Great hiking and biking excellent for all expertise. The views are amazing never disappoints.

Beautiful trail leading to a gorgeous overlook of the Santa Barbara area. Parking is on the side of the road before you get to the trailhead. The trail starts on a paved path for about 3/4 of a mile then transitions to a dirt and rock path. The path is not that technical but I would recommend that you have some hiking experience before you attempt to climb to the top. Its approximately 2 miles to Inspiration point from the start.

This trailhead puts you on to Tunnel Trail which can get you to Inspiration Point, Jesusita, Seven Falls, Rattlesnake, or all the way to La Cumbre if your feet are itching. There are probably 15 or so spots in the first two “blocks” leading to the trailhead. Get there early or you’ll have little hope of getting a spot! There is an overflow lot a bit further from the trailhead as well, and on weekends folks will be parked all the way out to the hairpin turn. There is space to turn around up by the pump station but no parking up there. This is a neighborhood so please park legally and respectfully so that all can enjoy.

Walked up Tunnel Road to the water pumping facility. It was foggy and beautiful and the sun was just starting to come out in the next canyon over. The views are incredible any time but especially when its sunny and clear. Theres still water in the creek... If you go up a bit more, youre in the oak woodlands and some big boulders you can climb up. Worth every ounce of sweat!

I was only in town for a few days for a family weekend trip so I asked around for the best hiking trail that was family appropriate and everyone said to go to Inspiration Point. This trail did not disappoint! It was absolutely beautiful and the hike was very delightful! It is so quite up there that all you heard was the noises of the forest. It was very peaceful and I was completely in my zen place! There was a pleasant breeze the whole way up and back down. I highly recommend this trail if you’re looking for a great hike with a gorgeous view!

Great hike can get rather challenging! The top view is very nice, good place for a picture and plenty of room to stand. Trail can get narrow very difficult to make it to the top with a bike. No real creeks at least when I went August 2019. Make sure you research the parking before hand, very limited street parking. Also make sure you look closely at the maps there is one fork that can be confusing somewhat early on the trail, not really labeled the best but it is well maintained. Loved it will go back when in the area. Also went early as it can get hot in the afternoon.

So beautiful! Peaceful worth the time . I love Santa barbara one of the prettiest places Ive been to.

Wonderful hike with a spectacular, expansive views at the top of Inspiration Point. Bring binoculars as there’s so much to see from the top. Water and good, sturdy shoes are recommended. As others have stated, it’s a popular hike and parking is very limited on weekends. On weekends, be prepared to park roadside some distance from the trailhead. The first part of the trail is a paved road, which gives way to a narrower dirt trail. Trail signs aren’t great and it’s easy to take the wrong path, a map or the AllTrails app are recommended, though with so many people on the trail it’s easy to ask directions. The trail is rate “moderate,” with a few mildly steeper sections near the top.

An amazing hike trail minutes away from downtown Santa Barbara. Breathtaking views of the city and the Pacific ocean.

Tried this on a hot day, no shade makes it unbearable, had to turn back. P.s. great view of its clear.

We had a wonderful time on this hike! Id definitely recommend it for out-of-towners like us. It wasnt super easy for me since I am just getting back into shape after giving birth (and we turned around after the approximate halfway point), but it was quite beautiful and Id definitely go here again!

Amazing easy-moderate hike, about 2 miles to the summit. It took us about 1 hour 6 minutes to ascend.There is parking and a portapotty, but spots are limited. We got there on 1030am Friday and there were a few free spots. From parking, walk up to the trailhead, where theres a giant gate and signage. The beginning mostly feels like youre walking on someones old driveway. There are rocky places, and the sand can be slippery.Along the trail, youll occasionally encounter forks, but stay on the well-worn path and youll reach the summit and see all the way to Santa Barbara pier.There is a good amount of shade, but bring at least a 12-16 ounce bottle of water.

Very beautiful. 3 pools had a delightful reward at the end

Nice location.. here for work though.

This is a great trail. A good sized workout for sure, but I thought that it was worth it! It’s nice and quiet. I really enjoyed the view as the sun set and the city lights began to dance upon the landscape.

The hike is wonderful and the views are breath-taking. Would definitely recommend this hike for anyone.

Beautiful trail, a little steep, and parking on the weekends is a bit tough, might have to park 1 mile down from trailhead.

Amazing views of the entire city and the Channel Islands.

Lovely hike with wonderful views.

Beautiful view at the top! The hike is all uphill, but not too strenuous.

