California destinations range from mountain towns to coastal highway drives, and the state’s diversity can be daunting. There’s so much to see and do, and some of the bigger-ticket spots and cities sometimes get the most attention. Yet there are plenty of secret, hidden gems throughout California, spots that are perhaps more rustic and remote but completely worth the effort of getting there. The Cuyama Valley, a desert sprawl north of Santa Barbara covered in chaparral, juniper, and wildlife, is a beautiful and underrated region for visitors seeking wine, wildflowers, stargazing, and desert views, revitalizing the area’s nickname, The Hidden Valley of Enchantment.
Cuyama Valley is a 300 square mile patch of fertile land in California’s high desert, in North Santa Barbara County, situated between multiple mountain ranges: The La Panza Range in the north, the Sierra Madre Mountains in the southwest, and Caliente Mountain in the east. The California Southern Coast Ranges foster a Mediterranean climate that’s ideal for growing wine grapes, making the Cuyama Valley a great stop if you’re traveling from Los Angeles to Paso Robles, California’s lesser-known, less crowded wine region.
Plan to visit the Cuyama Valley by car, as this is the vast American West with limited public transit. From Los Angeles, it can be up to a three-hour drive to Cuyama Valley. From Bakersfield, it’s about an hour and a half, and from Fresno Yosemite International Airport, it’s almost three and a half hours. Smaller airports like Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo are available, although flights to them can be pricey. If you have your own plane, you can land right at the L88 airstrip in New Cuyama.
Buckhorn helped turn Cuyama Valley into a destination
Visitors passing through or stopping at one of the valley’s main towns, New Cuyama, will most likely find themselves at The Buckhorn at Cuyama, once a small roadside watering hole where Johnny Cash is rumored to have frequented. It’s one of the few eateries in town, and it has also been redesigned and expanded into “a sophisticated boutique resort boasting historic mid-century meets Western vibes and luxurious modern amenities,” per its website. It’s the epitome of “cowboy cool” with an authenticity that attracts locals and visitors alike. Given the town’s population of 550, give or take, Buckhorn essentially is the downtown of Cuyama.
If you want to spend the night, Buckhorn has a variety of delightful rooms starting at about $214 per night for a Classic Queen room at the time of this writing. There’s an Enchanted King suite, too, and all the rooms are decorated with gorgeous California photography, leather goods with Western-style branding, and bedside books that aren’t just a Gideon’s Bible. There’s a large pool for guests, a barrel sauna, a restaurant with excellent BBQ, and a fantastic cocktail program. A small, public airstrip, owned by the non-profit Blue Sky Center, is only a few minutes’ drive away.
If you travel to Cuyama Valley in the spring, you won’t want to miss the superbloom of California’s iconic wildflowers, particularly on the Carizzo Plain about an hour north of Cuyama. Buckhorn also hosts special events each spring in honor of this natural wonder, and seeing these brightly petaled carpets in full bloom for seemingly endless acres truly makes the valley feel enchanted.
Other things to explore in the Cuyama Valley
