Parks Department

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School Field Trip ActivitiesCachuma Bird

Lake Cruise
30-Passenger pontoon boat. Life vests provided and worn at all times. Santa Barbara County Parks offers field trips at Cachuma Lake for K-8 students. Outings can include a lake cruise, nature walk, and a visit to the Cachuma Lake Nature Center. Visits focus on watersheds, the ecology of oak woodland, savannah, and lake habitats. General emphasis touches on traditional Chumash lifeways, plant life, geology, wildlife observations, and resident and migratory birds, including Bald Eagles. See below for full descriptions and booking information. These trips run year-round.
Length: 1.25 hours, with programs generally starting at 9:30 am.
Limit: Minimum 20*, maximum 90 people.
Cruise Fee: $5 for youth ages 4-12, $15 for adults.
Park Entry: $35/bus; $8/auto.

*Booking Requirement: Minimum of 15 people needed to make an exclusive Lake Cruise booking outside of general public cruise times— for small groups see “Wildlife and Eagle Cruises.”

Nature Center
The Nature Center is a dream-come-true for curious young naturalists, scientists, and archaeologists. It offers touch tables, intriguing exhibits, games, and hands-on activities. Students use all of their senses to learn about Chumash history, settler history, geology, birds, animals, plants, and more.
Length: ½ to 1 hour
Nature Center Fee: None
Park Entry: $35/bus; $8/auto
NOTE: Bookings for just the Nature Center are limited to 35 people or fewer.

Acorn WoodpeckerNature Walk
This exploration takes us from a bird’s to an insect’s eye view of the oak savanna, oak woodland, chaparral and lakeside habitats, where we witness the intimacies of the web of life and emphasize adaptive qualities of organisms in our Mediterranean climate. Easily observed are quail, woodpeckers, lizards, and bird and animal nests. We examine plants along the trail and those used traditionally by Chumash people.
Length: ½ to 1 hour
Nature Walk Fee: None
Park Entry: $35/bus; $8/auto
Limit: No minimum group size requirement. Large groups are divided

How To Schedule a Field Trip
Call the Naturalists’ Office at (805) 688-4515, or email mkelly@co.santa-barbara.ca.us, Tuesday through Friday, at least 5 months in advance; short notice can sometimes work out.

  • Schedule a single activity or all, depending on your time and needs.
  • We offer programs Tuesday through Friday.
  • Age Groups: Programs are tailored appropriately to age group: K - 6, middle school.
  • Field trip length: 9:30 am to 1:30 pm when participating in all 3 activities.
  • Group size: We can accommodate up to 30 people on the cruise boat at one time. For larger groups, we can split the group into halves or thirds and rotate them between the cruise, the Nature Center, and the Nature Walk.
  • Adult to child ratio: 1 adult to 10 children
  • Parking Fees: Park Use Fee: $35/bus; $8/auto.