Distance: 23 miles one way
Elevation gain: 3410 ft
A Best of the Best ride
Our Southern California ride list has three rides that are all big, chest-thumping rides up a mighty mountain: Mt. Figueroa, Gibraltar Road, and Glendora Ridge. Of the three, Gibraltar is the hardest, feels the biggest, and has the grandest vistas. Some of my readers call it one of the best rides in California. I prefer Figueroa, but Gibraltar is mighty. All three rides are detailed in toughascent.com, and I encourage you to familiarize yourself with his write-ups.
Gibraltar is an iconic ride—a demanding, uninterrupted 9-mile climb up the mountain to a summit, a delightful 2-mile serpentine descent, a 2-mile climb to a lesser summit, and another long descent down the back side. It’s 3800 ft of gain in 23 miles (Mt. Figueroa has more gain but less gain-per-mile) and one of the toughest climbs I know. That may be because it’s without rest or variety, and, unless you know the route, you can’t see how much climbing lies ahead, so the climb seems eternal. You keep thinking it’s over, and it isn’t. To guard against this, know as you set out that you are going to climb at a moderate-to-challenging pitch for 9 miles, with one short descent near the top that is only a set-up for heartbreak when the climbing comes back. Despite my caution, this ride has spectacular vistas, good surfaces, some crackerjack descending, and a general sense of epic grandeur. When you’re done, you’ll feel like you accomplished something.
As with all these Southern California mountain rides, there is no available water on the route (until Painted Cave Road), and it can be very hot in the summer. Plan accordingly.
A number of readers say they prefer the ride in the opposite direction (clockwise).
(To see an interactive version of the map/elevation profile, click on the ride name, upper left, wait for the new map to load, then click on the “full screen” icon, upper right.)
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/37927595
Begin at the intersection of W. Mountain Drive and Hwy 192. (W. Mountain actually runs on top of 192 briefly, and you want where it splits off at the east end.) Ride north on W. Mountain and ignore side roads until you see Gibraltar Rd. clearly signed at an intersection. Climb through dry, brushy hillsides with a nice, rugged beauty. The vistas of Santa Barbara, the Santa Barbara Channel, and the Channel Islands below you are immediately good and keep getting better the higher you climb. Keep looking behind you—some of the best views are of the switchbacks you just rode. The climbing averages 8.5% for the next 6.4 miles. You start off at 7%, then here’s a stretch of 5-6% as respite in the middle, and then it ramps up to 8-10% around mile 4, and stays that way for the next 2.4 miles—the hardest part of the ride. This last steep stretch used to be made even harder by some seriously flawed road surface, but the Tour of California peloton rode it in 2016 (again in 2018) and the authorities repaved it for them, so now it’s ideal.
Looking back on the first leg of the climb
At 6.4 miles, in the middle of nowhere, you reach, of all things, an intersection, with a big sign with lots of road names on it. You’re intersecting East Camino Cielo Rd. to the L and the R. Go R (the obvious “other” road) if you want to do an out-and-back with more climbing and good vistas, in which case, you da man. Our route follows the main road to the L. You’ve got about 3 more miles of climbing still to do, all of it at a significant pitch, but nothing as steep as what you’ve just done. Enjoy the brief ripping descent following the intersection (but don’t get fooled into thinking the work is over) and climb to the summit, at about 9 miles in. And I do mean summit—it’s a true mountain top, covered with radio antennae you can see coming. The views, in all directions, beggar description.
Looking back at Santa Barbara and the Channel Islands from halfway up
Begin a 2-mile, open, joyous descent down the west side of the mountain. This may be the best descending on the route. Once I met a teenager skate-boarding down it, and to him I say chapeau. Then it’s a 2-mile ascent—same old 6-8%—that can be a complete surprise and will kill your spirit if you don’t know it’s coming.
At about mile 16 you have a choice: you can take Painted Cave Rd. to your L, or you can stay on Camino Cielo. It’s a tough choice. Painted Cave is an often absurdly steep and twisty descent—you don’t ride it, you just survive it. We’re talking clamped brakes, cramping hands (if you’re still on rim brakes), 8 mph down 14% pitches (Does anybody ride up this thing?)(Apparently yes—see user comments below). The rest of Camino Cielo is a classic, tight serpentine drop on glass down to Hwy 154. So why not opt for that? Because it commits you to a few miles of unpleasantly trafficked shoulder riding on 154. My advice: do Painted Cave once, for the experience, and never again.
Nothing much north of the ridge
If you’re going the Painted Cave route, be warned: it’s very hard to see the turn-off. It’s almost invisible, it comes when you’re very busy negotiating some fast switchbacks, and it slants back at about 7 o’clock, so watch your mileage. There is a road sign, but it’s oddly situated so it probably won’t help you find it.
Once on top, you roll, then you descend
Whichever way you go, where Painted Cave crosses Hwy 154 it becomes Old San Marcos Pass Rd. (aka North San Marcos Pass Rd.), which you take. It’s a fun, deserted, twisty road back to town with good views and some turns signed at 5 mph (and they aren’t kidding). Once I met a guy unicycling down the 8% pitch of Old San Marcos Pass. Incredible.
As always, I haven’t included in our ride the connector ride that closes the loop, because it isn’t great riding, but you’ll probably have to do it anyway, so: just ride down Cathedral Oaks Rd., which becomes Foothill Blvd./Hwy 192, to your car, which is 6 miles of not-unpleasant residential rollers on a big two-lane road with good shoulder (not flat—c. 850 ft of gain in those miles). If you know you’re doing the loop, park at our route’s end-point, in lovely Tucker’s Grove County Park, and do the flat(ter) riding first to warm up.
