San Marcos Foothills Preserve
San Marcos Foothills Preserve Open Space / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The San Marcos Foothills Preserve is a 301–acre open space located between Santa Barbara and Goleta, California and owned by the County of Santa Barbara Parks Division.[1] The preserve provides views of the nearby Santa Ynez Mountains, the Pacific Ocean, and the Channel Islands. [2] The Preserve provides feeding grounds for many dozens of birds, including American kestrels, kites, hawks, roadrunners, and for other animals including bobcats and coyotes.[2] The preserve is open for low-impact recreation to the public, which includes hiking/running on trails, and bird watching. The Preserve is considered a bird watching “hotspot” by the birding community[3] [4] Since it is a nature preserve, high-impact uses such as bicycling, horseback riding and off-leash dogs are not allowed. [5]