A Central Coast of California Road Trip: Day 1
This would not be my first time up the coast. It would be my first coastal road trip solo.
The plan was traveling up the coast and to add in a hike or two on my way up to Pinnacles National Park about 6 hrs drive from my home. I decided I would stop in Santa Barbara for my first hike of the trip.
Inspiration Point
I ended up leaving an hour later than I wanted to from Orange County. After 4 hours of driving through some fun traffic in LA and Oxnard, I finally arrived at the Inspiration Point trailhead. I had not hiked any of these trails and there are several here.
I made my way up the road, about 1/4 mile from where I had to park, toward the Inspiration Point Trailhead. It would be a late start as I needed to park .25 mile from the trailhead, along a pullout on the road.
It was around 9:45 am as I passed the gate across the fire road.
It was a foggy sort of morning at first as I trod up an uneventful fire road.
After hiking for about 15 minutes, the sun began to come out, warming things up fast as the craggy pinnacles and Cathedral Peak emerged off in the distance. I was standing in awe of this place, excited about a new adventure, though I had no idea what I would soon encounter along this trail.
The night before I decided that the 5.1 mile climb to Cathedral Peak and Arlington Peak sounded interesting.
This hike was said to include class 2/3 scrambling, which I had done recently out in the desert of Anza Borrego. I also had some beginner level rock climbing experience, and am not a terrible climber, I have been told. So I brought my helmet and wore my approach shoes for this trek, thinking why not at least try this scramble?
Cathedral Peak and Seven Falls
After about a mile along a fire road, the trail branches off from Jesusita Trail. I could have continued on the Tunnel Trail, which was wide and flat up the ridge, or climbed to Bubbs Peak, off to the right, which is a short trail, but had Cathedral Peak on my mind.
I continued on Jesusita Trail until another right along a more narrow trail, where I soon crossed a stream. There were plenty of wildflowers here this time of year which was nice.
After the stream crossing, the trail branched off again.
I headed up the steep narrow trail, bound for Cathedral Peak, again surrounded by wildflowers amongst dense trees and shrubs.
It was quite rocky and the official scramble began about 1.2 miles along. I was going very slow, since I had to pull myself up and over these, and watch my step.
I came to an overlook, and got a glimpse of Seven Falls for the first time, down below, a hike I figured I could link up to and check out on the way back.
By about 11 am, I had only traveled about 1.7 miles over the massive rocks.
But I soon realized, with the stone heating up, it was not in the cards to reasonably finish this hike today. The rocks might be too hot to handle and I was already baking in my helmet.
I continued a bit further, beyond my comfort zone. with 12-15 foot drops, this was starting to get a bit hairy and dangerous.
It was now around 11 am. As I rested, dangling my legs off a ledge, it was sinking in, that I would have to turn back, to re-think this one, and bring the cavalry on the return. Cathedral Peak was not going anywhere, but I needed to get back, as I was way past turn around time. This 5 miler, would maybe take 5 hours, and that was more than I had allotted. Everything was decieving, the mileage and the gain. It was hot, and I was baking now. I still had a ways to go just driving north, if I were to make it to my campsite in Morro Bay by evening.
*In retrospect, an early start around 6am would have been ideal since this was a slow climb over class 2/3 boulders. The 5 miles was very deceiving, and I would soon find out, so was the hike to the falls.*
This was as far as I got on this one on the way to Cathedral Peak. I stopped at an overlook for a short rest, and then headed back, deciding to just opt for Seven Falls, to cool off, before continuing north on my road trip to Pinnacles National Park.
I noticed a connector trail on Alltrails to the falls and decided to try it. Boy was it steep! I had to grip this steel cable at times on the way down to the falls.
It was a beautiful falls.
I even soaked my feet and took a brief dip, after observing a group of boys jump in, with one hitting the bottom. Did not seem like a good plan, but they kept at it. There was a newt mysteriously swimming in the water too.
It was now almost 12 noon, and I decided to make my way back from this oasis. I noticed a bright blue dragonfly, and a racer snake. It felt like a place teeming with critters, and I was on the lookout for rattlesnakes.
Finding my way along the stream was tricky. I put my helmet back on, since the rock was slick, and there were drops, along with no defined trail.
I continued criss-crossing back and forth across the streambed, which was flowing low, and filled with algae.
I finally made it through this maze and back to where the trail at originally branched off.
I made it back to the car around 12:45 pm.
Wow, what an adventure that was, on a smaller scale than my last scramble, in Anza Borrego a month prior. My plan was to head north, and embark on a beach hike of some sort, to cool off, and that hike would end up being in Montana Del Oro.
The Lost Backpacking Quilt
My purple backpacking quilt rolled out of the car…
*If by chance you or someone you know found a purple quilt in a grey sac by the Inspiration Trailhead on March 25th, 2026 on a turnout in the road, it would be a true miracle to get it back. It was a 0 degree Enlightened Equipment down quilt I use for backpacking. I can only do overnights now, and carry max 12 lbs, so I do need something like this for that. Thank you in advance if you find it. Message me here or on instagram.*
Note: If I don’t get it back, I hope whoever is using it now is blessed with having it. Maybe you needed it more than me.
I hope you enjoyed reading this, and it is helpful in knowing what to expect, should you decide to visit here.
The Essentials
Just be sure to come prepared, bring the 10 essentials, and Pack Out Your Trash to keep the wilderness pristine for future hikers.
About me
I’m Serafina! I’m a writer and California girl who loves to go exploring. Hope you will get outside today, breathe some fresh air, and be happy!
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Disclaimer:
The work on this blog is my opinion and my opinion alone and I am not responsible for the outcome if someone were to apply these thoughts to their own life. All text and photography copyright 2026 by Serafina, all rights reserved. Information and opinions provided are kept current to the best of the author’s ability. All readers’ usage of the ideas and opinions presented in the blog, are at their own risk. Be aware of the possible dangers of hiking, surfing, walking, cooking, and other activities, which may take place indoors or outdoors. By reading this, you agree not to hold the author or publisher of the content on this web site responsible for any injuries or inconveniences that may result from reading the blog, or partaking in any activity mentioned in the blog. Read the blog, and use its ideas, if you so desire, at your own risk.
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