A great small park! It's split by the road. Nice place to take a stroll. One side is paved and the…read moreother side is just grass. The paved part has the larger cracks / tripping hazards outlined in neon spray paint - that is so helpful for older folks and kids!

Did you come across this review and think, "Well, I doubt there is much to say about a park. A park…read moreis a park." Well, you would be mighty wrong, my dear friend! This park, Orpet Park, you've come across is in Santa Barbara; the city that is literally a walking history book with every nook, cranny, and parcel rich in narratives and archives. Orpet Park is no exception to this rule so allow me to give you a quick background... Pretty much every visitor and tourist to the lovely city of Santa Barbara has been to the Mission or to the SB Botanical Gardens. This means that you have been minutes and even mere feet away from Orpet Park located at the corner of Moreno and Alameda Padre Serra. So, here is the history: Edward Owen Orpet was a park superintendent in SB with a lengthy list of horticultural and agricultural degrees, awards, pedigrees, experiences, and professional accomplishments. In fact, people called him the "Plant Missionary". Orpet made it his life mission to spruce up (no pun intended) that agricultural landscape of California and is the man behind many of the olive trees growing in the state. Perhaps we can call him Johnny Oliveseed? Eddy Oliveseed? Anyway, Orpet is obviously the founder of Orpet Park in 1921, the 4-acre park with two parts (dissected from each other by the street). Edward created Orpet Park has his own personal horticultural showplace in order to highlight rare trees and plants with the backdrop of scenic ocean views. And THAT, ladies and gents, is what you can find in Orpet Park today. The 'main' section of Orpet Park is located on the elevated hillside and is ripe with lush green foliage, trees casting shadows perfect for sitting, open space for pups to run around (pets MUST be leashed!) and picnic tables for your lunches or games of chess. Signs aggressively maintain that litter is a big no-no and this seems to be respected in Orpet Park as there wasn't any trash or pet feces that I could see. Plus, Orpet Park is so peaceful, serene, quiet and all the other collective synonyms! Even on a Saturday afternoon, there were only two other people in the park. Orpet Park is the PERFECT spot to getaway and enjoy nature and your own thoughts or that of a romantic partner. Orpet Park's 'second' portion is on the lower half and is the more landscaped side with hints of a botanical garden in design. Walkways are surrounded by beautiful trees, flowering plants, stone boulders, and of course the picnic tables to bask in it all. This side is equally gorgeous, litter-free, and silent except for the sounds of hummingbirds zipping by and is ideal for lovely walks or beautiful photos. Just a note: Orpet Park is NOT the kind of park you find a basketball court, playground, baseball field and the like in. This is more of a garden-esque, green space. Yet, Orpet Park is definitely 'better' and more inviting (plus, nice on the eyes) than most neighborhood parks. Parking is street-side and honestly doesn't seem to be an issue in this residential area. I found several spots directly adjacent to the park entry signs. Orpet Park is certainly worth a visit whether you live in SB or are a visitor and want to relax, grab lunch, gather your thoughts, etc. It is also ideal for a romantic walk or those Instagram-worthy snapshots. Let's thank Edward Orpet for leaving such a lovely legacy in the form of agricultural/horticultural wonders.

My partner and I are regulars at Campus Point Beach. It is highly accessible for a disabled person…read more There are bathrooms and a shower to wash off sand. The view of the shoreline and islands are majestic. A great spot for a picnic, a romantic walk on the beach, or equally, how about an angry irritated walk on the beach? The meditative rhythm of the waves soothes the soul. We regularly spot surfers, pelicans, sandpipers, dolphins, seals, whales, sailboats, cruise ships, The Channel Islands, and even anemones and limpets when tidepoooling. The only warning: The beach is now transformed, much of the sand is gone and the shore is very rocky since the recent unprecedented storms and atmospheric rivers. This makes for unstable ground. The UCSB lagoon is a beautiful spot and adjacent to the beach. There are also easy hiking trails to explore nearby. The UCSB Marine Lab is also located at Campus Point and offers touch tanks full of aquatic discovery and learning, tactile stimulation and joyful wonder! So make haste and head to the beach already!

