Between the steep, sculpted mountains and the Pacific Coast, you’ll find one of the most beautiful areas in the country – Santa Barbara County. The impressive landscape is dotted with picturesque cities, ranches, and sweeping vineyards. The city of Santa Barbara is the county seat, but Santa Maria is the largest city.
California is an ideal location for those who enjoy outdoor adventures, and Santa Barbara County is no exception. Channel Islands National Park features eight islands with over 2,000 species of plants and animals – 145 of which are unique to the islands and can’t be found anywhere else in the world. Camping, kayaking, backpacking, scuba diving, and hiking are all popular park pastimes.
The main forest lands of Los Padres National Forest are located in Santa Barbara County, as well. At nearly 2 million acres, this immense forest includes rivers, mountain ranges, beaches, cliffs, waterfalls, and wilderness areas. Backpacking and day hiking are popular activities with 1,257 miles of trails to explore. Camping, fishing, OHV trail riding, picnicking, horseback riding, rock hunting, surfing, and swimming are also popular.
With so much natural beauty, Santa Barbara is a popular destination for tourists. The city’s tourism industry includes many resorts, restaurants, hotels, and shops. Other key parts of the economy include education, health care, agriculture, and technology. Santa Barbara is also home to several universities and colleges, including the University of California-Santa Barbara, Antioch University, Westmont College, and Santa Barbara City College.
Santa Maria, the largest city in the county, has an impressive wine industry. In addition to its vineyards and wineries, the area produces celery, lettuce, strawberries, peas, squash, spinach, broccoli, and other fruits and vegetables. In addition, several cattle ranches dot the area. A coastal region, Santa Maria is famous for its seafood and is a popular area for sport-fishing. Because of its location and natural beauty, Santa Maria is frequently used as a filming location.
Santa Barbara County is home to actors and actresses, musicians, sports legends, and celebrities. It is also home to historic sites, an amazing landscape, theaters and museums, five-star restaurants, legendary shopping, and that perfect California weather.
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