Light hiking around Santa Barbara
 

Hello! We will be a group of four college girlfriends on a long weekend staying at the Harbor View Inn for a little mini-reunion. One of the things we want to do is take a little hike in those beautiful hills that overlook the town and ocean. We won't have our heavy-duty hiking gear (or much more than running shoes, really, as we are carrying-on) but did want to know if there are some recommended walks or "hikes" that can be done in a few hours that showcase the wonderful view. When I search, I seem to only find trails for serious types, and we won't be outfitted for that on this short trip, unfortunately. Thanks in advance.

Check the yelp reviews of the "Inspiration Point" hike to get an idea if that's more than what you'd like to do. Also the Santa Barbara Independent has a list of various possibilities:

http://webcache.googleusercontent.co...&ct=clnk&gl=us

Did you run across this site in your search for hikes?

http://santabarbarahikes.com/

I did see that one dbdurand. It offers a ton of information for people bringing their serious game. We won't have our topo maps or hiking boots or anything. And some of them even say the trail leader can reject you if he thinks you aren't properly geared up. Sigh. Maybe I should say we want just to find a trail to walk around on and take great pictures but not spend an entire day doing it since we only have a long weekend and our running shoes. I was hoping someone local could help direct me to a narrower list or a specific "don't miss", because there are tons of these lists out there. It's my experience that tourism lists present everything on them as if all options are equally good. And I don't ever think that is the case!

Do you know any of these hikes, db or clarkgriswold? I know I can ask at the hotel, but I trust Fodorites more. And thank you both for searching and responding! Much appreciated!

My husband and I are also going to the SB area in a few weeks. One thing on our agenda is the SB botanical gardens. Their website claims 78 acres, 5 miles of trails, views of the Santa Ynez mountains, the Channel Island and the Pacific ocean.

That sounds really great, MariAlice. I will look into that more. Thank you!

Just checking back in in the event someone else searches for this very thing in the future: We did indeed do the "Inspiration Point" hike. It is rated as a moderate hike, and on a Sunday at noon the narrow trail was a little crowded. The view was breathtaking, and we were very glad we did it. We should have gone much earlier in the morning, both to avoid all the people and the sun. Also, we hiked a good mile uphill on the road leading to the gate that marks the trailhead (through a neighborhood) before even beginning our hike. THEN, we started the paved, asphalt part of the trail that the sites tell you about. (So...walk through the neighborhood because your car is parked far away because you slept in/vacation....then trailhead/paved part of the trail....then trail trail....) Start early :)