Shortening the route: Forget it—you’re in for the full monty.
Old San Marcos Pass Road
Adding miles: Stephen in the comments below details an excellent out-and-back our loop connects with, Stagecoach Rd., which adds about 10 miles.
You’re a thirty-minute car trip from the Solvang area, discussed under the Mt. Figueroa ride.
Santa Barbara has a famous beachfront you can ride along, though it’s probably more fun to rent roller blades and do the skate path along the beach.
This is my go-to ride in Santa Barbara. Spectacular views up top, and it works great in either direction. I rode it clockwise today, up San Marcos Pass and Painted Cave, and it is exactly as advertised–long and steep (a few 18% stretches), and unremitting, but so rewarding. This may well be the greatest 30-mile loop in the world, especially now that they repaved the upper half of Gibraltar Road–it makes for a wicked fast and fun descent. Riding it both directions makes for two distinctive first-class rides.
I just returned from Santa Barbara and did the San Marcos –> Painted Cave route and crossed over to the Gibraltar descent. It was recommended that I do the reverse but I just misread the directions. This route is now one of my top 5 rides ever. Says a lot from a cyclist residing in the South San Francisco bay area and going to school in Chico—two of the greatest well-known cycling communities. Now I need to put Santa Barbara up there as well.
I favor the clockwise direction for several reasons:
– The potholes seem larger/deeper on the west side and I rather negotiate them while climbing than while going down at high speed
– I enjoy steep climbs and Painted Cave Road certainly qualifies.
– The vistas are slightly better going in this direction. It seemed like I was turning my head a lot more going the other way.
– The descent on the east side is perfect with smooth surface,good visibility, and only a couple of really sharp turns.
I do recommend the first 2 miles of the ‘bonus’ section (they call me da man for a reason), as the vistas are absolutely spectacular on both sides. The first two miles you are riding on the ridge, so there really is not that much more climbing. The whole extra segment ends somewhat disappointingly at a dead end road and adds 13 miles and 1,800 ft total climbing.
Avoid highway 154 by all means. This is cars and trucks going 70 mph with mostly very narrow shoulders.
Another variation is a clockwise route. Starting at Tucker’s Grove, climb old San Marcos to the 154. Take Kinevan road, then Paradise Rd. all the way to the Reservoir above Red Rock. Take Gibraltar, then back to the city. From Red Rock is dirt so you need a gravel bike.
If I understand this, the route goes: up 154, onto Kinevan Rd, to Stagecoach, to Paradise Rd., a short connector (Forest Rte 5N20) north to Gibraltar/Forest Rte. 5N18, past Red Rock Day Use Area, and south to an intersection with our route (E. Camino Cielo) at Angostura Pass. I know nothing about it and can’t recommend it, but it looks epic. On Street View, Paradise Rd. looks marvelous. And any route that offers a back-road alternative to 154 should be looked into. But as Bernard says the route from Paradise Road to Gibraltar is dirt.
As others have noted in their comments, the answer to your question about Painted Cave—”Does anyone ride UP this thing?”—is not only “yes,” but IMO the Old San Marcos—Painted Cave—Camino Cielo direction (i.e. clockwise) is the better climb (and clearly Gibraltar is the better descent now that they’ve repaved it). If you’re in for a day of pain, do the listed route as an out and back—at the bottom of Old San Marcos, turn around and retrace your steps.
I did this ride several times when I was in college at UCSB. I did it a bit different. I started from Isla Vista and wound my way up to Painted Cave. Painted Cave to Camino Cielo to Gibraltar. I’d bomb down Gibraltar. I think the switchbacks were pretty intense going down. Then I’d ride downtown and have a burrito at Chilango’s.
Once, I tried the reverse way, up Gibraltar. I puked part way up Gibraltar and called it a day.
To this day, I don’t think I’ve found a better ride.
One of my favorite rides ever. In the same area, I recommend Refugio Road to Santa Ynez Peak.
From the west end of the Gibraltar ride, Refugio Rd. is west down 101, the next major road running north from 101 into the mountains.
Incredible ride—thank you, JR, for this excellent site! While I haven’t tried the suggested route, I would highly recommend going up OSM and down Gibraltar (ie, clockwise). Gibraltar is newly paved and is a buttery smooth, awesome descent. I would also recommend starting at the waterfront, taking the coast route up to OSM, and then the descent from Gibraltar takes you into Santa Barbara – super ride!
https://strava.app.link/Agcg0y2t2lb
If you are staying near Solvang/Santa Ynez, a great addition to this route is to get dropped off and picked up for an out and back starting at Stagecoach Rd. and Hwy 154. I was lucky enough to have my wife do that for me!
Stagecoach Rd. has an excellent road surface, is twisty and scenic (you pass under Cold Springs Trestle), has almost no cars when I rode it midweek at noon, and hits the intersection of Hwy 154 and E. Camino Cielo. It’s about 5.2 miles and 1320 vertical.
Cross Hwy 154, then climb E. Cielo Camino past Painted Cave Rd and to the summit (La Cumbre Peak). That section has about 2231 feet of vertical gain and 502 feet of vertical loss in about 9.2 miles. You all know about the views! a great ride!
Stagecoach Rd. is viewable on Streetview, and it looks marvelous. At its west end it leaves Hwy 154 just E. of the Rancho San Marcos Golf Course, loosely parallels Hwy 154, then dead-ends back at 154 at E. Camino Cielo. From the Stagecoach/E. Camino Cielo intersection you can ride the Gibraltar loop in either direction. “Stagecoach” is one word–Google Maps doesn’t recognize it if you type “Stage Coach.”