Obern Trail
We’re all about choosing your own path, and that’s part of what makes the Obern Trail so great. It can be a lovely two-mile ride or a tough 20-mile adventure depending on how far you go. Plus, the full ride ends at beautiful Goleta Beach Park, one of our favorite SB spots. It’s a mostly paved trail, but there is a dirt trail that runs alongside it in a few areas if you’re feeling a little more adventurous.
Elings Park
Just a few miles outside of downtown is Elings Park, where you’ll find over nine miles total of mountain biking trails for every skill level. If you’re less experienced, hit the Elings Loop Trail that gives you just enough hills and dives to make it exciting. If you want something a little more intense, the Downhill Trail dives right through the center of the park and drops over 200 feet in less than ¾ of a mile.
Santa Barbara to Ventura & Back
Did you know you could ride all the way from SB to Ventura? It’s quite a trip— almost 65 miles to get there and back— but it’s one of the best biking adventures in our area. Along the way you’ll pass through Montecito, Summerland, Carpinteria, and Mussel Shoals, not to mention the Santa Barbara waterfront, Butterfly Beach, the Andree Clark Bird Refuge, and a whole lot more. And while the ride is a long one, it’s mostly flat and completely paved.
Happy Canyon & Ballard Canyon Loop
This loop ride runs almost 19 miles total and takes you along Armour Ranch Road into the lovely Happy Canyon. You’ll feel like you’ve been transported to the Old West with massive oak trees, horse ranches, and rolling hills in the distance. Speaking of hills, the loop varies nicely from gradual uphills to gentle downhills where you can rest your legs, so it’s a perfect easy to moderate ride that will still give you a good pump in the legs.
Cabrillo Path to Butterfly Beach
We couldn’t leave out the most popular bike trail in Santa Barbara, could we? Stretching 4.5 miles from Leadbetter Beach to Butterfly Beach, the Cabrillo Bike Path is chill, beautiful, and the perfect way to take in the ocean sunset while staying active. And there’s no Santa Barbara experience quite like turning the corner and seeing Butterfly Beach come into view just as the sun dips onto the horizon.