Recreation Tour

MainTour Vacation Cruise Central
Planning your next getaway? Whether you are looking for a last-minute three-day cruise to the Bahamas or a 21-day cruise through the Orient several months from now, we can help with savings of up to 70%!

Tour Park City
This mountain community is home to three world class ski resorts and hosted several alpine venues of the 2002 Winter Olympics. The historic district is a bustling year-round draw for vacationers.

Southern California Outdoor Adventure
Astronomy - Observatories * Clubs
Aviation - Airports & Airshows
Beach - Adventure Guide
Biking - Trails * Clubs
Birding - Best parks and nature refuges
Boating - Rivers, Lakes and Marinas
Scouting - Youth Outdoor Groups
Camping - Campgrounds
Fishing - Guides & Outfitters
Ghost Towns - Trails * Clubs
Golf - Courses & Tournaments
Pacific Crest Trail - Trails * Clubs
Guest Ranches - Trails * Clubs
Equistrian - Horse Racing & Etc
Kayaking
Marathon - Road Races & Competitions
Recreation - Outdoor Recreation & Sports
Rock Climbing -
Scenic Trails -
Spelunking - Cave Explorers
State Parks - Recreational Programs
Summer Camps - Sports & Academics
Tennis - Courts & Tournaments
Watersports - Pools & Competition
Wildlife - Nature Preserves

Whale Watching Dec-Apr
Whales, dolphins, sea lions and other marine mammals can be seen year-round in the Santa Barbara Channel. This nutrient-rich area also sees the annual migration of nearly 30,000 California gray whales. Humpback whales can be seen May through September. Blue whales, the largest of all animals, appear in summer months.

Tour Channel Islands National Park
Accessible only by boat, these islands are a primary home for marine mammals and nesting sea birds. Primitive camping, diving, sportsfishing and boating opportunities abound.

Tour Los Padres National Forest
Large wilderness preserves covering coastal, desert and alpine terrain and sanctuary for the California Condor. Abundant camping, picnic grounds and hiking trail opportunities.

Santa Barbara County Beaches
Camping, hiking, wilderness trails, bike paths, surfing, watersports, fishing and other great aquatic activities.

Guadalupe / Nipomo Dunes
Visitor Center Open: Fri-Sun 2PM-4PM; Free Admission; (805) 343-2455;
Wilderness preserve with visitor center. Popular for whale watching, bird-watching, hiking on scenic trails, or picnicking.

Lake Cachuma County Park
Located 20 miles northwest of Santa Barbara on SR-154; (805) 688-4658;
Fishermen can find a well-stocked supply of bass, catfish, trout and bluegill (license required).

Andree Clark Bird Refuge
The refuge is located on the eastern edge of the City of Santa Barbara at the intersection of Highway 101 and East Cabrillo Boulevard. 29 acres (open water) plus shoreline riparian habitat; and beach lagoon at the spillway of the lake. (805) 564-5437.

Nojoqui Falls County Park
Alisal Road, Solvang, CA; (805) 934-6123; Park Webpage;
The only true waterfalls of Santa Barbara County are found 6 miles south of Solvang. Hillside hiking trail leads to 150 foot falls which is best viewed in rainy season (Jan-Apr). Ball Fields, BBQ Grills, Benches or Picnic Tables, Group Picnic Areas, Hiking Trails, Playground, Restrooms.



Annual Semana Nautica Summer Sports Festival - [JULY]
This event promotes athletic and recreational activity in Santa Barbara for all ages and abilities. Thousands of participants from the western United States will participate in every beach sport under the sun.

California Coastal National Monument
Established in 2000, the California Coastal National Monument runs the entire length of the California coast (1,100 miles) between Oregon and Mexico, extends 12 nautical miles from the shoreline, and encompasses thousands of BLM administered islands, rocks, exposed reefs, and pinnacles above mean high tide. These provide forage and breeding grounds for significant populations of coastal birds and sea mammals.

San Diego California Vacation Adventure
Includes special features on Sea World, Legoland, Balboa Park and other famous venues. Big directory of local theme parks and other spectacular attractions, entertainment, dining, world-class resorts, sports, recreation and much more.


Goleta Slough - bike trails and bird-watching
Goleta Pier - fishing
Goleta Beach - family swimming beach
Santa Barbara Shores - county park in Goleta (800) 646-5382
Lake Los Carneros - natural preserve.

Historic Santa Maria Inn
801 S. Broadway, Santa Maria CA 93454-6699
The Santa Maria Inn is a Full Service Historic Hotel Offering the Best of Both Worlds in First Class Accommodations. The Historic Original Inn Has a Quaint Bed and Breakfast Appeal With Victorian Charm While the Tower Section Offers a More Modern, Spacious Room With Bay Windows Often Preferred by Families and Business Travelers.

