The Best Bike Trails in Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara is an amazing place to enjoy a range of trails, from the paved and flat to the wild and mountainous. Here are five popular spots to bike in, around and from Santa Barbara, compiled by The Farmacy Santa Barbara.

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.

The Best Hikes in Santa Barbara

Experience some of the many great hikes in Santa Barbara. Here are some of the most popular hikes in a range of local area – plus The Farmacy’s recommendations for the best cannabis terpenes to pair with them.

Inspiration Point
If you’re looking for a popular hike that can be done in a couple hours and rewards you with ocean views all the way up, you can’t go wrong with Inspiration Point. You’ll find one of the best views of Santa Barbara at the top and all along the way, passing through beautiful trees and chaparral as well. Inspirational indeed!
The Farmacy Recommends:
Inspiration Point is a perfect hike to boost your mood and offer some much-needed stress relief. With that in mind, we recommend you pair it with cannabis that features limonene. This terpene is known for its mood-boosting effects and ability to alleviate stress.

Romero Canyon Trail
We love a good loop, and this 5.5 mile trail offers one of the best in town. A narrow uphill hike through the canyon gives you ample opportunities to push yourself in the cool shade of the tree canopy. Once you’ve reached the top, a leisurely connector trail links to a wide open fire road, great for walking side by side with your best hiking bud.
The Farmacy Recommends:
A moderately challenging hike that will leave your legs a little sore, Romero Loop is best paired with a cannabis product that’s high in the terpene myrcene, which has been shown to help reduce swelling as an anti-inflammatory. It can also help improve sleep quality, something you’ll definitely appreciate after the push to the top.

Rattlesnake Canyon Trail
Don’t let the name deter you – this is a beautiful, lush hike outside of Santa Barbara that’s just 3.5 miles round-trip. Plus, it’s dog-friendly with plenty of pools for your pup to cool off. You’ll be taken through a beautiful canyon with a running creek, ending at a lovely meadow that provides a perfect place for that pre-roll at the top!
The Farmacy Recommends:
Rattlesnake Canyon is filled with a range of beautifully fragrant old-growth trees, so why not pair it with a pre-roll high in pinene – the same terpene found in many other naturally occurring plants and herbs. Plus, you’ll benefit from the improved breathing and anxiety relief that comes from this popular terpene.

Cathedral Peak
There are plenty of relaxed hikes on this list – Cathedral Peak is not one of them. Four miles round-trip with over 3,000 feet of elevation gain, you’ll definitely be ready for an evening of relaxation after tackling this beast. But you’ll be rewarded with glorious views – and the chance to sign the somewhat hidden registry book at the peak proving you made it.
The Farmacy Recommends:
With scientifically researched anti-inflammatory benefits, an intense hike like Cathedral Peak could benefit from a terpene such as caryophyllene or myrcene. Both have been shown to help reduce swelling in sore joints and muscles, and caryophyllene even helps serve as an antioxidant, too.

Nojoqui Falls
If short, easy hikes with beautiful waterfalls are more your style, then we recommend making the trip north to Nojoqui Falls. It’s a chill two-thirds of a mile that winds through beautiful oak and laurel trees before ending in the 80-foot waterfall that gives the trail its name. A beautiful wooden bridge and fairytale-like stone staircase also add to the experience.
The Farmacy Recommends:
A relaxed, beautiful hike that’s filled with a sensory buffet for the eyes, ears, and nose deserves a cannabis strain to match. Consider something rich in a wide range of terpenes, giving you a full spectrum of aromas, tastes, and benefits as you take in the falls and the natural beauty that surrounds them.

Adapted for publication courtesy of The Farmacy Santa Barbara. For more useful information on cannabis visit: www.thefarmacysb.com.