Santa Barbara / Montecito foothills loop

This route takes advantage of all major paved roads in the Santa Barbara area that follow the foothills. The foothill portion of the loop gets little car traffic, has fantastic views, and offers a good variety of gradients.

Clock-wise direction is recommended, mainly because of the challenging Toro Canyon Rd grade and the ridiculously steep, albeit short, eastern beginning of Viola Ln. Plan on working hard up Las Canoas Rd to Skofield Park, then up Park Lane and Bella Vista, and, finally, on a couple of steep sections on Viola Ln. The rest is moderate.

A couple of warnings: (1) Despite what Google Maps shows, East Mountain Dr ends shortly after San Ysidro Ln because it got blocked by the private San Ysidro Ranch resort. However, it is possible to bike through the resort - just follow the stone-paved driveway. (2) The privately owned Viola Lane is not well marked on either end. Look for a bunch of black mailboxes soon after the twisty Bella Vista Drive becomes the dead straight Ladera Lane.