Whale Watching Dec-Apr
Whales, dolphins, sea lions and other marine mammals can be seen year-round in the nutrient-rich waters of the Santa Barbara Channel.

• Annual migration of nearly 30,000 California gray whales. Dec-Apr.
• Humpback whales can be seen May through September.
• Blue whales, the largest of all animals, appear in summer months.
  AKA Sunset Kidd's Charters - (805) 962-8222
  Captain Don's Cruises - (805) 969-5217
  Double Dolphin Cruises - (805) 962-2826
  Island Packer Cruises - (805) 642-1383
  Santa Barbara Sailing Center - (800) 350-9090
  Sea Landing Aquatic Center - (888) 77WHALE
  Spike Africa Schooner Co - (805) 963-3564
  Wave Walker - (805) 964-2046
  Santa Barbara Harbor Patrol - (805) 564-5520

Book Las Vegas Show Tickets - Big listing of all major productions and special events.

Both deep-sea and surf fishing are popular in the Santa Barbara Channel.

Pier fishing is available at Stearns Wharf and Goleta Beach.

Santa Barbara Boating Saltwater Venues:
Gary Bulla's Fly Fishing Adventures - Saltwater fishing, surf fishing, casting clinics
Stardust - deep-sea sportfishing charters
Wave Walker Charters - deep-sea sportfishing charters -
Captain Don's Cruises - (805) 969-5217
Hornet Sportfishing - (805) 966-2212

ABC Air Sports - paragliding
Fly Above All - paragliding
Sky Dive Santa Barbara - Sky-diving
Spitfire Aviation - Sightseeing flights over the coastline, mountains and Santa Ynez Valley.
Windhaven Glider Rides - Scenic flights
Hang Glider Emporium - 200 ft training hill (805) 965-3733

Anacapa Dive Center - (805) 963-8917
Aquatics - (805) 967-4456
California Watersports - (805) 964-0180

Adventours Outdoor Excursions - (805) 963-2248
Aqua Sports - (805) 968-7231
Harbor Watersports - (805) 962-4890

Santa Barbara Diving Excurions:
Anacapa Dive Center - Dive trips and Scuba classes
Santa Barbara Aquatics - Dive equipment sales
Truth Aquatics - Channel Island Dive excursions

Santa Barbara Private Campgrounds:
El Capitan Canyon - Private campground - facilities.
Rancho Oso - Private campground - facilities

Wilderness Horseback Riding:
Rancho Oso - Leads overnight trail rides
Circle Bar B Ranch - Trail day-rides to Los Padres Forest

Santa Barbara Biking Venues:
Santa Barbara Bicycle Coalition - Local bike tour info and maps
Adventure Outdoor Excursions - Customized group bike tours
Big Gear Bike Gear - Rents bikes and beach cruisers
Cycles 4 Rent - Bike rental site.
Santa Barbara Adventure Co - Customized bike tours
Wheel Fun Rentals - Bike rentals

Santa Barbara Harbor
The Santa Barbara Harbor is a popular destination for fantastic views of the sea and the mountains. It is a working harbor where you can witness the ongoing operations of commercial fishing boats, private sailboats, catamarans, yachts and ferries. It is also home to several outstanding seafood restaurants.

Santa Barbara Boating Freshwater Venues:
Condor Cruises - Channel Island excursions
Santa Barbara Sailing Center - Rents powerboats and yachts

Channel Cat
Charter one of the largest luxury sailing catamarans in the world. 85-foot ingeniously built yacht is the romantic backdrop for fantasy weddings and special events.

County of Santa Barbara - Community Services and Events
UCSB Gauchos - Intercollegiate Sports in Santa Barbara

GPS Gear
Popular for Runners, Boaters, Hikers, Bikers and Adventurers
Recent technology updates have made readily affordable for outdoor adventures a nifty item - the GPS Watch. It uses 3D Global Positioning Satellite (GPS) technology to triangulate your position and elevation to within 20 ft accuracy. Prices and great quality GPS watches now run less than $100 from quality manufactures such as Garmin and Navman. This equipment is popular for athletes to track their race and training trip progress. Adventurers like these to track their position or do geo-cache exploration.

Key GPS features to look for:

• Trip Odometer - tracks your distance traveled between start and finish.
• Trip Timer - Used with the Odometer it can calculate your average trip pace. Some have pause feature.
• Electronic Compass - Never get loss again.
• 3D Location - Display position by Latitude, Longitude and Elevation.
• Battery Size & Life -
• Watch Size and Weight -
• Route Track - Customized Trip Map with waypoint markers.
• Lap History -