Discover the Trails Council
The Santa Barbara County Trails Council was founded in 1967 by community members for one simple reason: the trails community needed an advocate for their interests at the County level to support trail access and ensure that our trails would be maintained.
For many years, the Trails Council have dogged the heels of county supervisors to promote trails, including backcountry trails in the San Rafael Wilderness, equestrian trails throughout the county, and bikeways in the South Coast area. Board member Vie Obern spearheaded many of the Trails Council's early achievements:
- CRAHTAC, the County Riding and Hiking Trails Advisory Committee serves as the Couty's watchdog for trail concerns and has been instrumental in developing new trail access and protecting our trails.
- The Trails Element was added to the County's Master Plan in 1980. Through the Trails Element and community planning process, Park Recreational Trails (or PRTs) have been added to the master plan to be considered for future development. As a result, trails such as the Franklin Trail in Carpinteria and sections of the Coastal Trail have been opened to the public.
- Creation of the Atascadero Creek Bikeway. First proposed by Vie and George Obern in 1967, it became the first of many local Santa Barbara bikeways. The Atascadero bikeway was renamed the Obern Trail in 2004 to honor their efforts.
Today, Trails Council both honors our founding members' achievements and commits ourselves to building upon the foundation they worked so hard to create.
Mission
The Santa Barbara County Trails Council (Trails Council) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that has worked to improve our local community for over fifty years.
Our mission is to protect public trail access, build and maintain safe and
sustainable trails, and promote public engagement in land stewardship and
trail use for all types of outdoor recreation.
- Who We Are
- What We Do
- Who Do We Serve