Mission Canyon is the wooded canyon that climbs from the Old Mission into the front range of the Santa Ynez Mountains. It has a Santa Barbara address and feels like part of the city, but it is an unincorporated community of about 2,500 people under Santa Barbara County, not the City of Santa Barbara. Mission Canyon Road runs up its center, Foothill Road, which is Highway 192, crosses it near the bottom, and Tunnel Road continues to the trailheads at the edge of Los Padres National Forest.
People ride up here to walk. The Santa Barbara Botanic Garden is on Mission Canyon Road, the Museum of Natural History and Rocky Nook Park are along Mission Creek lower down, and the Tunnel Trail and the Rattlesnake Canyon trail start from the canyon's roads. A key that falls out of a pocket three miles up a trail is not coming back. We are a mobile motorcycle and scooter locksmith, and we make a new key at the bike, program it where the bike has an immobilizer, and repair ignitions and seat locks. You will need photo ID and your registration or title.
Tunnel Road and red flag days
The top of Tunnel Road is the most popular trailhead in the canyon and the hardest place to park. The road is narrow, and the Jesusita Fire of 2009 burned through Mission Canyon. The Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors has since adopted a parking ordinance for the road, driven by residents' concerns about evacuating in an emergency.
The part that matters most to a rider with a lost key is the red flag rule. Signs along the road restrict roadside parking on red flag days, when fire danger is high. The California Highway Patrol enforces the rules, and a vehicle can be ticketed or towed. Read the signs where you parked, because they are what applies. If a red flag warning is forecast and your bike is stuck up there, say so when you call, and if you can move it by hand to a legal spot farther down, do.
Even on ordinary days, park only where the signs and markings allow. A bike squeezed onto the shoulder with a wheel in the lane is the one that gets noticed.
Where bikes are usually parked
- Santa Barbara Botanic Garden, in its own lot on Mission Canyon Road above Foothill Road.
- The end of Tunnel Road, for the Tunnel Trail, Inspiration Point and Seven Falls.
- Rocky Nook Park, the county park on Mission Canyon Road beside the creek.
- Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History on Puesta del Sol.
- Skofield Park and the Rattlesnake Canyon trailhead on Las Canoas Road.
- The Old Mission and Mission Historical Park, at the mouth of the canyon inside the city limits.
Motorcycle key services in Mission Canyon
Everything is done at the bike in Mission Canyon: no tow and no waiting on a dealer order. Tell us the year, make and model and whether you have any key, and we will tell you what the job involves.
- Lost Motorcycle Key, No SpareNo key at all? We make a working key at the bike.Details →
- Motorcycle Key ReplacementNew keys cut by code or from the lock, for all major makes.Details →
- Transponder and Immobilizer Key ProgrammingChip keys and fobs programmed to your immobilizer.Details →
- Motorcycle Key Duplication and Spare KeysA spare now costs far less than a lost only-key later.Details →
- Motorcycle Ignition Repair and ReplacementSticking, worn or damaged ignitions repaired or replaced.Details →
- Broken Motorcycle Key ExtractionSnapped key removed and a new one cut from the pieces.Details →
- Gas Cap, Seat, Steering and Saddlebag LocksGas cap, seat, steering, helmet and saddlebag locks.Details →
Where we come to you in Mission Canyon
| Areas | Lower Mission Canyon, Mission Canyon Heights, Tunnel Road, Las Canoas Road, Cheltenham Road, Foothill Road, Puesta del Sol |
|---|---|
| Common call-out spots | Santa Barbara Botanic Garden, Tunnel Road trailhead, Rocky Nook Park, Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History, Old Mission Santa Barbara, Skofield Park, Santa Barbara Woman's Club, County Fire Station 15 |
| ZIP codes | 93105 |
Stuck in Mission Canyon without a key?
Call or text with your year, make, model and where the bike is parked.
