Spent 5 nights near this beach. It was a great location, easy access to restaurants and bars in the town of Carpinteria. read more

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My new favorite beach. The state beach is nice and convenient for parking and lifeguards but if you want to save yourself the $10 parking fee, then come here. There is no lifeguard here. Parking can get a little rough and I was lucky enough to snag a spot on Memorial Day when a guy walking the train was leaving. So plan on bringing a wagon in case you end up parking blocks away. This was such a great beach. Hardly any wind this day. It was sunny and there were lots of people on the beach but still plenty of room for more people. Dogs allowed on the leash if going to the right and no dogs on the left towards the state beach. I still saw all sorts of dogs off leash so it's obviously not enforced. They have public restrooms. No way to dry your hands though. read more

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Renting here for a month in September. I feel like I'm living on a movie set! Such a serene friendly place. Everyone seems to have a dog but I have yet to see any dog waste ANYWHERE. This place reminds me of what long ago America was like, where neighbors still cared about each other. Lots of restaurants and cute shops within walking distance, what a great! read more

Very nice beach where many walk dogs. The sand is great - very fine and beautiful. Nice people

When you show up at the beach in your shein bikini and hope the 12 year olds don't recognize it ;) I love this beach! It's so nice, such a relaxed family oriented chill vibe. Grab brunch then head down. The temp of the water is perfect! I can't keep out if it, a perfect breeze and vitamin sea - what more can you ask for?! There's usually neighborhood parking just drive around a bit. Good stuff right here! And yes, the bathrooms are open. read more

It's a busy but lovely city beach. I recently caught a lovely sunset here. We found on street parking very easily and walked over. The beach was clean, filled with families and views of the Channel Islands for days. It's easily accessible from downtown. So you can eat or shop before or after. I highly recommend a visit the next time you have an hour or so to spare or spend the day! You'll be glad you did. read more

Carpinteria City Beach - Beaches Near Me - Carpinteria, California

I love it here... I wish they allowed dogs but I get why they don't and there is another beach not far where you can take the pooch. I always find this beach to be quite clean and the little area surrounding it isn't full of hotels so it somehow feels like a "locals beach" as opposed to the bigger touristy beaches in SoCal. Perfect for a beach walk or a picnic lunch at one of the provided tables. Definitely a Southern CA treasure. read more

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Don't walk your dogs off leash here, they often will ticket you and it's silly how expensive that ticket is. Other than that, great beach! In the Summer you will never find a parking space here as it becomes total tourist central. Can you blame them though? Carpinteria has the best weather in the summer, the most delicious burgers at The Spot, local tunes and brews at Island Brewing Co right on the train tracks, the Snow Cone trailer, volleyball courts, the platforms you can swim out to, dolphins leaping through the waves, and awesome shopping down Linden Ave. It's beach town heaven! During the months that aren't flooded with people camping at the campgrounds and natural day trip tourists, I tend to visit Tower 3 & 4 most often because the parking lots are most empty and the beaches have more shells from the lack of people walking over that way. The waves are always small and the sand always feels great between your toes. Because there is a tar pit so close by you will most likely get little speckles of tar on the bottoms of your feet at this beach. It's totally worth it thought and so easy to get off with oil. So walk the beach, play some volleyball, layout and tan, and view the beautiful lowkey waves while watching for dolphins riding into the unforgettable sunsets that occur here. read more

I am fortunate enough to live within 20 minutes of this wonderful beach. The City Beach connects with Carpinteria State Beach as well as the Carpinteria lagoon area at Ash and Sandyland where the clean restrooms and parking are located. I can take a nice long beach walk on the soft white sandy beach and work off all the calories from the restaurants that I write reviews about. There is a wide sandy sunbathing area, the waves are gentle, and you have great views of the islands and the occasional harbor seal bobbing around, dolphins too. The hills rising behind Carp make this a scenic spot far enough off the freeway so there is no freeway noise, only the sound of gently lapping waves. The beach has a very different look in the winter when the sand gets scoured away but it is still a great beach walk. I will be walking here more often thanks to the almost completed Hwy 101 widening between Ventura and Carp. read more

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A nice beach, not too crowded and very clean. There's plenty of space to set up for a day at the beach. I feel the parking and occasional tar you get on your skin are the only drawbacks here. There's minimal parking so unless you're renting a place nearby with parking, you'll be parking blocks away and lug all of your stuff there. I suggest packing lightly. read more

Really great beach! The sand is clean and there are attentive lifeguards throughout the beach. Nice bathrooms are a huge plus, and the sand is not rocky at all. Definitely gets crowded, but nothing crazy. There are also some volleyball courts. There's a part of the beach that allows dogs (on leash) and a part that doesn't. Definitely a lot of families in the area. There's a lot of free parking but it can be a huge pain to actually find an open spot. Awesome, clean, and close to a lot of food spots on Linden Avenue. read more

I like hanging out with pelicans, dolphins and seals. Don't you? If you don't, then this beach isn't for you. If you do, this beach is for you. Nuff said. Oh, and clean up after yourself. Don't be a jerkstore. read more

Carpinteria City Beach - Beaches Near Me - Carpinteria, California

Gorgeous beach. Pet friendly by the rocks -- but not one foot before! Lifegaurds will stop you. Really great piece of scenic beach here! read more

Since the flood of 2017, it is a lot better. They had to redo a lot of the area. Bathrooms seemed a bit better. People love it so much there, that the tent camping area is wall to wall tents with people you don't know. We had no problems 2018. read more

