Arroyo Burro Trail

This hike is a challenge. It's one of the rare front country hikes that has uphill both on the way up and on the way back, and all of it is steep. It's a long hike, too. 12 miles.

You will have to hike part of the way on paved and dirt roads and through private easements that are constantly in flux.

The Arroyo Burro Trail is a historic trail. In the days before automobile travel trails the only way over the impenetrable mountain barrier between the coast and the interior. Arroyo Burro supplied a route for miners and other trade. The trail continues over the other side of the mountains to the Santa Ynez River. This other half of the trail is shady and very lovely, but not described here.

The hike is 12 strenuous miles round trip with an approximate 4000ft elevation gain. The gratuitous 500ft. drop you do in the middle of the ascent adds that extra 1000ft.

Arroyo Burro Trail Updates

Update trail conditions

Posted: May 2, 2011, 9:23 pm
by: jbaysurfer

^ Yeah..those plants sure do like to grow in the springtime. This trail is rarely hiked the top few miles. You're going in a huge rainfall year with plenty of sunshine in between in mid april.

My best advice is to join a local trails organization to do some trail work. The trails give so much to us, it's nice to give back. SBMTV has a trail maintenance volunteer day on May 15th in that area. Go pitch in on and then mention that this trail would be great with a little maintenance!

Posted: April 17, 2011, 8:51 pm
by: djfgregory

I hope the next person who takes the hike has done it before and knows where to go. I also hope they bring a machete and perhaps a couple of signposts.

I say this because it's really easy to lose the trail as vegetation has grown over it; a friend and I lost it several times and ended up having to turn around 5 miles in. It would be a great, tough hike if it didn't require so much bushwhacking and guesswork about where the trail is.

Posted: December 21, 2010, 6:56 pm
by: Cross Tie Walker

Our plans for a 3-day trek in the Sespe scrapped due to weather and road closures, we grabbed two of the pack for a soggy north-to-south traverse of the Arroyo Burro trail this past Monday morning (12/20/2010).



The gate at First Crossing was closed, so we parked at the day-use area and followed the trail (partially submerged by the Santa Ynez already) those extra two miles to White Oaks, and then followed the service road up to the singletrack. The creek was flowing as I’d never seen, and as cliché as it sounds every notable drainage we spotted was in flow (including a great cascade just below East Camino Cielo on the west side of the drainage). The ascent was super-lush, and the trail is in fantastic condition.
The rain stopped for a bit as we topped out, and so we had a quick break and wrung out some gear under a small pine across the road from the shooting range, and then headed down the southern half of the trail along what I guess is the eastern-most tributary of San Antonio Creek.



The going was steep and slippery, but the ravines were full of water and really impressive. Lots of low branches, and in generally not as clear a trail as the northern half. As we reached the spring in the ravine where the old road bed begins, the rain started again and we waded through the three crossings there. All the debris that’s come down after the fire has made the old road bed an exercise in choosing one’s footing wisely; plenty of opportunities to twist an ankle here.
The stretch where the trail heads left (east) and up away from the road bed is very overgrown, and one could easily lose the route up to the rocky stretch above Barger Canyon. Once at the high point and en route to Autograph Rock, it was smooth sailing. The Edison road was pretty mucky, but all the signage through the ranches and private property made navigating the roads and remaining trail sections down to the intersection there at Ontare Rd a breeze. We waded across San Roque creek (only shin-deep) and there just past the Jesusita split saw the only other hiker of the day. Smooth sailing back to the Jesusita TH.
A few photos at
http://www.flickr.com/photos/umotamba/sets/72157625644132566/

CTW

Posted: December 10, 2010, 7:27 pm
by: Don_P

Beautiful hike and good trail conditions all the way up to E. Camino Cielo. Spectacular wind clouds rolled over Santa Rosa & San Miguel Islands.

Not a hike for wimps.

Many, many ticks along the upper 1/3 of trail.

Posted: September 29, 2010, 2:12 pm
by: stillmovin

I was happy to find this trail available for hiking. I haven't been up this way in many years and the last time I ran into unhappy/unfriendly owners in the valley where the trail no longer goes, which is a good thing! We didn't have a long time so we hiked up past the stone house on the knob. Another hiker told us the trail was too narrow for his liking just past there, but we pushed on and found the trail to be sliding some and to be crowded by old mustard until it returned for a short "fire road" stretch and finally up to some water tanks. That's where we stopped, but the view was fine from there. I'll plan to go back for the whole enchilada now that I see it's possible to avoid the unhappy folks.

Posted: June 28, 2010, 1:45 pm
by: dmarchiando

Took the Arroyo Burro to Camino Cielo Sunday 06-27-10. Beware, in the dirt road, in the lower section of the trail, before you get into the single-track, there is a huge colony of ground-dwelling bees that, that you will want to keep your distance from. There is another large colony about half-way to Camino Cielo, right in the middle of the trail, before you start decending into the next drainage/canyon/creek. Upper trail was fairly over-grown with lots of different thorny weeds, and tall mustard. Upper-most sections of shaded trail has lots of poison oak, much of which hangs vine-like from the trees. I wish I had worn longs pants and gaiters over my socks.

Posted: May 2, 2010, 1:35 pm
by: graytest

I tried to do the Arroyo Burro trail today but had problem finding the trail after the pavement. Was hoping that someone could help me so that I'll find it easier next time!

I reached the two roads. One going from left to right (left leading to a gate, right having a sign that says "private, no trail access") and one road going up the hill. I took the one going up the hill (had sign saying "public trail"). Followed the road and passed a few trail-signs.

Once I reached the top of the hill there was a dirt road to the left that said "Private" (seemed to be fenced in for horse use or something). On the right side of the road there was another Trail-sign that pointed sorta off of the ridge (assumed that it was just misaligned and pointed along the road). I kept following the pavement trying to find the non-paved trail access. After a short walk I passed the gate to San Roque Ranch.

After passing the ranch there was a dirt area to the left. A bit further ahead a dirt road led off the ridge to the left. I first thought this was the trail, but the road had a No Trespassing-sign (and barbed wire across) a few yards down.

Trying to follow the paved road a bit further led me to a locked gate across the road.

Could anyone please let me know where I missed the trail? And give me a more detailed description how to find it next time?

Thanks for the help!

Posted: August 9, 2009, 1:18 pm
by: Rokrover

Indeed, as GerryC updated,the trail is mostly undamaged and these pictures confirm the current conditions:
http://picasaweb.google.com/rokrover/ArroyoBurroBuff#

Posted: July 12, 2009, 9:01 pm
by: GerryC

Hiked the lower portion of the trail today from the Cater Water Treatment plant. The Jesusita route is burned in places, but the trail undamaged to the AB trail junction. After climbing up the paved road, I rejoined the trail. The formerly overgrown section from the top of the paved road to the meadow (prior to rejoining the old trail route) is now very clear. All the brush is gone. Some of trees on the first portion may survive, but there are lots of green shoots sprouting.

Posted: April 23, 2008, 11:48 am
by: Slothers

I hiked this trail about a week ago and it's looking very nice. My only concern would be the empty shotgun shell I saw and the gun shots I heard on the other side of the mountain. But I figure there is probably a shooting range nearby. The shots sounded very close however.

Make sure to bring at least a half gallon of water, it's a strenuous trail and you don't want to be dehydrated. I'd also be aware of ticks, I went on the hike 3 times in the past two weeks and had to pull them off each time. Lastly I'm pretty sure there is a bear and a few mountain lions up there.

I didn't see them but I saw their prints.

Oh... and watch out for poison oak.