I loved this hike. It wasnt crowded, it was quite and peaceful. The view is beautiful, especially the view from the big rocks at the top

Great hiking location . Having the proper hiking shoes is important.

This is a great trail and its not very long. The end destination is very beautiful, and, as the name implies, its very inspirational. If you have an hour or two, Id recommend hiking this trail!

Pretty crowded..with masked and unmasked ..beautiful hike ..

Beautiful hike. Shady and no loose rocks. Just be careful not to go up the service road like we did.

Beautiful view at the top.. most of the hike is up hill with different textured ground, gravel, dirt, cement, large rocks. Props to the people that jogged it up. I was huffing and puffing simply walking it up

Unless youre watching your gps, the end of the road is abrupt and youll need to turn around and go back to the limited roadside parking. Trail is obvious until the split between Inspiration Point and Tunnel Trail, which is unmarked. On a Sunday morning, parking was full and a fair number of people on the trail; lots of locals walking their dogs.

It was a little intense since I havent been hiking lately. But I loved it. The views on top are awesome.

Good steeper but short hike. Great views when its not foggy. Best to go in the mornings or weekdays as its one of the most popular hikes in SB

Beautiful views. Hike is moderate. On strong windy days, pretty tough.

Nice day trip!!!

I would classify this hike as a moderate hike, on a scale of 1-5, it is a level 3 hike. There is some incline and it gets rocky towards the top of the hill, but once you pass about 10 minutes of the rockiness, youve reached the top. Its about a 3 mile hike round trip from the base. It definitely gets crowded so come early for parking but still expect to have to do some walking before you get to the entrance.

A great and quick trail. If you park further down the street a port a potty is available. Parking can be impossible on weekends-come early and abide by signs-tickets are issued!

Magnificent views. Great workout hike.

This is a great starting point for a wonderful hike. From this starting point one begins a journey well worth the Trek. Limited street parking is available.

Its an easy climb to inspiration point. The tougher and dangerous is seven falls. There is no clear path to the top. Id recommend not to go alone.

If you ever in the Santa Barbara area please do this hike Inspiration point is about 3.5 miles up and down. Once you get to the top you will enjoy the view, in the rainy season you also get to enjoy waterfalls.

Love this trail! Amazing sunset and city views, especially around January and February!

Amazing Trail Run!!! Lovely even in the rain.

12/03/19 All trails closed for a minimum of 1 week. Forestry service doing roadwork. Would not let anyone up.

Great hike! Amazing views of Santa Barbara.

Its a nice morning hike....

One of the great hikes of Santa Barbara with a low barrier of entry. Easy to get to, easy to get to the top, low time commitment and a panoramic view. The trailhead also connects you to some more extensive trails leading farther up the mountain and even over to Rattlesnake Canyon. Parking can be tough on Saturday mornings so the earlier the better, but if youre fine taking a few more steps than its no matter of where you park.

Mind blowing experience!!!

Always worth the steep switch-backs for the panoramic views

Up hill hike with beautiful views great dog walk

Great views.

Great hike and beautiful views - but its uphill pretty much up hill all the way so be prepared. Bring lots of water.

One of best hiking spots. Lots of families with kids. Awesome view once you reach the top. Once you pass the fire road the trial is narrow so be ready to stop as you see hikers. Lot of uphill to start with so not easy for toddlers. But we saw families with 5+ and all made it without much trouble. Parking is very tough so be ready to walk at least half mile before the trial head. Would recommend any day if weather permits.

Awesome as always. It helps clear my head.

Was a good trail and loved the plants during the trail seen some wild fennel and awesome sandstone mountains

It wasnt worth the hiking, just waste of time and effort

Worth the hike but the tail isnt marked. As you get up there, head toward the base of the high power lines. The point is just past there.

This is a good quick hike! There is only street parking at the trail head. Respect the no parking signs, and park on the inside of the white line on the shoulder.

Had a decent view and was not very crowded, but there were a lot of flies and it was kind of anticlimactic. But it was a nice short hike.

Tough hike! We went for the exercise and for the nice view! The trails are a bit confusing in the labeling, but we made it!

Nice hiking Trails

Hike is a 5/10 on difficulty, and takes about 2 hours round trip for us out of shape people... 1 hour for you runners who we all look at with disgust. The down side is that everyone goes on this trail, other than that it has great views and the trail has a clear path.

Great views!!!Trails could be better posted but there a plenty of people to give directions along the way.

Trailhead leads to a couple of front country trails ranging from the very easy and short Inspiration Point trail with views of Santa Barbara to the long Tunnel Trail going all the way up to Camino Cielo. Crowded parking on weekends. Come early.

