Entry No. 18 — the Santa Barbara file — filed under: hot spring

Montecito Hot Springs

Eight cascading pools (60–122°F) tumble through the stone ruins of a gilded-age resort that burned down three times — Chumash people soaked here for over 10,000 years before an 1855 miner built a bathhouse, wealthy rheumatism-and-gout tourists formed a private club, and fire took the buildings in 1920, 1921, and 1964.

The move: Hike up from the Hot Springs Road trailhead past the crumbling foundation walls and old garden terraces to the warmest upper pool — but check the county's Red Flag Warning parking restrictions first, since deputies now enforce trail closures on high-fire-danger days.

• 📍 Montecito
• 💸 $$
• ⚡ Low-key
• 🌗 Indoor or outdoor

Where: Trailhead at the end of Hot Springs Road, Montecito, CA 93108

Hours: Added 2026-07-20 — confirm current hours before you go.

⚠ Seasonal or scheduled — always check before you go.

Plan a visit & invite your people →

Further reading: Wikipedia · independent.com

last checked: 2026-07-20