Franklin Trail

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Franklin Trail is one of the oldest trails in the area, with its history beggining before San Marcos Pass was created to bring visitors over the mountains into the backcountry. A popular destination, the Franklin Trail begins in an urban setting, taking you from lot-to-vista in 2 miles with a great lookout over Carpinteria, Santa Barbara and the Channel Islands. Franklin Trail, a historic 100-year old trail, is one of the “newest” trails in the area, being created only after agreements were made, allowing hikers to gain access to the trail for multi-use purposes.

Within 2 miles of the trailhead area, you'll arrive at a prime spot (with a bench) with spectacular vistas of Carpinteria, Santa Barbara, and the Channel Islands. This is a good front country, moderate, singletrack, well-maintained trail that is very popular for families and individuals alike.

Los Padres National Forest hosted a trail maintenance project along the backcountry portion of the Franklin Trail for 2016 National Public Trails Day. There are three phases of Franklin Trail (Phase 3 is closed), with Phase 1 being the first 2 miles of trail. Phase 2 provides three more miles of hiking fire roads, ranch roads, with the trail moving up-and-down into wild areas. There is no water or shade in Phase 2 section. Phase 3 is closed, but will eventually take you to the area where Jameson Lake is located, deep in Los Padres National Forest. Visit the trail's website for more information.