The Santa Ynez Recreational Area is located about 15 miles north of Santa Barbara. You take HWY 154 (San Marcos Pass) to Paradise Road and turn right. There are several campgrounds in the area and the famous Red Rock swimming hole.
My recent visit consisted of hiking the Camuesa OHV route. I actually didn't know what trail I was on until later but seems to be a popular place for OHVs (Off-Highway Vehicles) and horseback riding. To get there, you drive about 8 miles along Paradise Road, passing camp sites and even driving through water (it was about 1/4 ft deep but gets much deeper in rainy seasons) until you get to Upper Oso Campground. There is a parking lot there although you will need an Adventure Pass ($5 from one of the kiosks along Paradise Rd or the Ranger Station) in order to park.
The trail starts at Upper Oso Campground and the beginning of the trail is along a stream. A little ways down the trail, there is a fork in the road. The one I didn't take (Santa Cruz Trail) was a narrower path and looked absolutely beautiful (I'll try it next visit). The path I took wound around mountains, with sometimes a very steep slope. At the top of the mountains, the view of the surrounding area is spectacular. Besides a couple of people at the campground, I didn't see one person on the trail the entire 2+ hours. I didn't run into any wildlife while on the trail, but there are surely plenty in the area and there were about 8 dear in the parking lot as I was leaving.