Or read first: all services · common questions · about us · contact details
Local notes for Mission Canyon riders
- Do not count on a phone signal at the top of the canyon or on the trails. If you discover the key is gone at the trailhead and cannot get a call out, walk down toward Foothill Road and try again.
- Describe the bike's position by what is next to it: a house number or the distance below the trailhead gate. Tunnel Road has few landmarks.
- Oak leaves and creek dampness make the road edges slick in winter. Park on firm pavement, since a side stand sinks into leaf litter.
Riding roads near Mission Canyon
- Mission Canyon Road: Climbs from the Old Mission through the canyon, under oaks and sycamores, with stone walls close to the pavement.
- Foothill Road (Highway 192): The east-west route across the lower canyon, west to San Roque and Highway 154 and east to Mountain Drive and the Riviera.
- Tunnel Road: A narrow residential road that ends at the Tunnel Trail trailhead, with very little legal parking at the top.
- Las Canoas Road: Loops off Mission Canyon Road past Skofield Park and the Rattlesnake Canyon trailhead and back down toward Mountain Drive, with a one-lane bridge on the way.
Dealer or mobile locksmith in Mission Canyon?
A dealership can order a key by VIN or key code, but that means waiting for the part and getting the bike to them. If the bike is stuck in Mission Canyon or you need it today, we make the key where it sits.
Makes we cut and program keys for in Mission Canyon
- Harley-Davidson
- Honda
- Yamaha
- Kawasaki
- Suzuki
- Ducati
- BMW
- Triumph
- KTM
- Indian
- Aprilia
- Moto Guzzi
- Husqvarna
- Royal Enfield
- Can-Am
- Victory
- Vespa and Piaggio
- Zero
- MV Agusta
- Benelli
- Beta
- Buell
- CFMOTO
- GASGAS
- Genuine Scooters
- Hyosung
- KYMCO
- LiveWire
- SYM
Mission Canyon motorcycle key FAQ
I dropped my key somewhere on the Tunnel Trail. Can you make a new one at the trailhead?
Yes. A key is cut to match the locks on the bike and programmed if needed. Tell us how far up Tunnel Road you are parked, and have your photo ID and registration or title with you, not locked under the seat if you can help it.
My registration is under the seat and the seat is locked. Now what?
That is common. We can open the seat lock as part of the visit so you can get the paperwork out, and we check it with your ID before the ignition key is made.
Is Mission Canyon part of the City of Santa Barbara?
No. It is an unincorporated community governed by Santa Barbara County, though it shares the city's 93105 ZIP code. County parking rules and the Highway Patrol apply on its roads.
The Botanic Garden is closing and my bike is in their lot without a key. What should I do?
Tell the garden staff before they lock up, and ask whether the lot is gated overnight. Then call us with what they said so the visit can be timed for when the bike is reachable.
Helpful guides
- Ducati Asking for a PIN Code or Showing an E-LOCK ErrorA Ducati that opens a PIN screen at switch-on is telling you the key was not acknowledged and that a PIN was stored on the bike at some point.
- Electric Motorcycle Keys: Zero, LiveWire and EnergicaElectric motorcycles still have keys, and they are tied to the bike's electronics more closely than on most gas bikes.
- Lost Givi, SHAD or Kappa Top Case Key: Your Real OptionsNeither Givi nor SHAD will cut you a key once every key is lost.
Nearby areas we also cover
- Santa Barbara
- The Riviera
- Upper State Street and San Roque
- Highway 192 (Foothill Road)
- Gibraltar Road and East Camino Cielo
- All of Santa Barbara and Goleta
Sources
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mission_Canyon,_California
- https://keyt.com/news/2018/07/26/hikers-and-residents-at-odds-over-parking-rules-in-high-fire-zone/
- https://keyt.com/news/2024/09/06/red-flag-alerts-come-with-parking-restrictions-and-community-warnings
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jesusita_Fire
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santa_Barbara,_California
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/California_State_Route_192
Page last updated .