the western end of the lake, about 6.5 miles roundtrip. The park’s best trail is the Sweetwater, which meanders lakeside through an oak woodland to a vista point for a commanding panorama of Cachuma. No fee or permit is required to hike Tequepis Trail, so get out and enjoy. They’ve just recently added one more that’s a 3.5-mile loop that’s also bike friendly. Sometimes drunk teenagers dive from the 40 foot cliffs into the narrow pool … By an edhat reader I was hiking on the Sweetwater trail yesterday when I encountered a lazy mountain lion, lolling in the shade and looking out over Lake Cachuma. 197,380 acres Central Coast Foothills Los Padres National Forest. NOTE: While visiting Cachuma Lake, please follow the rules and guidelines relating to COVID-19 posted throughout the park. Sweetwater Trail is the main hiking trail at the lake, stretching from the southwest corner of the recreation area to the Bradbury Dam Vista Point, about 2.5 miles away. 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