We spent 4th of July weekend in Goleta and hit Goleta Beach on our Saturday afternoon. Was it the…read moreprettiest beach in Santa Barbara? No. But it was pleasant and super easy, with free parking and zero crowd. We'd be lucky to have a beach like it in L.A. The sand wasn't especially nice, I guess, coarse and rocky and full of ocean debris. There was also a water quality advisory out for the day we went, which we only discovered once we had all our stuff set up. Otherwise, though, I have no complaints. The view was beautiful, and we were able to claim a prime spot to put down our friends' massive cabana. We brought chairs and beach toys and spent the afternoon relaxing, as all five kids in our crew were thoroughly entertained. My older boy even enjoyed the rockiness of the beach, collecting several interesting rocks that he requested to take home (we let him pick two). If you're looking for a quiet beach to lay out and entertain children, Goleta Beach is a great option. We had a lot of fun here and would be happy to go back for more rocks and sun.

I love a walk along a pier, so I ended up here namely for the pier. I had a little wander around…read moreand appreciated the sand and ocean. There might be some renovations going on; there were chain link fences everywhere -- starting from just right of The Ellwood down a bit. The fences made my walk a little more challenging to navigate and a little less scenic, but hopefully they are temporary. I'm happy I stopped, but know for the future to come prepared with anything I might need (e.g. there isn't a coffee shop nearby, so if I want a cup of tea for my walk, come with it.) Since I'm not from the area, I found it a little random to get to, but can see that it's closeby to the airport, the campus, etc. And it has a pier! 2025: 30/100

Beautiful beach access, beautiful views, peaceful and relaxing. A lot of different wild plants and…read moreanimals. Parking available and restroom's as well.

Beautiful beach. Great walkway that can be navigated easily! Good parking. Friendly and helpful…read morepeople guided us to the parking and walkway.

If you're ever looking for a great morning routine or need a chance to recharge, this is the place…read moreto be! After my runs, I would love to just walk the beach, meet all of the wonderful dogs running around the place, and enjoying the soothing sounds of waves crashing! If you're also looking to each after a rejuvenating beach walk, you have Boathouse on Hendry's on one end and Shoreline Cafe on the other!

Lovely beach! Tide pools and a long stand to walk the sandy beach! That's a restaurant right by the…read morebeach too! Love the views! Dog friendly beach too with reserved space for off leash pups!

Had the best time ever! So relaxing and the long trek to get her is worth it when you see the…read morebeauty of this beach! First time being at a nude/clothing optional beach and I loved it!

Great place to unwind and begin to reconnect with nature, its a short 15-20 minutes walk from where…read moreyou park, its a clothing optional

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

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.

They have a parking lot at Santa Barbara Shores park, which is located across from Ellwood School…read moreon Hollister Ave. This parking lot has an entrance to the preserve with a general map for viewing. We followed directions through Yelp however; and it brought us to a neighborhood street where we could park and enter the preserve via a trail. This worked great until we realized the trails are not marked and it was hard to know where you were headed and if and when we would loop back to our car. I highly suggest parking in the lot and using a different map than the one through Yelp. That being said the preserve was a different habitat for us to walk through with so many tall trees to shade you and create wonderful places for the many birds we could hear and see. We did see a couple of butterflies, so that was nice. This preserve seems to be a work in progress and donations are being accepted to aid in their goal. I think it is going to be a fabulous asset to the community when it is completed.

Nice trails and fresh mulch from preserve placed to help with recent rainfall. Not many butterflies…read moretoday, but quite a few folks walking around asking, 'Have you seen any butterflies?' We were releasing an injured monarch we found before the rains came. Kept her safe and dry for 4 nights, then released her to perch on eucalyptus branches in the sun. She can't fly, but crawls around using 2 good legs and a soft flutter. She may not live long, but at least she'll be in a lovely preserve with other wintering monarchs. Good parking lot off Hollister, but it also seemed like parking on the perimeter streets was fine also. Cheers, "CC"

I have seen some lovely engagement photos taken here. Since all the rain, there have been some…read moreEucalyptuses that have fallen so be aware of the signs. It offers a long and pleasant trail to the beach. And if you're feeling brave you can run and spin through the tall grass like a movie character. This trail is great for walking and getting all your steps in. I bring my dog and we both enjoy the sun, wind and vibes.

Nice little park at the end of Camino Pescadero in Isla Vista. Gives a great vista of las islas, in…read morefact. Good for a morning visit, before the space starts to feel Covid-unsafe with maskless students strolling around. Check out the bench on the clifftop at the end of the park path for a neat place to contemplate the waves at high tide. Or head down the steps to the beach--unless waves are crashing over the sand, in which case stop on the landing and watch the water roll just below you. It's pretty cool.