August 25th, 2024

Distance: 8.6 miles
Time: 3:53

A friend recently suggested to us that the next time we are out by Cachuma Lake (where we enjoy going kayaking and boating), we should check out Cold Spring Tavern, apparently a hidden gem in that area. Of course, before going to a restaurant, it is always a good idea to work up an appetite by going for a hike. So I hopped on AllTrails, and found a highly recommended route: Tequepis Trail. So this past Sunday, we set out in early morning to go check it out. This is indeed a really nice route. As can be seen from the Google Earth trace of our GPS track shown below, the trail is essentially an out and back straight up to a ridgeline from where you get excellent views of both Cachuma Lake and the Pacific Ocean.

The trailhead is located 1.1 miles down a dirt (actually dirt only for the first half, then paved) Forest Route 6N04, located just after the entrance to the Cachuma Lake recreational area off CA-154. This road, also known as Chumash Highway, connects Santa Barbara to Los Olivos. The drive on the forest road was in a very good condition, however it was very narrow. I was very glad that we did not encounter any car going the opposite direction! There is a parking lot at the trailhead, where your main company will be mosquitos - tons of them. Bring bug repellant. The next challenge was figuring out where to go. There are several small roads connecting near the parking lot, but the trail is actually through the Circle V Ranch camp across the parking lot. The impression we got walking through - which got confirmed by looking through their website as I am writing this report - is that this is a place for children summer camps or possibly company retreats. But walking through it was rather earie. There are multiple log cabins, and even a swimming pool. Everything was immaculately clean, without even a leaf floating in the pool. Yet, there was not a soul in sight. It felt like walking through some science fiction plot where the local population just vanished into thin air. No extraterrestrial occurence and shortly after, we found ourselselves on the trail.

The next section includes few easy creek crossings with plenty of rocks to use for support. These crossings came in handy on the way down to wash up as we were covered in mud! From there you have a lovely, although not easy, roughly 4 miles long gradual climb to the ridge line. Lake Cachume provides a nice visual backdrop. At the ridge the trail joins with another path (and a nearby forest service road) that you can either take downhill to a lonely oak or head up uphill to continue to other peaks, such as the Broadcast peak dotted with multiple antennas. We scrambled uphill on a class 2 terrain to a rock perfect for a lunch break. From here we had excellent panoramic view extending from the lake to the ocean. The marine layer raising from the ocean reduced the visibility in that direction, but I bet that on a clear day, you can get amanzing views of the Channel islands, and even Santa Barbara. We were alone here, and really the only people we saw on the trail were two groups that were descending as we were heading up. There was another couple that reached the ridge about 20 minutes after us, but they opted to head to the oak instead.

Then on the way home, we stopped by the Tavern. What a truly unique place! I thought it will be some random road-side restaurant with a few patrons, but this is a bone-fide attraction. Cars were parked along the Stagecoach road for a good quarter mile before the restaurant. Once there, it was a party going on. A blues band, which I later found out is called Lenny Kerley Band, was jamming, as you can see, and hear, in the video below.

This being our first time, we were recommended to dine inside. Alternatives include grabbing a fresh tri-tip sandwich off the grill and then chilling on a log, listening to live music. That's what we will try the next time. Turns out this restaurant, in one form or another, has been around since 1886. Back in those days, it served as a stagecoach station where passerby travelers could exchange horses, get some rest, and of course, fresh food. We ordered their tri-tip sandwich, onion rings, a duck BLT sandwich, and a beer to share. All were excellent. On interesting tidbit I just learned off Wikipedia is that Cold Spring Tavern helped to popularize ranch dressing, which was created by the owner's friend at a near-by Hidden Valley Ranch.

After lunch we took a slight detour back to 154 by passing under the Cold Spring Canyon Arch Bridge. I have driven on this 400 ft tall bridge many time before but never really stopped to consider its significance, or what it passes over. Driving on the aptly named Stagecoach road made me realize that in the past, travelers had to descend into the valley before climbing back up. The bridge offers modern travelers hurling down CA-154 a much more horizontal alternative.

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