Field Trips

Field trips are typically held on Saturday and/or Sunday, and started back up again in March 2022 after a two year hiatus. Watch this page and our Facebook page for announcements. Meanwhile we invite you to explore the many trails open in Santa Barbara and Ventura Counties. Hit the trails early during the summer months and keep cool and hydrated!

Botany Hike
Rattlesnake Canyon Trail, Santa Ynez Mountains, Santa Barbara County

Sunday October 8, 2023 from 9am-12pm

Leader: Andrea Adams-Morden

A botany hike at the lushly vegetated Rattlesnake Canyon in Santa Barbara will be led by naturalist Andrea Adams-Morden on Sunday October 8, 2023 from 9 a.m.-12 p.m. The trail is moderately steep. We expect to see Plummer’s baccharis (Baccharis plummerae), Fort Tejon milk aster or silver rock lettuce (Stephanomeria cichoriacea), various gooseberries and currants (Ribes species), and snowdrop bush (was Styrax officinalis, now Styrax redivivus), among other plants. There is some poison oak along the trail.

Meet at the Skofield Park parking lot on Las Canoas Road at 9 a.m. There are bathrooms a bit of a walk down into the park. We will hike approximately 3/4 mile up the Rattlesnake Canyon trail to at least the first creek crossing, learning about the flora along the way. Bring a hand lens, water, and snacks. Please wear lug-soled [hiking] boots and sunscreen. Anything more than drizzle cancels the hike.

Directions: Take the Mission Street exit from the 101 in Santa Barbara and turn northeast. Go about 1 mile to Laguna Street. Turn left and go 3 blocks to East Los Olivos Street. You will see the Santa Barbara Mission. Turn right at the 4-way stop and keep to the left at the fork. East Los Olivos Street will become Mission Canyon Road. Go 0.7 miles to Foothill Road. Turn right and go 0.25 mile to a 3-way stop. Turn left on Mission Canyon Road to Las Canoas Road, where you turn right and proceed about 1.2 miles to the Skofield Park parking lot.