Romero Canyon Trail reopens after storm damage with the help of work crews and volunteers

MONTECITO, Calif. - The popular Romero Canyon Trail in the Montecito hills opens this weekend thanks to the work of several dedicated groups

They include the Los Padres National Forest Volunteers headed by Dave Everett, Los Padres Forest Association crews and the Montecito Trails Foundation volunteers.

They have been working in collaboration with the Los Padres National Forest on restoring the area.

The crews have cleared debris from storms and hardened the trails to make them safe for hikers. Some are still a concern but hikers and mountain bikers will work them in soon.

The trailhead is off Romero Canyon road and near Bella Vista. The area has had access issues dating back to the 2017 Thomas Fire followed by the Montecito mudflow in 2018 and the violent winter storms in January of 2023.

Many access points were cut off and had to be redesigned.

Everett said in an email to KEYT Newschannel 3 he has "been making repairs to the Romero Canyon Trail for the past 11 months in my spare time due to the major storm damage caused by the Jan 2023 storms." He also credits the Santa Barbara County Search and Rescue Team with assistance on the projects. (Everett was featured in this KEYT report in 2019 :   https://keyt.com/news/2019/07/12/trail-volunteers-celebrate-full-restoration-of-romero-canyon-trail/ ). He says has been "a trail volunteer for more than a decade with the Los Padres National Forest."

Some hikers have been on the trail despite the closure signs. Some have had safety or injury issues in the last year requiring a response from the Montecito Fire Protection District and the Santa Barbara County Search and Rescue Team.

The Montecito Trails Foundation has been actively working on the trail improvements at Romero and many other areas in the front country. This is all in collaboration with the Los Padres National Forest and in coordination with the volunteer groups and at times, paid crews.

Often after weather impacts the volunteers do trail assessments and develop an improvement plan. This work assists the Los Padres National Forest.

The trail is not completely open. A map with specific areas that remain off limits is posted. Some of those areas are dangerously missing sections and hikers are advised not to get into those slide zones. "The jeep road has a very gradual climb as an old historic road. It used to be a two lane road back to the back country, people love that  it is a gentle climb. It is seven miles to the top, it's going to remain closed," said Ashley Mayfield, Montecito Trails Foundation President. The Foundation was established in 1964.

Closure signs at the trailhead have been removed. The forest service says the trail will be open with its authorization order Saturday January 27.

For those exploring Mayfield says, "nature is nature and you go at your own pace and so for some people that means the first creek crossing and that delivers enough. You put your toes in the creek and that delivers enough. You get the sounds. You get  the birds."

She expects many people to use the trail and says, "we really see a lot of great etiquette out here. People are happy to be out here."

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