Camino Cielo Road

Camino Cielo Road is a road which traverses the ridge-line of the Santa Ynez Mountains. It is geographically sorted into eastern and western sections, and is an important resource for numerous inholdings in the area, as well as fire prevention and access to various recreational areas.

West Camino Cielo

West Camino Cielo originates from the summit of California State Route 154 and proceeds west, terminating in numerous dirt roads which descend either to Gaviota or the Santa Ynez Valley. Local residences in the area are mostly concentrated in a strip parallel to California State Route 154, though others dot the road heading west. The road provides access to such locations as the popular climbing area Lizard's Mouth, the Winchester Gun Club, and most notably Ronald Reagan's Rancho del Cielo. On a less pleasant note, the body of Nicholas Markowitz was buried in a shallow grave near Lizard's Mouth after his abduction and [...].

East Camino Cielo

East Camino Cielo climbs steeply after departing from California State Route 154, proceeding to La Cumbre Peak, the highest mountain as viewed from Santa Barbara, CA. It passes the terminus of Painted Cave Road, and serves as a back route to the substantial inholding around Laurel Springs Ranch. It eventually turns and descends the front side of the mountain, ending behind the Rivera section of Santa Barbara, CA

Role in Fire Containment in the Area

Both East and West Camino Cielo are keystones of the wildfire prevention effort in Santa Barbara County. Due to the nature of chaparral brushfires, fire breaks are often the only solution, and the road crucially serves to keep a fire from jumping the ridge-line and moving down the canyons into Santa Barbara. To this end, the local inholdings govern themselves through a Wildlands Resident's Association, which meets periodically to coordinate preparedness efforts. The local volunteer fire department, centered around the community of Painted Cave, has won local recognition for its rapid response time. During both the Tea Fire and the Gap Fire, the Painted Cave Volunteer Fire Department were first responders, using the road to rapidly move men and material through otherwise inaccessible backcountry.