Make lifelong memories on a drive through one of the world’s most awe-inspiring places.
Coastal Trails and Hidden Tales: A Family Trip Exploring Santa Barbara’s Wonders

The Santa Barbara Botanic Garden is a perfect showcase of the region’s natural beauty. This 78-acre living museum is filled exclusively with native plants that inspire wonder, from colorful fields of poppies to flowering manzanitas, desert palms, and agaves. The garden showcases eleven local habitats including rocky canyons, lush redwood forests, and peaceful arroyos. And with miles and miles of trails to traverse, you can admire them all in a self-led process of natural discovery. Reservations are required and can be booked up to two months in advance.

In the hills above Santa Barbara, a quick, easy hike will lead you to a rock that looks like a lizard’s mouth—hence the name. The hike itself is just half a mile round trip, making it accessible to explorers of all ages. But that short walk offers a massive payoff: it will take you to a rock outcropping made up of otherworldly boulders, where you’ll be able to take in panoramic views of the surrounding area. Kids will enjoy scrambling up the smaller boulders, which serve as a natural playground with a stunning backdrop. And if you’re looking for a spot to watch the sunset, this is it.

This public park is perched on the mesa above Arroyo Burro beach. Its 70 acres of undeveloped land, donated to the city in 1997, make it the largest section of open coastal space in the Santa Barbara area. Here you’ll find winding trails where dogs can scamper off leash, and a series of benches that make for some of the best sunset watching in the city. As the sun dips below the Pacific and the sky turns golden pink, you’ll be able to soak in some of the city’s greatest views in this quiet, pristine park.

No trip to Santa Barbara is complete without a beach day, and for families, Arroyo Burro is hard to beat. Set below gorgeous cliffs, this public beach offers gentle, lapping waves perfect for safe splashing or a picnic. Dogs can run off leash, and low tides reveal rocky tide pools teeming with anemones, snails, and starfish for curious adventurers to discover. You can also rent stand-up paddle boards, walk the trails leading up to the cliffs, or catch a meal at the Boathouse Restaurant. And if you keep an eye on the horizon, you may even spot a dolphin or a whale!

Founded in 1916 and with millions of specimens on display, this museum is a one-stop-shop for any visitor looking to understand Santa Barbara’s natural history. But for families, the backyard is where it’s at. Here you’ll find a hands-on nature play space where kids can build forts, dig for fossils, and meet live animals under oak canopies. It’s a great place to get some energy out, whether that’s through racing wooden boats in a manmade creek, exploring the outdoor play kitchen, or just running through this natural paradise full of birdsong and trees. The museum offers all-ages programming nearly every day, with storytimes, face-painting, and dinosaur safaris.

Santa Barbara’s Funk Zone is an industrial neighborhood filled with murals, galleries, and makers of all sorts. The art spills onto the street, which makes the area a perfect destination for an afternoon roam. Download the FunkZone app to get a map of the neighborhood that will direct you to a plethora of things to discover, including art, craft, and food. And if you’re looking for a crowd-pleasing spot to fuel up—before or after your art excursion—head to Lucky Penny Pizza, where a wood-burning oven churns out pies both simple and innovative. For a fun twist on a classic, try the “Salty Surfer” with prosciutto, wood-fired pineapple, and pickled fresno chiles.

If you drive south on Highway 101 from Santa Barbara, you’ll quickly reach the Carpinteria Bluffs: a beautifully preserved stretch of coastline with amazing views of both sea and seal. Pull over to explore the paths along these coastal cliffs, lined with fragrant eucalyptus and set among fields of sage and wildflowers. From here you can see Anacapa, Santa Cruz and Santa Rosa Islands; below, you’ll find the beach, and one of the four harbor seal rookeries remaining along the southern California coast. This stretch of sand offers safety and rest for the adorable seals—and it offers visitors the opportunity to watch them in their natural habitat.

This otherworldly property is part secret garden, part Dr. Seuss. Lotusland, a 37-acre botanical garden in the hills of Montecito (just outside of Santa Barbara proper), is home to over 3,000 species of plants, including many endangered ones. The property was purchased in 1941 by Madame Ganna Walska, an opera singer and socialite who turned it into the magical space it is today. Reservations are required, and will get you a guided tour through the flowers, butterfly garden, topiary, and more. These impeccably landscaped gardens are famous for the rarity of their plants, some of which can’t be found anywhere else in the country. If you want to spot the titular lotus flower, visit in July or August when it blooms.

This sprawling, serene ranch offers families the chance to experience real ranch life in the Santa Ynez valley. Zaca Creek Ranch has been around for over 150 years, and still operates as a working cattle ranch—but it also offers farm tours to curious members of the public. Kids can explore wide-open pastures while the adults bask in the peaceful silence of Santa Ynez’s oak-studded hills. The ranch is also home to an adorable assortment of llamas and alpacas, which are friendly to guests and love trotting along the feed truck looking for handouts. Farm tours are open Wednesday through Monday, and booking is required to visit the ranch.