Location: Santa Barbara County, about 18 miles north of Goleta, 135 miles from Los Angeles

Maps

Nearby Peaks: McKinley Mountain, San Rafael Mountain

Distance: 27 miles round trip on dirt road and cross-country

Gain: 7100' total, 4800' out plus 2300' on return

Time: 16-18 hours round trip

Rating: Class 2 near summit, very strenuous

Navigation: Difficult

Leader Rating: "I", normal conditions

Route: Dense brush near summit

Original: Howland Bailey, February 1968

DRIVING ROUTE 1

• Take US 101 to just west of Santa Barbara. Turn north on SR 154.
• Continue north and then west about 22 miles past Lake Cachuma, to Armour Ranch Road on the right. Turn right, note your odometer and go as follows:
• At 1.3 miles, fork with Happy Canyon Road (paved) on the right. Turn right.
• At 12.9 miles Cachuma Campground.
• At 15.3 miles Cachuma Saddle and a ranger station on the left. Park in the large parking lot south of the ranger station.

HIKING ROUTE 1

• From the parking area (3100'), cross the highway and take a short left (north) to the gate marking the beginning of 8N08. Pass the gate and twist easterly up the dirt road for 7 1/2 miles to a good camping spot and water source at 5600', easily visible down the slope on the left about 100 yards past a pair of roadside water tanks. (The tanks mark McKinley Spring, named Cold Spring on the USGS topo map.)
• Hike 1/2 mile farther east on 8N08 to McKinley Saddle (5800'-) between McKinley Mountain and San Rafael Mountain, the turnoffs for side trips to these two peaks.
• To continue straight for Santa Cruz Peak, locate the unmaintained jeep road on the east side of this broad saddle, just south of a sign that marks the boundary of the San Rafael Wilderness and the beginning of Mission Pine Trail 21W08.
• Turn south on this poor road (in places little more than a track and occasionally washed out) which drops 600' as it gradually contours around the southwest side of San Rafael Mountain and then up to the main north-south ridge (5800'+), some 1 1/2 miles from McKinley Saddle.
• Take the right (south) road fork at the main ridge. Proceed south over a number of bumps. The track eventually takes aim at bump 5484' and becomes obliterated in spots by excess brush. Persevere through this zone, gaining 200' to the foot of the steep northern slope of bump 5484', where the road becomes more obvious as it contours left around the bump.
• Leave the road here on a use trail that contours around the right (west) side of bump 5484' to the saddle on the east flank of Santa Cruz Peak.
• From this saddle, continue up hill for about 15 meters. You will see a ridge on your left (south) and trees. There is a use trail that goes up through the trees following the ridge on its north side for about 100 meters.
• The use trail then turns to your right and traverses the slope until you reach some rocks.
• Follow the rocks back up to the ridge and follow the ridge over one false summit to Santa Cruz.