The Santa Ynez Mountains are a portion of the Transverse Ranges, part of the Pacific Coast Ranges of the west coast of North America. It is the westernmost range in the Transverse Ranges.The range is a large fault block of Cenozoic age created by the movements of the Santa Ynez Fault. A very narrow range, the Santa Ynez Mountains rise quickly on its north side and drops off equally dramatically along the range's south face. The Santa Ynez Mountains begin as a series of volcanic hills near Point Arguello, and gradually transitions eastward into a single, well-defined ridge extending from Gaviota Peak to Matilija Creek. The range is somewhat contiguous with the Topatopa Mountains beyond to the east, which terminates abruptly at Sespe Creek.The climate of the range is Mediterranean with semi-arid characteristics. Most of the range lies in the California chaparral and woodlands ecoregion. At the crest, rainier regions support large groves of conifers, primarily Coulter pines.GeographyThey are principally in Santa Barbara County, with an eastward extension into Ventura County, and are unusual in being an entirely east-west trending mountain range—one of the few in the United States. The range is mostly within Los Padres National Forest.
