Gould Park
About
Gould Park is a city park managed by the City of Santa Barbara, about 3.8 miles from Mission Canyon. It sits within the Santa Barbara Ranger District of Los Padres National Forest. Spring and fall are the most comfortable times to visit. Typical averages from a nearby weather station show April highs around 76°F and October highs around 83°F, while July and August average in the mid-90s. Climbers will find the Morning Glory and Jacked and Tan areas about a mile away. The Tunnel Connector and Rock Garden Trail are both roughly 1.9 miles off.
Park size
3,420 acres
Inside this park
Trails
Facts about this place
When to go
Best time to go: Oct–May. The mildest months here, with typical highs of 64–83°F and lows of 34–46°F.
Typical monthly averages (not a forecast) from the Gibraltar Dam #2, CA weather station, 1.7 mi away. High / low in °F.
- Jan66° high36° low
- Feb67° high36° low
- Mar70° high38° low
- Apr76° high41° low
- May80° high46° low
- Jun88° high49° low
- Jul94° high55° low
- Aug96° high54° low
- Sep91° high51° low
- Oct83° high45° low
- Nov73° high40° low
- Dec64° high34° low
Where it is
- Santa Barbara Ranger District · Ranger district
- Los Padres National Forest · National forest
- Gould Park · Public land
- Nearest town
- Mission Canyon, California · 3.8 mi
Source: USFS EDW boundaries; NIFC Jurisdictional Units; USGS GNIS populated places
Conditions
Active alerts for Santa Barbara Ranger District as of Oct 9, 2026:
Special Closure - SBRD Storm Damage Recovery
information · posted Sep 24, 2026
Source: USFS forest alerts
Nearby
- Morning GloryRock climbing1 mi
- Jacked and TanRock climbing1 mi
Tunnel ConnectorHikingPhoto: bdearth, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)1.9 mi- Rock Garden TrailHikingPhoto: bdearth, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)1.9 mi
Upper Oso CampgroundCampingPhoto: Recreation.gov (RIDB) / public domain5.9 mi- Upper OsoCamping6.6 mi
Sage HillSaltwater fishing7.2 mi- Fremont CampgroundSaltwater fishing8.8 mi
Source: Roamze catalog (indexable pages within 10 miles, PostGIS distance)
Is Gould Park open right now?
Alert in the area
The Forest Service lists 2 alerts for Los Padres National Forest.
Los Padres Fire Use and Firearm Restrictions
Agency alert covering Los Padres National Forest · Order 05-07-00-26-05 · USFS · Los Padres National Forest
Santa Barbara Front Country Fire Use Restrictions
Agency alert covering Los Padres National Forest · Order 05-07-5406-01 · USFS · Los Padres National Forest
As of · Source: USFS · Los Padres National Forest. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.
Best time to visit Gould Park
Best months: October–May. Best months have typical highs of 55–85 °F, lows of 30 °F or warmer (32 °F where the station doesn't record snow), at most one snowy day and no more than 12 wet days.
Jan
66° / 36°
8 wet
Feb
67° / 36°
9 wet
Mar
70° / 38°
7 wet
Apr
76° / 41°
4 wet
May
80° / 46°
2 wet
Jun
88° / 49°
0 wet
Jul
94° / 55°
0 wet
Aug
96° / 54°
0 wet
Sep
91° / 51°
1 wet
Oct
83° / 45°
2 wet
Nov
73° / 40°
3 wet
Dec
64° / 34°
6 wet
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Gibraltar Dam #2, CA, 1.7 mi away at 1,558 ft. We don't have this place's elevation, so higher spots nearby can run cooler. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.
