La Cumbre Peak is a 3,995 foot (1,217 meters) peak in the Santa Ynez Mountains

Santa Ynez Mountains

The Santa Ynez Mountains are a portion of the Transverse Ranges, part of the Pacific Coast Ranges of the west coast of North America, and are one of the northernmost mountain ranges in Southern California.-Geography:...

 north of Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara, California

Santa Barbara is the county seat of Santa Barbara County, California, United States. Situated on an east-west trending section of coastline, the longest such section on the West Coast of the United States, the city lies between the steeply-rising Santa Ynez Mountains and the Pacific Ocean...

, California

California

California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...

. Made up of boulders and slabs of the Matilija Sandstone

Matilija Sandstone

The Matilija Sandstone is a sedimentary geologic unit of Eocene age, found in Santa Barbara and Ventura Counties in Southern California. It consists of thick layers of sandstone, made up of grains of feldspar and quartz from a granitic source rock, interbedded with thin layers of siltstone and shale...

 amid groves of pine trees, it is the highest summit near to the city. Higher summits in the Santa Ynez Range can be found to the west (Santa Ynez Peak) and east (Divide Peak).

The road to the top – East Camino Cielo

Camino Cielo Road

Camino Cielo Road is a road which traverses the ridge-line of the Santa Ynez Mountains of Southern California. Geographically, it is divided into eastern and western sections, and is an important passage for adjacent inholdings in the area, for fire prevention and firefighting purposes, access to...

– is frequently used by runners and cyclists for training, as the elevation gain is substantial and sustained, while there is relatively little car traffic.