Orcutt

Orcutt is an unincorporated town located in the Santa Maria Valley of California, and a census-designated place; it is in Santa Barbara County, California, United States. Orcutt is named for William Warren Orcutt, the manager of the Geological, Land and Engineering Departments of the Union Oil Company. Known as the “Dean of Petroleum Geologists" Orcutt is credited with discovering fossilized prehistoric animal bones preserved in pools of asphalt on the Hancock Ranch. These would be the first of many fossils excavated from the La Brea Tar Pits. In commemoration of Orcutt’s initial discovery, paleontologists named the La Brea Coyote in W.W. Orcutt’s honor, Canis Orcutti.Orcutt is home to miles of hiking trails in the Orcutt Hills. The trail entrances begin at Orcutt Community Park. http://www.smvos.org/Orcutt is located close to five federally sanctioned American Viticultural Areas (AVAs) within Santa Barbara County: Ballard Canyon, Happy Canyon of Santa Barbara, Santa Maria Valley, Sta. Rita Hills and Santa Ynez Valley.Orcutt is home to Ernest Righetti HS. http://www.righetti.usThere are currently five wine tasting rooms in Old Orcutt: Nagy Wines; Core Wine; Lucias Wine Co; Grevino Wine; and William James Cellars.{ http://www.corewine.com/}Orcutt is a short drive up highway 135 from "little LA" Los Alamos.