Touring * Beginner * Street *

Five miles north of Santa Barbara on U.S. 101/State Highway 1, take the State Highway 217/UCSB exit and follow this short highway all the way to the campus. Park in one of the lots on campus. Map: The Official Bike Map of Santa Barbara, Goleta, Montecito, Summerland, and Carpenteria; available free by calling (805) 568-3232.

You'll find plenty of lawn-bordered, 12-foot-wide (and double-wide), smooth, concrete pathways on this campus. Street skaters will delight in the profusion of stairs, ramps, and curbs. At the shoreline edge of campus near Lagoon Road is a stunning view of the Pacific--it's hard not to envy the students who get to see this every day! The most obvious place to skate is a well-marked bike path that runs through and around the main campus area, sometimes with a meridian strip between lanes. Where pedestrian walkways cross the path, 18-inch knobby strips border either side, so sidewalk skaters will want to jump over these rude obstacles. The large, central section of campus is also paved, but stay attentive to the surface; there are a few raised edges that might trip you. You'll also notice telltale shiny edges on concrete tree planters that have obviously seen a lot of grinding action. Nearby, wide, shaded sidewalks cross the lawn to connect campus buildings. If you're a daring soul, take the connection trail next to Lagoon Road, down the steep hill to Goleta County Beach, where you can have a picnic or hook up with the Atascadero or Maria Ygnacia Creek trails. (See the tour descriptions in the next two listings.) The descent is very rough and steeply pitched, with a few cracks to add to the thrill; beginners and skaters without a heel brake will want to carry their skates down.