Beautiful beach in Santa Barbara county. There is state beach parking for $10, but there's also…read morefree street parking right next to the beach, although it's limited to two hours. There's a nice wooded walk way that runs along the entire beach right next to the sand. You can also camp out there. A great spot to spend the day, and night.

Save your money! Yikes. I wasn't expecting much from a state park campground but I couldn't have…read moreimagined it being as bad as it is. It's a parking lot, a dirty, weed infested parking lot. Only bright spot is the beach is 'right there'. Our closest restroom building was completely closed and dilapidated. Area around the dumpsters was filthy. Picnic table was filthy and rotted. Rusty fence, rusty power box. Oh, and on top of the $70 parking space, the reservation fee adds another $8.25. To reserve online... sheesh Anyway, it was a safe place to be overnight but would never, ever stay again

Such a hidden gem of a beach. We stumbled upon it after randomly getting off the freeway. Passing…read morethe beautiful beach houses , there's an open area to park by the railroad. Walking across the railroad, the beautiful beach is kept hidden and beautiful. It was nice to come relax in the sun and hit the waters for a bit. It is NOT hard to find, don't be mislead by these reviews. There's also a surf store, a restaurant, and other stores going more down the road! Nice area.

Last month, on a weekday in the middle of summer, is when I dropped in to this beach known by…read moreseveral names... Santa Claus Beach (unofficial name) and Padaro Beach (offical name). It was so hectic to get to this beach due to all the road construction. And the beach was packed due to the various local children's summer camps and tourists. First, thing to note is the road construction. Possibly it's over by now. But when I visited, the road had no parking for the stretch right along the public access to the beach. It's free access and parking. The normal spots were taken by the construction crew and their equipment and materials. They were digging up the road. I saw a lot of folks parking in the road construction zone. The crew were calling tow trucks depending on where those cars were parked. Anyway, we parked really far away and hoofed it in while dodging dozers, street traffic, and construction crew. The access to the beach is limited to the open stretch where so happened the construction was occurring. Other access points are private property. Don't be tempted to cut through, it's illegal. Once you get to the public access area, you'll need to hike a wee bit of sandy elevation to cross the train tracks. Have your wits about while trekking near and on the tracks. Look both ways from afar and be ready to move to a safe distance if there is an incoming train. We ventured further to the far edges of the beach. The beach was clean. Sand was soft. Good vibes. Watch out at high tides if you venture to the far sides, the beach shrinks at high tide. And a rocky outcropping is beyond the sand. Plus there are no plumbed public restrooms, but I did see porta toilets.

My new favorite beach. The state beach is nice and convenient for parking and lifeguards but if you…read morewant 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.

Renting here for a month in September. I feel like I'm living on a movie set! Such a serene…read morefriendly 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!

I set out to view the Carpinteria Seal Rookery. Basically this is a restricted beach area for…read morehumans but where seals gather to hang out and live their best life. Before I go further I want to tell ya all that "messing" (includes physically approaching and intruding in restricted areas) with the seals is a federal violation resulting in $10,000 fine. Plus remember the state& local crime punishable by more fines and probable time. We all know how much the government is hurting for some extra moolah. So don't be a doofus. The viewing area is free, no charge. All right with that said, you can view the website for ways to get to the overlook. All paths lead to using the Carpinteria Bluffs Trail. Plus for the love of all that you love, beware of the train tracks. Those are active tracks with real live trains. There are no bells n whistles to alert you that they are a coming. The tracks are not set there for a photo selfie opp. Don't linger on them and don't use them as a walking path. The summer weekday afternoon I visited, the extended bluff trail viewing area was closed. It was roped off. However the hedge, along the viewing trail, was overgrown so the beach below was not visible from that vantage point. So I went back to the area before the trail viewing area. And there was a small area where the hedge was not overgrown to view a portion of the beach below. That portion was closest to the private Casitas pier. But on this particular summer weekday afternoon, I was unable to view any seals on the beach from my vantage point. I'm pretty sure some were down there though. I saw a few swimming in the distance. Then unfortunately I saw a great white shark do what they do. It made a meal of a seal or two. Not a bad place for the sharks to hang out. Highly unfortunate for the seals when they do.

It was very windy when I visited, and so there were no seals or any other animals. I walked down on…read morethe beach and realized why. It was so windy that anything on the beach ended up getting a sand blasted exfoliation! The birds were having issues keeping up in the wind too. Nonetheless, this is a cute place to visit and walk around. The views are amazing and I love the cliffs. There are also small sea shells that have washed up on shore that you can look at. I guess I'll have to pick another day when the weather is better and then I can go seal-spotting.

Does not have a designated dog park. It is a bit disheartening to see oil on the beach. It is a…read morebeautiful park to take pups on a leash, bathrooms available, and a large playground.

5 Star Rating Lookout Park in Summerland, near Santa…read moreBarbara, is an absolute gem! This clean, beautiful park, perfectly situated on a bluff above the Pacific Ocean, was the ideal spot for our family reunion this past June. We'll definitely be back! Value - 5 The value here is incredible. We reserved Area A for just $65 for the whole day for our family reunion! It came with a large, double-width bbq, two picnic tables and a long, high-top serving table. That's a steal, especially considering places in Oxnard (which aren't nearly as bougie or clean) were charging well over $200. Quality / Cleanliness - 5 This park is impeccably maintained. There are two large picnic areas (require reservation) and several smaller picnic areas with bbq (first come, first served), and the large, well-maintained play area for kids is fantastic, including a jungle gym and even musical instruments. The path down to the beach is somewhat steep but totally worth it. The beach itself is super clean, with sand at low tide and lots of cute nooks and crannies to explore. At high tide, it becomes a rocky beach as the water comes right up to the path landing. Plus, it's pet-friendly! Service - N/A As a public park, there isn't a traditional "service" component to review, but the booking process for the picnic area was smooth. Physical Location - 5 The location is simply stunning. Being on a bluff overlooking the Pacific Ocean is breathtaking. The park is clean, the amenities are well-kept, and there's a cute little town/shopping area just past the Amtrak overpass that's easily walkable from the park. Everything about this location is perfect.

