Friday, April 22: Earth Day Exploration: Hike the Live Oak Trail
East end of Cachuma from the high point. Photo by John Evarts.
Field trip with Society and area naturalists
Friday, April 22, 8:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
Participation is limited to 15. Advance registration opens at 9:00 a.m. for Members on March 22 and for Nonmembers on April 12 at syvnhs@syvnature.org or 805/ 693-5683.
Members $10 / Nonmembers $25/ Children $5
Masks are optional for those who have been vaccinated (Subject to change).
Close-up of fossils on the trail. Photo by John Evarts.
Spend Earth Day exploring the Cachuma Live Oak Trail—a first hiking excursion for the Santa Ynez Valley Natural History Society since the trail opened in April 2021. Society board members and area naturalists will combine efforts to guide and interpret features of the landscape and trailside. Several geologic formations are easily observed in the area, ranging in age from perhaps 15,000 years (the latest deposits of the Paso Robles Formation) to 10 to 20 million years (the earliest deposits of the Monterey Formation). Several formations can be distinguished from others—at times from one step on the trail to the next, for example, the diatom-rich Sisquoc Formation (the same as found in Lompoc). The fine dust of some formations reveal daily commutes of the abundant animal life of the area, including jack rabbits, snakes, darkling beetles, lizards, deer, mountain lions, and more.
We’ll pass through several plant communities; traverse expansive river terraces of valley oak savannas, cross slopes of coastal sage scrub, and stall in shady oak woodland habitat. We may walk as far as the Santa Cruz Creek watershed, where Gray Pine reach their lowest elevation from further inland.
The Live Oak trail system is extensive, and our naturalists will scout easy-to-moderate routes four to six miles long and having maximum ecological diversity. Equip yourselves with typical hiking supplies: Water, sack lunch, hat, sunscreen, walking poles, layered clothing. Meeting and trip details will be provided to trip registrants.
A possible lunch stop in the oak woodland. Photo by John Evarts.
County Park Notes: Live Oak trails are through an active cattle and horse ranch where you may come in contact with grazing cattle and horses. Parking is below Live Oak camp, east of Cachuma Lake and accessible from Hwy 154. A $10 Cachuma day use pass per vehicle or a County Parks annual pass can be purchased at Cachuma Lake or at the cash-only iron pay station at the trailhead. Payment for Live Oak includes access to Cachuma Lake for the day
