Tunnel Trail Hike

Incredible view in the amazing Santa Barbara Foothills! On a hot day be sure to bring LOTS of water. Dog friendly, which makes it even a better hike.

It was a really nice 5 hour hike. It would have been nicer if it wasn’t so hot. We took our dog. It might be too much for a dog that is not used to hiking. We had to carry her down in a backpack because of the heat. The views of the city, the ocean and the mountains were really nice. The only reason that I am not giving it 5 stars is because of the road and mountain bike area that you go through at the top. It isn’t as nice as the rest of the hike.

Great hike. Took me about 5:30h roundtrip, but that’s b/​c I did take lunch and take time to eat at the top. A tough, sweaty 3h up, and a relatively easy 2h down. I did go all the way to the summit of La Cumbre Peak at 3995ft from sea level, about 3000ft from the Tunnel Trail trailhead. The description of the trail on
was surprisingly accurate and did help me know which way to go more than once. The only part where I went the wrong way for a bit was at the very beginning — the fork where Tunnel Trail goes to the right, and 7 falls & Jesusita Trail go to the left, so watch out for that.
I am in pretty good shape and do a decent amount of hiking, and I would rate this as a tough hike — it was very much like the Bright Angel Trail coming out of the Grand Canyon, a continuous 30 degree ascent with lots of step rocks (but about half the total distance as the BAT). I only took 3L of water and I think that was about 1L less than I should have. I took my water filter but this was a bone dry hike — no water source to filter and drink on Tunnel Trail. Also, I started at 12:30pm which was fine, I got back with plenty of sun left, but I also hiked during the hottest part of the day.
My recommendations for anyone considering this hike:
1. Definitely plan to go all the way to the summit, that will be about 11 miles roundtrip, plan on that taking 5−6h at least. The summit is cool b/​c there are picnic tables, a pit toilet, and an old abandoned outpost of some sort. And you get amazing views of not only Santa Barbara but also of the vast backcountry and of the Gibraltar Reservoir (see pics of all).
2. Take food, have lunch at the summit on one of the picnic tables.
3. Take at least 4L of water per person.
4. If at all possible go with someone. I went alone but there a lot of potential things that could go wrong on a long, tough, and relatively remote hike (I didn’t see another human after the Rattesnake Trail fork and the remaining 3 miles or so to the summit) like this — sprained ankle, fall, snake bite (see pic of snake I saw on trail). But if you’re smart and tough you could do it alone.
I have to comment on Kali’s critique that you can do easier hikes in CA for equally good views. That is very true. But me I hike for 1. The workout and 2. The view (as a reward for the tough workout), so this kind of hike is my favorite — tough, but well worth it.
Highly recommended.

The Tunnel Trail in Santa Barbara is a lot simpler to find than it is to hike. While «Santa Barbara Hikes’s» site considers the trail a moderate one, I’d argue that this one is for the well-​seasoned hiker.
Remember this caveat when you read hiking guides: Many of the posters/​bloggers are off-​trail/​climbers-​hikers, and just about anything with an actual trail is «easy» to them. I stand firm on my rock that *any* trail requiring one to cross over a stream by hopping from boulder to boulder as a trail that demands a level of physical agility and expertise. Of course, a band of rugged teenage boys – who may not be hiking experts – would do well here, assuming they don’t care about whether or not they fall in. It is this crossing of which I speak that made the trail more cumbersome than exhilarating for me.
The range was developed, flanked by homes, and – with this development – came a need for ginormous towers of pulsing radiation, towers that robbed the view of its awe. There are a plethora of paths, all pulling hikers into different directions that seemingly make no sense. Twice, I reached what I thought would be a peak only to find another metal troll (cell tower). There are no public facilities here either. The Golden State offers too many more kaleidoscopic scenes to warrant a return to this trail.

Just finished hiking the entirety of Tunnel Trail from Tunnel Road to East Camino Cielo Road – about 9 miles round trip. If you’re a runner and used to measuring distance by road miles, be advised, you will not be completing this in the 75 minutes or so it takes you to do 9 miles on paved roads. We hiked at a pretty decent clip today and this took us close to five hours (without more than a two minute break to enjoy the juncal formations at the top). The first 4.5 miles climb steadily uphill, reaching an elevation of about 3,700 feet. It’s up up up and mostly exposed to sun. Trails are single track and rocky, so you’ll need to stay focused and tread carefully. This is a strenuous trail. Prepare yourself accordingly. You probably won’t enjoy this hike if you’re not in at least semi-​decent shape. And even if you are, you’ll feel it.
Though difficult, the rewards for this effort are well worth the time and fatigue. Tunnel Trail is a hike through the fascinating geological history of Santa Barbara. You’ll see plenty of Matilja and Coldwater sandstone, Cozy Dell Shale and (my favorite) juncal formations near East Camino Cielo Road. These are formations from the Eocene Age. That is, you’re looking at stuff that formed about 50 million years ago – pretty amazing.
Be advised, the descent is a bit of a relief, but no walk in the park. You can pick up the pace, but on tired legs, stay focused as there are a lot of slippery rock areas and it’s SO easy to misstep. At 9 miles out, bring water for sure and maybe even a snack. We didn’t and probably could have used a little boost at some point – you’ll expend a lot of energy on the way up.
Send me a message for more specific directions to the trail head. Happy hiking!