The trailhead is on a residential street next to a water treatment plant. Parking is right at the trailhead in a small lot or along the street. The start of the hike is obvious but along the way there are several places that you could go wrong unless you have a guide book or can spot the Trail signs that are placed along the way. The first part of the trail was pleasant through a mixed forest/meadow area with at least three shallow stream crossings. This part of the trail had little vertical gain so was very easy. The trail was often wide enough for two to walk abreast. After walking up a private road for approximately 1/2 mile the path begins to climb through a mix of forest and open hillside. The path is pretty much a single wide dirt surface until you reach an electric company service road fairly close to the peak. The path is a series of switchbacks, some very tight, and climbs nonstop. Once to the wide dirt service road it is fairly obvious which way to proceed towards Inspiration Point. Inspiration Point offered some nice views of the ocean but there was a lot of haze and the views of the Channel Islands was limited. There were some large rocks to sit on to have lunch but the area also had a lot of annoying bugs so we really needed our DEET at that point. Overall this was an enjoyable hike of about 6.8 miles round trip. After about the first two miles there were few hikers, most folks choosing to access Inspiration Point on the shorter alternate route.

The easiest and most kid-friendly of the many hiking trails that formerly graced the mountains behind Santa Barbara. Take this hike in memory of what has been lost and in gratitude for what remains.

It's a beautiful trail with a lot of things to see. Amazing scenery, with the ocean on one side and the mountains on the other side. The 500+m climbing and ~7km long trail helped overcome the jetlag.

We hiked along Jesusita trail to Inspiration Point, about 7.5mi round trip. The first half of the hike was pretty easy and the second half I would call moderate with a few steep spots and several creek crossings. Still great for a family as long add the kids are old enough or can be carried across a few parts. Not particularly well marked so I would bring a GPS, but we saw a ton of locals on the trail who could probably point you in the right direction. There was a water fountain about 1mi in.

This was truly inspirational. Have to careful to look for signs on trail - not many - use the GPS on phone - great views of the shoreline and the downtown. Go early to beat the crowds.