Devils Canyon Trail aka Tunnel Trail North

Dogs Leashed

Features River/Creek

With Tunnel Trail, this is the original route taken by workers who built Gibraltar Dam and the tunnel that brings its water to Santa Barbara. To access it, hike a quarter mile down the gated portion of Gibraltar Road to the trailhead. The sign for the trailhead is a short way down the trail. The top portion is generally considered a part of Matias Potrero Trail and drops down to that trail while having plenty of views of the backcountry.

Take a sharp right at the signed junction to descend into a lovely canyon. Look up the sides to the north and you might see some of the poles that once brought power to the dam and the lookout on La Cumbre Peak. These are similar to the ones that can be seen along Tunnel Trail South. Continue and the canyon gets tighter.

The trail crosses the creek frequently and poison oak can be hard to avoid. It is difficult to believe that there was once a road up the canyon although a gate for that road can still be found. It comes out at the service road from Red Rock to Gibraltar Dam. Take a right (east) to actually visit the dam and reservoir.

poison oak