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Gibraltar Road and East Camino Cielo, Santa Ynez Mountains, California
Photo: Damian Gadal · CC BY 2.0

Drives California The Central Coast

Gibraltar Road and East Camino Cielo

Santa Ynez Mountains, California · Santa Barbara → East Camino Cielo near Highway 154

Intense16.6 mi1 hr4,100 ft climbHigh point ≈ 3,900 ftOne way
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The drive

This drive leaves Santa Barbara at Alameda Padre Serra and climbs Gibraltar Road up the front of the Santa Ynez Mountains, gaining about 4,100 feet in hairpins and tight bends. The road narrows and twists near the top and ends at a T-junction with East Camino Cielo, the ridge road that runs along the crest through Los Padres National Forest.

From the crest the views take in the Pacific Ocean and the Channel Islands to the west and the Santa Ynez Mountains to the east. La Cumbre Peak, the county's highest point, is about 1.4 miles west of the junction. East Camino Cielo then follows the ridge to Highway 154. Storms in January 2023 caused slides and washouts that closed Gibraltar Road and East Camino Cielo for over a year, and the city finished its slope and drainage repairs in 2024.

Along the way

  1. Santa Barbara (Alameda Padre Serra)
  2. Gibraltar Road
  3. East Camino Cielo
  4. East Camino Cielo near Highway 154
Elevation
4,100 ft of climbing · high point ≈ 3,900 ft
Santa BarbaraEast Camino Cielo near Highway 154
Curves
Twisty most of the way
Santa BarbaraEast Camino Cielo near Highway 154
GentleHairpins

Good to know

  • The road is narrow, with blind corners that have a history of serious cyclist and vehicle accidents, especially on the descent.
  • There is no water or other provision along the climb.
  • East Camino Cielo is a Forest Service road, and parts of it have been closed in the past for storm damage and road construction; check the Los Padres alerts before you go.
  • Rocks can fall onto the road after rain.

Open all year, weather permitting. Roads close for snow, fire, storms and repairs: before you set off, check Los Padres National Forest: alerts.

Questions about this drive

How long does Gibraltar Road and East Camino Cielo take?

Gibraltar Road and East Camino Cielo make a 16.6-mile drive from Santa Barbara to Highway 154 and take about an hour.

How twisty is Gibraltar Road?

Very. The route is rated Intense and twisty most of the way, with hairpins on the climb and a narrower, twistier road near the top.

Is Gibraltar Road open?

It reopened after being closed for over a year following the January 2023 storms. The city completed slope and drainage repairs in 2024, but check the Forest Service alerts for East Camino Cielo.

What can you see from East Camino Cielo?

The ridge road looks out over the Pacific Ocean and the Channel Islands to the west and the Santa Ynez Mountains to the east.

What you get in the app

Turn by turn, on this roadSpoken directions along the exact route. Carve never reroutes you onto a faster one.
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Distance, time, elevation, curves and intensity are from Carve's route. Checked 2026-10-28.

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Map of Gibraltar Road and East Camino Cielo, from Santa Barbara to East Camino Cielo near Highway 154