Los Padres National Forest

The wedding was the main event. And what a wedding it was! But Kent and I just aren’t, well, Kent and I without a good trail run! So when we were visiting the US in 2018 for Kent’s sister’s wedding, we made it a point to seek out nice trails nearby. Enter Los Padres National Forest!

A portrait of a shirtless Kent in mellow, early evening light. He's looking above and beyond the camera. The backdrops is a steep but forested hillside on Rattlesnake Canyon Trail.

Located just north of idyllic Santa Barbara, this forest was just what we were looking for. Los Padres National Forest is expansive, stretching far inland and to the east and west. We did not have our own wheels on this trip, and so we were utterly delighted to learn that we could access the forest right from the city at the Rattlesnake Canyon Trailhead.

Late afternoon shadow has half of the canyon in shade. But the other half is a bright multitude of greens! Rattlesnake Canyon is located in Los Padres National Forest.

Our first run there took place on a mid-August evening. Despite starting at 6 pm, it was hot so we were sweaty before we even began. Leaving the trimmed greenery of Skofield Park behind, we ran into a shady, rocky gully. Dodging boulders and pools of water, we made our way uphill.

In this action shot, Kent is climbing a large grey boulder in a deep, shady gully. He's wearing black shorts and holding a black t-shirt in one hand. His back is to the camera.

Once we got to a level where we could peek out above the trees, we turned back around. After all, we were chasing sunset and recovering from the Badlands 50k! Shortly thereafter, Kent got stung by a wasp – and then we were extra glad to be heading home!

An official wedding photograph featuring the author, her husband, his sister and their parents. The two Stander couples, senior and junior, are arranged on either side of Megan, the bride.
A stand of Standers.

But we came back, of course. The day after the wedding, we were up before everyone else and eager for action. With more time and a bright sun rising above the hills, we went on a longer version of the same run up Rattlesnake Canyon!

A blurry running selfie featuring the author in a pink sports bra and black shorts. She's smiling brightly, if blurrily.

Climbing up onto a service road, we had tremendous views over the city – and the fog that still threatened to engulf it! Just when we thought SB couldn’t be any more beautiful, we had this view.

Views over Santa Barbara and Rattlesnake Canyon from a high point on the trail. There's a low marine layer obscuring the ocean from view, below an otherwise bright and cloudless sky.

Looking the opposite direction, ridges rose like temptation over the road and forests beckoned. I could only imagine the wonders that lay beyond in deeper Los Padres National Forest. If only we had more time!

Have you been to Los Padres National Forest? Where should we run next time? I’m eyeing Knapp’s Castle, the Tequepis Trailhead and San Rafael Wilderness! For your own planning purposes, have a look at the official Los Padres website. May you have an excellent adventure here – or wherever life takes you today!

A selfie featuring a squinting Kent and a fist-pumping Carrie. The pair are in bright sunlight near the top of Rattlesnake Canyon in Los Padres National Forest.

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