A postcard from 1914 depicting the La Cumbre Trail, the construction of which was paid for by the Santa Barbara Chamber of Commerce sometime around the turn of the nineteenth century.
The trail began on Mountain Drive and wound its way up the sun baked south slope of the Santa Ynez Mountains. It led past a rocky prominence known at the time as “Lookout Point” or “El Roco Grande,” which is commonly called Gibraltar Rock these days.
The narrow path continued on skirting the mountain and passing through nearby Flores Flats.
From there it led to the top of La Cumbre Peak for a total distance of about ten miles. The trail was built in an effort to open up previously inaccessible tracts of wilderness to horseback riders.
Bibliography:
Historical Overview of the Los Padres National Forest, E.R. “Jim” Blakley and Karen Barnette, (1985), P. 63.
A white shirt, tie, and vest. I guess the tuxedo was at the cleaners?
Interesting… so it sounds like this trail eventually became the route traced by today’s Gibraltar Road?
I’m glad you posted the update… I was at a loss as to where the original photo could have been taken from along the current Tunnel Trail.