Carpinteria City Beach - Beaches Near Me - Carpinteria, California

Absolutely loved this place!! My husband and I were doing business in LA And decided to make this trip to this location. Gorgeous!! We will be coming back! read more

MY HOME. Carpinteria beach is gorgeous, and if you go near sunset, there are always dolphins or a beautiful sunset to experience. The beaches are never packed with people even in the height of summer. I love this place! read more

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The beach is clean, and we'll protected. The beach had some sort of jellyfish surface a couple of days ago. They were all dried up, hardly any rocks. The wave currents are really strong. Be safe when entering the water. There were lifeguards, police and state park constantly patrolling. The restroom, showers and eating area are very clean aswell. There is a camping area right across the parking lot connected to the beach. read more

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Carpinteria City Beach is by far my favorite beach in SoCal. It is lauded as the safest beach in America and I have to believe that to be true. The beach and for that matter the town are hidden gems in a state that seems to be filled with hustle and bustle. Most of the folks you'll meet at "Carp" are locals or almost locals, generally traveling from places like the nearby Santa Clarita Valley to camp at the beach. Unlike Huntington, Newport or Venice Beaches where there are a multitude of beach rats and surfers, Carp is a family spot. There is still a large teen population at the beach, but most of these kids are well behaved mainly because most of them are with their parents. There are a lot of younger kids as well, but the beach is big enough that they aren't right on top of you. Parking is usually easier than most of the beaches to the south and I've never been concerned about the safety of my vehicle. The beach at Carp is always very clean and there are a good number of lifeguards patrolling the beach regularly. Near the campground there is a large park, sand volleyball courts and a snack shop. Restrooms are clean and at regular intervals up and down the beach. One note I want to pass on is the presence of tar in certain areas of the beach. There are large oil deposits off-shore and a fair amount of natural seepage takes place as a result. These areas are mostly at the south end of the campground and the tar will stick to your feet. There isn't a ton of it and it is easily removed, but it can stain the carpet in your vehicle, rv or beach rental if not addressed properly. Just be aware of it and check your kids feet for sure. read more

Carpinteria City Beach - Sunset at Carp! - Beaches Near Me - Carpinteria, California

Pretty beach with some tidepools but the high cost, close proximity to others, and transients (I.e. bums) using the showers for free when I'm paying $50 a night is not real cool. I won't be back. read more

This is the best beach in Southern California. Only Hawaii has better ones. It has soft white sand and excellent water for swimming and boogie boarding. This is a great place to bring kids and family for the day. Only in the evening is the beach is okay for dogs. There is amazing food a few blocks away from the beach sand. I highly recommend visiting! read more

Nice beach with beautiful views a carpinteria. Headto this beach during the avocado festival so you can get a nice beach front walk or run after indulging in some delicious avocados. read more

One of my favorite beaches in SB. County, go a little north of the campground, sand is always clean, good for swimming it's always calm,but of course cold, kind of a locals beach , where ever we travel we fit right in with the locals, cool restaurants on the main drag. read more

Nice local beach in Carpinteria. Less crowded than most. We walked over here from our rental. Great little beach town feel with local campgrounds, restaurants, etc. near by. read more

A top-rated for safety, good family beach. Diving platform anchored 30 yards out from the beach. Spectacular views of water in one direction, Los Padres mountains in the other. Junior lifeguard training program on summer mornings is very well run, primarily for local youngsters. Saltwater marsh adjacent to beach that is very interesting and well tended. In June and July, tends to be cloudy in the mornings and sunny in the afternoons. Crowded on weekends, when parking is difficult but workable. Good area for biking (although nearest good rental place is several miles away @ SB beach.) As you enter the beach at the end of Linden, the beach to the right is dog-friendly (and beautiful beachfront celebrity digs are partially visible), but dogs not allowed in area to the left. Great destination on train along the Coast from L.A. or Santa Barbara, or direct from the Burbank Airport; beach within a few blocks of the Carp Amtrack Station. Lifeguards friendly and helpful and the large restrooms clean and monitored. read more

I haven't been in the summer so parking hasn't been an issue. The beach is definitely less crowded than most and compared to the state beach I much prefer it. The only problem is rest rooms are not easily accessible, so why I give it 4 stars. Great for kids, not exceptionally deep in terms of distance to beginning of sand to the water line so you can be safe on the sand then venture to water with the kiddies. I also like the fine clean sand and garbage cans were accessible so that helps people actually use them and keep the place clean. read more

Stopped in this charming town on a whim, hoping to swim in the ocean, and ended up just north of the apparently fabulous state park at the very nice city beach. Had a great time even though it was a crowded summer Sunday afternoon, thanks to the ample free parking on the nearby city streets, the clean public facilities that made last minute beach preparations a breeze and the cute business establishments and apartment buildings lining the way to the shore. The shoreline was clean but crowded, as was the water. The waves were a little rough and churned up so much sand that it was impossible to see underwater, but thankfully there were lifeguards on duty. I could do without the slightly scary undertow and the potential embarrassment of swimming right into somebody, but neither of those things would stop me from returning to this beach or to Carpinteria in general. Three cheers for randomly pulling off of the highway and discovering this delectable little slice of the California coast. read more

So very very sad! The dog portion of the beach, from Ash going North has been completely washed away. So keep the dog at home. I hope someday it will return. The state beach to the South seems to be fine. read more