Did this hike for New Year 2017 and it was a somewhat challenging but rewarding hike! Doesnt take too long to reach the top, and youre rewarded with a spectacular view of Santa Barbara and the ocean

It is called inspiration point for a reason

Great trail for hiking lovers.. my kids totally enjoyed the spring waterA must go place for nature lovers in santa Barbara

Amazing views, but the trail head is a bit hard to find and parking is a pain

Great view!

I loved it! I would totally recommend the views were beautiful, but be ready to hike

Parking is scarce and gets annoying. Like a hike to take a hike.

Lovely view and nice hills!!

Finding parking could be hard, but the hikes themselves are pretty good

Such a great hike. Challenging up hill climb to an amazing vista of the whole of Santa Barbara. This is a staple on my SB tour for anyone who comes to visit and it doest disappoint. Bring plenty of water. Hiking boots arent necessary as its a well traveled path. Parking can be tough but I am always able to find a spot. Make sure youre comfortable parallel parking. Its always busy so dont expect to have the trail to yourself.

Easy hike... Lovely views

Best after work sunset quicky hike or trail run in town. Parking can be tricky when it is busy. Park further down the road and just add a couple of minutes to the hike.Advice: Be sure to park with all tires behind the white line. Parking enforcement is known to sometimes be strict about these kind of things.The trail head is the road the turns slightly right as you go up.

Good view of Santa Barbara and Goleta Valley area from Inspiration Point. Short 1.5 hour roundtrip hike from trailhead. Hike is recommended for either sunrise or sunset.

Horrible horrible hike. A lot of it is just a stupid road that you can reliably roll your ankle on. The creek water tasted like warm milk with grass in it. Also the creepy at the beginning is not very nice and she charged 31$ to get it. I was going to call the police because I thought the hike was free but then I saw her name tag so I figured she probably worked there. Overall it was alright besides only coming back with 2 of my 3 children and no socks. Wouldnt recommend to new moms but if your looking for once less Christmas gift to buy next year this is the place for you and your little Timmy.

Great trail, outstanding mountain biking.Views for days and always a friendly atmosphere.

Great distance and amazing scenery

Great hike with a lot of incline! Its worth the view at the top. Took my dog and I about an hour and a half to do the whole thing. Parking is the only struggle but you can usually find a spot during non peak hours or you just have to park further down the hill. Not necessary to wear hiking shoes but there are a lot of little rocks or roots that stick out of the going so watch where you step. The beginning of the hike is a fire road and then it turns to dirt. Your shoes will get dirty! It is shaded in some parts but I recommend sun block if its a sunny day out.

It is my first time to hike here, i would say at first i got scared because it is like you are the only one there in the path but as soon as i feel comfortable, i am enjoying my hike. I didnt finish the hike because it was getting dark already but i cant wait to go back here and finish it. I love the terrain!

Pay very close attention where youre at. Poorly marked. We ended up on the wrong trail about a mile

I used to own the land at this Trailhead I have a lot of great memories you can hike all the way up to Seven Falls Trail and theres hardly any discernible fire damage in the area now

I love our city

Great place to walk without automobiles in the view of the city Valley of Santa Barbara and Goleta and the harbor

Lots of fun multiple trails to choose

Quintissential Santa Barbara hiking spot, crowded on weekends and holidays. You have to park a ways below the trailhead. Full sun exposure most of the way and usually no water on the trail unless it has been raining recently.

Very beautiful and breath takingA good place to visit

Kool hike friendly vibes parking is kind of hard but worth it once u do the Trail!!

Its worth the hike. Such an amazing view from the top.

One if the most travelled trails. It splits off into other trails, Tunnel, 3 pools, and an unmarked trail that heads up the ridge (Dragons back) to Arlington peak, Cathedral peak and La Cumbre peak.

When you get to the top their is a small but steep trail just to the left of the view, take this for a more private view as most tourists dont go that far

Long walk to the trailhead and the different paths could be labeled better.

A nice climb with lots of offshoots so make sure you check a map if youre unsure ood which way to go. The view at the top is magnificent. It can get hot, not much shade here so do this hike early in the day.

Never disappoints

Not as easy as some of the reviews said but more moderate IMO.

Trail RD leads to a fork, left is inspiration point right is seven falls. Difficulty medium.

Awesome views but slightly challenging train

Nice mellow hike for the whole family. Nice views.

Beautiful views!

Magical...

One of many viewpoints -- signs long missing. Full sweep of Channel Islands....

Amazing running