Arroyo Hondo Preserve

The Land Trust for Santa Barbara County works to protect important open space, wildlife habitat, farms and ranches. The 782-acre Arroyo Hondo Preserve is a wonderful canyon located west of Santa Barbara between Refugio State Beach and Gaviota State Park.

Rancho Arroyo Hondo was part of the original 26,530-acre Rancho Nuestra Señora del Refugio Mexican land grant to former Santa Barbara Presidio Commandant Jose Francisco Ortega in 1827. As the railroad and highway were being constructed, an adobe house served as a bar and eatery for the workers. Jennie B. Hollister purchased the ranch from the Ortega family in 1908, and her family held the property until the Land Trust purchased it in 2001.

Anyone can  visit the Preserve to hike, picnic, paint, volunteer or do research but advance reservations are required. The Preserve is open the first and third full weekends of each month.

My friend Terri, her husband and son volunteer at the preserve, doing trail maintenance and vegetation restoration. In the year and half that they have been doing this, they have become great advocates of the canyon and what it has to offer.

Walking into Hollister Meadow, my mind and body relaxed into the surrounding nature. I always feels better when I’m outside. It was slightly overcast which is good and bad: good because you can hike more without getting overheated but bad because you don’t get as good of views. On clear days, you can see the islands, oil rigs and beaches.

We had a docent tour in the morning to orient us to the flora and fauna. I had never seen so many bay trees producing bay nuts! I knew most of the plants from my hours on the Santa Barbara front country trails and studying flower books. Foliage in the canyon: toyon, honeysuckle, fern, grapevine (left over from very old plantings), California wild rose, bowers clematis, nightshade, lemonade berry, cliff astor. We saw a Western Pond Turtle and Rainbow Trout in one pool of water.

After lunch, I studied the trail map and saw it as if it were a theme park map full of rides. Oooh, what trail do I want to do next? The best part was I didn’t have to stand in any lines to go on the adventure. People in my group thought I was crazy: “you want to go on another hike?” I just wanted to do them all. And so I did.

On the Upper Outlaw Trail, there was a turkey vulture that let us get very close to where it was roosting. Once it flew away, we scampered up to where it had been. It was a most spectacular view. Soon, the bird was flying by us and was joined by a mate. Watching the birds gliding on the wind without ever flapping their wings so close to where we sat was a treat.

This was a most excellent way to welcome autumn to Santa Barbara.