Santa Barbara Stair Tour 2026
Schedule
Sun, 19 Apr, 2026 at 08:30 am
UTC-07:00Location
Santa Barbara Public Market | Santa Barbara, CA
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A scenic day trip getaway, tour of Santa Barbara history, and stairwalk all in one! This is a 12.4 mile BRISK walk, with hills and lots of stairs, however there is a bail-out opportunity to cut your walk to 7.5 miles. Begins in downtown Santa Barbara, visits Old Mission Santa Barbara, upper Riviera area, Courthouse, Presidio, Amtrak station, south State and beach area, and Loma Alta hills. Approx stair counts: 1,557 total (991u/566d). Elevation gain/loss approx 1,781 feet (734' max elevation). ****PLEASE READ THROUGH EVERYTHING BELOW****
***IMPORTANT NOTE: We will start at 8:30AM sharp, so leave yourself plenty of time to get there, park, find a bathroom, coffee, etc. You are welcome to meet us along the route by referring to the route map linked below.
DETAILS OF THE WALK:
You haven't seen Santa Barbara until you've walked it (probably applies to anywhere!), and this Tour covers a broad swath of the city. (We last did this in 2018 on a 19 mile route, so this is much more manageable, while still quite challenging.) We start in front of the Santa Barbara Public Market on Victoria Street just off State Street, then we see a good chunk of the highlights of the city, stopping periodically for a quick history or informative story. Our route takes us past the Old Mission and Rose Garden, into the stair-streets and winding roads of the Riviera area, stopping at the ruins of the fascinating Franceschi house built in 1907, where some of the best views of the city can be found (fog permitting). We'll seek out the hidden bust of Francesco Franceschi, then descend back through the Laguna neighborhood and work our way downtown, to climb up a spectacular helical staircase to the Courthouse Clock Tower observation deck - the best view in downtown (hopefully lightning doesn't strike and stop the clock!), followed by a look at the Spanish Presidio and some of the oldest parts of the city. Moving down south State Street we'll traverse the Brinkerhoff landmark district, and see some notable old and new architecture. We'll check out the historic train depot, and take in the enormous Moreton Bay Fig Tree, planted in 1876. A series of pedestrian walkways leads us across the old Mission Creek to a view of Stearns Wharf. A short stint along the beachfront takes us into the foothills on the southeastern side of the city, presenting more spectacular views of the harbour and coastline, then we return to our starting point.
Dave Moorman will be leading the loop.
PARKING/TRANSPORTATION - Santa Barbara City parking structures 5, 6 and 4 are the closest, with 75 minutes free and $3/hour thereafter. Street parking is a challenge, but areas allowing all-day parking can be found, usually well away from State Street - PLEASE READ THE SIGNS! We are encouraging carpooling.
RESTROOMS/WATER - You can use the restrooms in the Public Market at the start, and the route has numerous restrooms and several water refill opportunities.
FOOD/DRINKS - snacks/drinks can be found at the start/end. Lots of great places within walking distance to eat afterward.
THINGS TO KNOW - despite the beach climate, it can get quite hot and you should plan to carry plenty of water - there are many places to refill however. All areas on the route should have solid cell coverage, so if you need to bail out and call a rideshare you should be good. We will regroup at the tops of any longer stairways, so don't feel bad about climbing slowly, however, we will be walking briskly along flatter areas (3mph+), so if you don't think you can keep up, then plan to have the map available on your phone (see map link below).
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Disclaimer:
Event is led by Dave Moorman. Please ensure that you are in good health before participating in the rigorous activity that this is. As the organizers, Dave Moorman assumes absolutely no responsibility for the participants. If you choose to participate, you assume all responsibility for yourself and agree not to hold the leaders, their helpers in the group, or any designated sweep <to be="" announced="" later=""> (the person walking at the rear) liable in any way.
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Google Map, with start/end location, stairway locations and step counts: https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/edit?mid=1QO20cT5k19fLRAPsumnlCo_HwCZiP3Y&usp=sharing</to>
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Where is it happening?
Santa Barbara Public Market, 38 W Victoria St,Santa Barbara, California, United StatesEvent Location & Nearby Stays:
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