The wheels on the bus go round and round, all the way to the Hot Springs Trail in Montecito.
Enflaming already existing frustration over the widespread popularity of the Hot Springs Trail, a tour bus from Orange County has been spotted dropping off dozens of people at the trailhead.
Last Saturday, a local resident took a video of a bus from MKS Charter doing a drop-off.
"We received numerous emails, videos and messages regarding a tour bus that brought a large group to the Hot Springs Trail," said Houghton Hyatt, executive director of the Montecito Association. "This has sparked widespread concern and disappointment within the community."
Hyatt said the Montecito Association understands the community's concerns regarding the tour bus. She immediately engaged with Santa Barbara County officials to explore potential measures to regulate such access.
"However, due to existing road and public access regulations, there are currently no legal grounds to restrict bus entry or limit the number of visitors to our public trails," she said.
It's not an ordinary trail.
The Hot Springs Trail erupted into an international destination largely from TikTok and other social media outlets during the COVID-19 pandemic. The trail, known for its human-made bathing pools, has attracted throngs of people who view videos on social media.
The romanticized experience adds the vibe and aura of Montecito; the area includes famous people, including Katy Perry, Oprah Winfrey, and Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.
Montecito residents have expressed concern, anger and outrage over the number of people, many of them tourists, who visit the hot springs every day of the year, and people who park illegally on the area's narrow roads.
The vehicles, in some cases, blocked resident driveways and other homeowners' lines of sight when backing out of their driveways. Trash is often dumped in people's backyards, mailboxes are vandalized and people start campfires in the hills, residents say.
Homeowners placed large boulders and planted vegetation to block people from parking in front of their homes. The issue resulted in litigation before a judge finally ordered that the boulders be removed.
The problem of people parking on Riven Rock Road and Mountain Drive, however, remains.
Retired Santa Barbara City Fire Chief Pat McElroy is upset that tour buses are now visiting the Hot Springs Trail.
"This isn't a family going up there," McElroy said. "This isn't individual hikers. This is a for-profit business."
McElroy said he is concerned about a fire starting in the foothills and the devastating impact it could cause to the homes in the neighborhood. He's worried that large tour buses could block evacuation routes.
"They are bringing a lot of people in who may not know how physically demanding the trail is," he said.
McElroy said he and others formed a group called the Santa Barbara Wildfire Protection Group. The number of people who hike on the trails has expanded in recent years. His group has talked with elected officials such as Santa Barbara County First District Supervisor Roy Lee, Rep. Salud Carbajal and state Sen. Monique Limón about ways to improve safety on the trails.
McElroy said a tour bus dropping tourists off at the trailhead symbolizes how bad the situation has become.
"This isn't what anyone wants to see," McElroy said.
The pools are not permitted and were made by volunteer crews. Government officials have taken a passive approach to removing the pools, letting the current ones exist, but they are not approving permits.
Noozhawk calls and emails to the charter bus company were not returned as of Friday afternoon.
Hyatt said the Montecito Association will continue to monitor the situation to explore solutions that balance public access and community well-being.
"While we recognize the impact these large groups can have on our community and natural spaces, we must also consider the broader implications of imposing new restrictions that could affect residents, nonprofits and local organizations hosting events," Hyatt said. "We encourage respectful and responsible use of Montecito's trails."
Lee said his office is also exploring options.
"We have been working hard to ensure fire safety in that area," he said. "On March 4, we are bringing forward a pilot program to increase enforcement on our most dangerous high-fire risk days. This is a concrete step forward for residents in the neighborhood that also protects our local hikers."
Santa Barbara County Public Works Director Chris Sneddon said more people visiting the trails will exacerbate concerns, but there is not much anyone can do.
"They are not doing anything illegally," Sneddon said. "The situation highlights that there is more demand to use the trail than there is parking. For residents, this is not something they are excited about."
It's unclear whether the tour bus plans to return, but residents will be watching.