An oasis in the midst of Goleta…read more Stow Grove has always been one of my favorite parks. It's in the northern end of a tidy residential neighborhood and is situated across the street from an elementary school. The park itself is long and somewhat narrow but sits on several acres. It offers a little something for everyone. The park has many sections and serenity can be found here. There are a few greenbelts, a number of picnic areas, a playground, volleyball courts, a bathroom building, a ranger's cabin, and trees galore. There's also a large parking lot that can fill up on weekends. This park is popular for parties and barbecues. I've personally been here for corporate events and family gatherings. My favorite perk about Stow Grove, hands down, is the abundance of trees. There is a neat trail that spans from one end of the park to the other and is a pleasure to walk through. The surroundings are lush and I feel that groundskeepers are present each time I visit. A great neighborhood park!

It's a nice park in the middle of a master planning process. Room for volleyball, softball and…read moreswinging. In the 1970s, there were old wooden forts here. It's hard to compare.....

My boys 8 and 10 loved this park, usually playgrounds are too young for them these days but this…read moreone was perfect for their age. They can't wait to come back and visit Santa Barbara my home town again do they can go here again:) they also loved the chickens in the yard nearby, it made us feel content in nature

Clean, shady, small. There is a smaller area for little kids and a bigger area for 5-12 year olds…read more Wish there was a restroom for little ones.

This is a perfect park for families. I like that all the features are close to one another so it is…read moreeasier to keep eyes on multiple kids. Accessible courts for pickle ball including a multi-tiered basketball hoop which I've never seen. The playground looks new and is adjacent to a skatepark that's for kids 12 and under (for skating and skateboard only but there are plenty of littles who ride their bikes). Lots of shade with tables. A walking and bike path. What a cool find! We did come early on a Sunday morning - 945am - because I read that parking can be difficult. There were 2 spots left in the lot and street parking, because it is shared with apartments, was non existent.

This a small very clean park with brand new equipment. They are still building the other parts of…read morethe park. Looks like there are multiple basketball options, ping pong table, skate park, tennis court, handball court, and splash pad area. Restroom nearby

The Goleta Pier is magnificent. Had never heard about it before my Santa Barbara/Goleta visit…read more It is simple yet majestic. Perfect for a contemplative walk. Not even that many fisherhumans when I was out on it. Try not to miss it.

What a beautiful scenery you get when you walk up to the Goleta Beach Park…read more The vibe on Labor Day weekend is relaxed and cool. Mellow like a jello vibes here this morning.

When seeking out a place near home to enjoy Mother Nature, walk off some stress, or take a bike…read moreride, Lake Los Carneros Park is one of my favorite parks to frequent. This preserve is super special and unique to Goleta and let me tell you why: - The South Coast Railroad Museum (presently on National Register of Historic Places and the California Registry of Historical Resources) is here on the grounds right as you enter the parking lot. You can't miss the bright orange and red original Goleta Railroad Station which was relocated from Old Town Goleta in two pieces after grassroot organization raised the funds to save the building from demolition. The museum features a miniature railroad, a Southern Pacific caboose, and a even model train set. Children can catch a ride along the miniature railroad on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays between 1:00-4:00 pm. -I frequent the well-maintained, easy 1.0 mile walking, biking, running trail (half cement, half dirt) that goes around the circumference of Lake Carneros with a few small hills. The path is well maintained and has multiple paths that lead to the nearby surrounding neighborhoods. You will often see red-tailed hawks, turkey vultures, geese, swans, ducks, rabbits, lizards and occasionally snakes. Although the lake varies in depth due to the changing seasons, I can always expect to see birds enjoying the water. They do not allow you to swim or boat in the lake. You will feel as if you're far from civilization with mountains in the backdrop. - The Stow House (U.S. Registered Historical Landmark) remains on the property with its original gardens being maintained. It reminds me of what I would see in Savannah, Georgia with a "Carpenter Gothic Victorian style." The home was previously part of the Rancho La Patera but has since been turned into the Goleta Historical Society headquarters. A little known fact: This was the site of California's first commercial lemon orchard. Tours of the house are available on Saturdays and Sundays, 1:00-4:00 pm. The house and grounds are used for many local and cultural events. Check out this beautiful park right in Goleta's backyard!