Overlooking the ocean on the cliffs is one of my favorite spots to study at UCSB. There are benches…read morefor people to sit on and it's generally very quiet and relaxing. One of the best views on the campus! The more you walk to the right of the cliffs, you will find the Labyrinth! You have to do the Labyrinth when you come to UCSB, you will feel so accomplished! Right before you enter the beach, there is UCSB's Reef. You can come here and touch a variety of sea creatures from, starfish to fish, they have it all! Super super cool experience! Depending on the day and the tides, this beach and Sands is the best to get your surf on in Goleta. You can always rent paddle boards, wet suits, kayaks and surfboards from UCSB's Recreation Center right off the water! It ranges from $10-$30 an hour depending on what you're renting or $30-$60 all day. Check out the link for more information! https://recreation.ucsb.edu/sites/default/files/2020-01/ucsb-campus-point-rentals-2016_bc7fd9fa-9062-40ab-86df-e405787716cf.pdf.pdf

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.....

It was a beautiful, hot Santa Barbara afternoon and we wanted a place to sit in the shade under…read moretrees and eat our sandwiches. This was a GREAT spot. First, the trees are beautiful, I'm from Southern California, and there were trees that we don't often see in the beach area, so we were awe struck by the beauty. Second, there are plenty of picnic benches and lots of trash receptacles. This park is not super large but a good spot for kids to run around and play on the park equipment... most important, an idyllic spot for a picnic.

Another small and beautiful beach in Montecino. Not crowded, dog friendly and has a beautiful view…read moreof beach front homes. Perfect place to relax and visualize your future :)

Nice quiet place to hangout, take a stroll by the water front, run in the sand and or just sit out…read morein the sun for a tan. Close to a residential area thus place seems more private and less crowded compared to other public beaches nearby. Bring your dogs and run in the sand and water, sit and lay down for a tan, etc. Parking can be a bit tricky because the small narrow street, you just have to try to find parking along 2 sides of the road. But people are always coming and leaving so you should have no problem finding a spot. I came by to eat a quick lunch and for a short walk. Would love to come back and visit this location.

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!

I brought my mother and little siblings on this hike. They all enjoyed it, and even though we…read moredidn't make it all the way up to the top we loved crossing the creeks. My youngest sibling is 4 years old and he kept up! We brought my 13 year old little dog on the hike, she ran up the trail. I'd definitely recommend this hike during early morning or afternoon. There are many gorgeous sights, sounds and smells to savor. There were so many kind people and lovely flowers along the trail.

The hike starts off pretty mellow and shaded as it follows rattlesnake creek. It then climbs…read moresteeply into the mountains affording some stunning views of the area. Finally it drops back down into a shaded valley and if it's the right time of year (and we've had enough rain) there are some swimming holes to cool off in.

Absolutely beautiful place to take a family walk if in the UCSB / Isla Vista AREA. I walked on the…read moredirt path up above the beach area and my pictures show the beach area at low tide. I didn't really notice a lot of people walking around so that's always refreshing when you want a quiet day walking on the beach. My only concern would be that there might be oil located on the beach area, but from above on the hills the area looked beautiful. Just keep an eye out as that's rough to scrape off your feet. Highly recommended though and will definitely go back.

Such a beautiful, hidden gem! Nice trail takes you around the Slough to the beach and back…read more Lots of habitat restoration has been done in recent years to this area. There is a breeding area for the endangered western snowy plover. If you go, please tread lightly, do not take anything, and do not leave anything that will harm the plovers or any of the other precious wildlife in this place.

Miramar Beach is one of the beaches in the city of Montecito. I was driving on US 101 southbound to…read morehead home. The scenery was very beautiful. The drive was very nice. I enjoyed my drive and the views of this wonderful beach very much. Thank you! After I got home, I did some research on this beach. It is known as the best walking beach in the city. I will have to come back here and experience the beach walk.

My husband grew up within walking distance of Miramar Beach, and now that we have our own kids,…read morewe've been going whenever we're in Montecito. We hang out right where the hotel set-up ends and avail ourselves of their bar and clean bathrooms. It's kind of like having a really shitty room at the Rosewood, which is probably worth like $1,000 a night. The beach is calm and peaceful and never particularly crowded, a blessing if you're coming from, say, Los Angeles, where the beach:population ratio is significantly higher. Parking clogs up right by the public entrance, but it's pretty easy in the morning, and we've had good luck parking by the hotel and walking through the lobby. Our three-year-old Leo B. loves Miramar Beach (also loves walking through the hotel). We've coasted through hours and hours of tantrum-free toddler time, moving between the sand and the gentle waves. Even our baby likes a beach day, though he gets very angry when he crawls into the tide and gets splashed with saltwater. We spend a lot of time in Montecito, and I like that our kids will grow up playing at Miramar Beach. It's an idyllic place where our whole family can while away hours of sunny leisure. We'll be making memories here for years to come.