Tensions over Montecito Hot Springs Boil Over

Though the hot springs in Montecito have existed since geologic time, they became a worldwide phenomenon during the pandemic when social media laid breadcrumbs to their exact location, past gated homes and up a rock-strewn trail. A dozen soaking pools and the occasional campfire ring testify to the hundreds of visitors who come day and night, facts that make homeowners who lived through the devastating Tea Fire in 2008 very nervous.

Things came to a head recently, when reports came down from the hills of residents dismantling pools and a hiker who caught them red-handed. Videos record verbal taunting back and forth and some scuffling as the video-maker passes on the narrow trail in an attempt to film faces.

Conflict is the last thing on the mind of anyone relaxing at the hot springs. A recent visit found only the sound of gushing water and quiet conversations. One man said he often came for the healthful benefits of the sulfur-y water.

The springs lie within the boundaries of Los Padres National Forest, though the trailhead on Mountain Drive starts in the County of Santa Barbara. As head of Los Padres’ Santa Barbara District, it falls to Ranger Daryl Hodges to broker a peace between anxious homeowners and longtime pool users.

The pools vary from practically paved to ad hoc tumbles of rock and silt. | Credit: Courtesy

No one’s been authorized or has permits to do anything up there, said Hodges, who added that pools impounding the waters is indeed considered a change to the flow of the stream, which is one of the arguments expressed to remove them. Back in the day, he had heard, tarps were used to hold the water and then removed.

Supervisor Das Williams, often out hiking with his kids, said it was time for neighbors and hikers at odds over Montecito’s hot springs to “take a step back and respond to each other rationally, not emotionally.” | Credit: Courtesy

“I am open to talking with all of the community members about all of their concerns. What we need to do is figure out how to collaborate,” Hodges said, “how to manage the springs as a group: agencies, organizations, nonprofits. This is not going away.” And, Hodges said, he did not want anyone to get hurt.

Das Williams agreed. The county supervisor for the Montecito area, Williams said, “I think it’s time to step back and respond to each other rationally, not emotionally. I would also say, treat the area and each other with respect.”

Williams noted that most of the pool users were locals: “They have a right to use the trail, too,” he said, “just as the trail users need to park in a way that does not destroy private property. And they need to definitely stay away from anything that would cause a fire because that would be a real disaster.”

The fabled pools cause parking issues on the streets, in part due to the white edge line added along Riven Rock Road, which restricts parking. Previously, the hordes had parked anywhere during the pandemic, a chaos that slipped onto Mountain Drive. Homeowners added barriers to protect their landscaping and driveways. This led to a lawsuit between several homeowners and the county over the road shoulder, with the courts finding that the public right of way belonged to the county.

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Anxious to park close to the trailhead, visitors to the Hot Springs Trail are parking on what is intended to be a walking path. | Credit: Courtesy

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Anxious to park close to the trailhead, visitors to the Hot Springs Trail are parking on what is intended to be a walking path. | Credit: Courtesy

According to Chris Sneddon, the head of Public Works and the county’s Roads Commissioner, about a dozen of the properties near the trailhead will have to reestablish the road shoulder. This might add 12-15 more parking spaces in the coming months, Sneddon said, to the eight that a homeowner has long provided at the trailhead. Where the topography, trees, or driveways make the width too narrow for a car, a walkable shoulder is a viable alternative, Sneddon said.

A bright-white painted line delineates the area to park legally, outside the lane of travel. “This ensures full access for emergency services, as well as safe ingress and egress to the area,” Sneddon said. “We don’t want to see people getting tickets or getting towed, but the roadway needs to remain clear, so people should only park where they can do so safely and on the right side of the line.”

A second homeowner recently stepped up to voluntarily clear new parking and walking spaces, Williams said. Hikers, however, have piled their cars into the entire space, as many as 20 last weekend.

“He’s applying for an encroachment permit to protect his driveway line of sight,” Williams said, and for a curb or guardrail to protect the pedestrian pathway that’s now being occupied by vehicles. Williams thought the owner was doing the right thing and should get the permit. “And we don’t just deny a permit,” he added. “We would say, make a change that we can support.”

For District Ranger Hodges, his main concern is any campfire without a minder: “If it’s untended, it could get away during a wind event. There’s the potential for a major wildfire back there, and people’s houses could be affected.”

What Hodges envisions as a potential solution is education in the form of interpretive signs. “They would tell people to pack out their trash, the fire restrictions, the history of the area. They would give the understanding that this is a cherished area and should be treated as well as could be.”