Adventuring in the Santa Ynez Mountains above Santa Barbara

How do you avoid the kids going crazy inside? Take them on a big hike!

Likely my favorite hike in the Santa Barbara foothills is the adventure up to Arlington Peak. Colloquially known in the community as Dragons back (you climb up what looks like a spiny Dragons Back) this hike offers some good adventure without having to go far out of town. Crawling through tight spots and trying to stay on trail is fun and this is a pretty serious achievement for kids. My son was 7 the first time we went up.

For a special treat I like to leave early in the morning when it’s still dark and time it so that the sun comes up while I am halfway up the spine. The sun rises over the peaks in the south and everything slowly gets bathed in orange light. Makes for some fantastic photographs!