52 acres of open space. It's between freeway 101 and the Pacific Ocean. It has fields of…read morewildflowers and native plants, eucalyptus grove of trees, walking paths that connect to the Carpinteria Bluffs Trail, and access to a low tide beach and seal rookery. Since the preserve is on a cliff, the sunsets are gorgeous. Catch the sun as it dips slowly into the ocean horizon. The colors melting into the ocean. Perfection. The access and parking to the preserve is free. FREE! You gotta luv that. Since the preserve is on a bluff, the beach is elevated below. So accessing the beach requires some trekking skills. Plus there are active live train tracks between the beach and preserve. Trains often run through. Always have your wits about you when you're near train tracks. And keep a considerable distance from the moving train. Next to the bluffs are ball fields with actual real turf. There are public restrooms there. I can't offer any additional info on those, I didn't use them. Both the preserve and ball fields have their own parking lots. Also I want to acknowledge the citizens of Carpentaria for fighting off land developers to keep this land undeveloped and forming a land trust to permanently safeguard it.

Lovely dog friendly trail next to the beach. Pretty flat so easy for most people on a dirt path…read more Views of the ocean too or you can walk down to it in certain spots (if you are ok with a sorta steep hill). Saw plenty of people biking on the trail too as it's pretty wide in spots. Weather was nice and cool so perfect to take your dog for exercise and enjoy the views. We parked in the free lot and walked North almost to Carp State Beach before turning back -- so a good 2 miles maybe. Drove down to Rincon Point Beach afterwards to take our dog to the beach there for a run.

It's a beautiful spot with parking and a small walk passed some train tracks. You just gotta dodge…read morethe horse poop. But the beach is covered with oil. You can't get in the water without it staining your skin. Just a short walk and my sandals had to be thrown in the trash. The oil is hard to get off. I spent 20 mins trying to scrub it off with dish soap. Pretty bad and what a waste of what could've been a beautiful hidden escape

This place was a gem! Quiet and easy to access. Free parking as well. Went on a Monday morning and…read morebarely came across anyone. When you enter the parking lot, the train is at the very end of the lot. You'll see a sign that says to access. Then it looks like you're walking to the train tracks, but only about 50ft. You'll need to turn left to go up the small hill. Watch out for some horse or dog poop on the ground!

Seacliff Beach is one of the beaches in the city of Ventura. I was driving on US 101 heading south…read moreto go home. The scenery was so beautiful. The drive was very nice, too. Heading north on US 101 is great as you still may get some beach views, but you're on the other side of the highway. Heading south on US 101 is better because you're closer to the waters and you have the opportunity to stop at various outlooks and viewpoints. I really enjoyed my drive and the views of this wonderful beach as I was passing by. Thank you!

I came here to say this place is very nice and intimate place to come and enjoy the scenery,the…read more"path" down isn't that bad just wear good running shoes.

Carpinteria Salt Marsh Nature Park is nestled in the coastal town of Carpinteria, California. While…read moreit doesn't look like much from the outside, things are surprisingly beautiful within. It's got a great beach area and little bluffs to sit on overlooking the ocean. It's a place where you can unwind, take a leisurely stroll, and simply breathe in the fresh coastal air. Last time we were there, the beach had tons of driftwood from all the recent storms. There were some really interesting pieces of wood out there and maybe a hidden treasure or two. It was fun to search through everything and build a wooden fort. The salt marsh ecosystem also draws in various bird species, some uncommon, making it interesting for birdwatching. Whether you're an experienced birder or simply appreciate a cool looking bird, the park offers ample opportunities to spot and observe them in their natural habitat. The park has actually been closed since April 2023 but is scheduled to reopen in June 2023, for emergency dredging and other issues related to all the weather and flooding. The park's amenities are relatively limited, including a small visitor center and a picnic area, they also have some campus spots I believe. Carpinteria Salt Marsh Nature Park is a worth a stop if you are local or looking for a nice spot to spend some time by the beach. Five stars.

The trail runs along the edge of the rehabed salt marsh. It is an interesting walk, well kept and…read morewith good educational signs. The neighborhood surrounding the marsh on 2 sides is upscale and there is plenty of street parking. Lots of room and benches to relax and enjoy the views.

If you come here only to look at the tar seeping out of the cliffs, then you would be missing out…read moreon so much other stuff the area has to offer. I mean, it is cool to see the new shiny tar coming out and hardening on the older, matte tar, and even scoop some up using a sea shell, but this amusement is short-lived. Also, you will have balls of tar staining the bottom of your shoes or feet if you go barefoot. However, this area also has some tidepools with wildlife. If you time your visit at low tide, from the beach cliff you can see some rocky areas or large boulders sticking out from the sand. That's your target. When you walk there, there's shallow pools of water in the sand and rocks, and you can see sea anemones, barnacles, and little crabs. Don't forget to check out the seal sanctuary near by too.

The novelty of having natural tar on the beach is interesting, but not worth visiting otherwise…read more This is not the beach to have a nice beach day, and you will end up with tar on your skin. The parking is terrible and every address to get you there is wrong, including the address here on Yelp. I'm still not sure of the correct address, we gave up and parked in a residential area and walked. The bathrooms are dirty and broken down, and the camping area is paved and where I suspect the parking lot used to be. There are steps down to the beach, which is nice.