Lake Los Caneros is excellent for bird watching as well as cross country running. Despite ample…read morefoot traffic, you can still find places where you are entirely alone.

Girsh Park is a major reason why I love this neighborhood! Our whole family enjoys walking through…read morethis park every couple of days. The park is beautifully maintained - clean, with nice short grass, decent bathrooms, and good resting and picnicking spots. It's so convenient for a pleasant walk to and from the Camino Real Marketplace - no need to go along busy streets. This is a great park for dogs - lots of space to walk on-leash, hang out on a blanket, or play off-leash fetch. My pup and I also appreciate that they provide dog bags and have plenty of trash cans along the walkway. The park seems very safe. For a year I came here at night with one or two other women, to work out on the basketball court, and we never ran into any trouble. There are also some fun events here - local craft fairs from time to time, and of course the Lemon Fest. Enjoy!

Stayed at Marriott down the street and came here to get the wiggles out. Lovely little park with…read morelots of amenities. I saw baseball and soccer practices, pick up games on the courts, dog walkers, stroller moms, all the usual community park participants. The playground is small and aimed at toddlers but kids will play anywhere there's a slide or stuff to climb on. The grounds were clean and well manicured. One star off for broken bathroom stalls. Also the flowering bushes planted outside the bathrooms attracted tons of bees, which is great! Unless you put them right next to the playground. Terrible horticulture planning IMO.

I love this place. Great for slacklining!!!! just remember to use the pads when you slack line so…read morethe bark on the trees don't get ruined. Beautiful view of the ocean

I happened upon this beautifully maintained park up on a hill overlooking the Santa Barbara Airport…read moreand behind Decker's Headquarters. For me, it's the perfect spot to take my dog for a walk. (Note that pets should be leashed.) There are multiple loop gravel trails all under 1 mile--check out the map here: https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/deckers-cabrillo-park-goleta?select=GfzL-X1iVYKRzcnrrhRm5w). It's quite shocking how quiet it remains given its proximity to the airport and being directly in the flight path. For kids, it is fun to watch planes take off and land, just bring earplugs. There is a large, green grassy area with a basketball court, volleyball net and picnic tables. When you go down a small hill, you enter Decker's private property so be respectful. This trail is pleasant and among native plants with lizards, bunnies and other creatures running about. Shockingly there was quite a lot of history here since the area was originally a native Chumash settlement (https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/deckers-cabrillo-park-goleta?select=iXs_k01LUwoGxavV9dQGfA). Many locals have no idea that the Pacific Ocean's tides use to reach where Hollister Avenue presides... Later, the area became more industrial with the technology and engineering companies moving in to the area. One being Delco which has a plaza here several signs about how it transformed the area and improved technology. Check out, enjoy and care for our local parks!

beautiful evening after the sun had set, from Potter's Pointlove the view!!great place to rest!!!read more

Just Winging It We…read morethought we had a pretty good handle on all the major Monarch butterfly stopovers from Pacific Grove to Pismo, but somehow this place eluded us until we saw a display on it at the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History. The Coronado Butterfly Preserve is ±9.3 acres of protected open space and--more importantly--a Monarch butterfly overwintering site. It is located in the City of Goleta and sits adjacent to Santa Barbara Shores Park. The Good: * Free to visit * Trails are flat and in great shape. They can get a bit muddy after a rain, but it wasn't terrible. * Trails lead into Santa Barbara Shores Park. * Beach access. The Meh: * Butterfly viewing can be very hit-or-miss here, as we only saw a small handful floating about. The Ugly: * Street parking in neighborhoods, which isn't my favorite, but it is what it is. Conclusion: Nice place to visit regardless of the butterfly count.

I love open public spaces. No matter how beautiful the house and the backyard you have, you should…read morehave a place to walk. The park is beautifully done, very clean at all entrances there are trash cans and bags for dogs. I liked the presence of benches, you don't always want to sit on the grass. Unfortunately, there is not enough fenced area for dogs, because sometimes a dog needs freedom for a walk. In general, the place is wonderful, we need to do more of these small parks.