My favourite beach in Santa Barbara. More Calm, less people and less steps and levels to walk around. Also lovely for bird watching , and a walk on the pier read more

Goleta Beach Park - Parks Near Me - Goleta, California

See all

This review is for the fishing pier at goleta beach park. Fishing here was awesome. The entire pier was full of fisherman on a weeknight just before high tide but the pier is large and long enough for excellent spacing between anglers (in contrast to Stearns wharf downtown where fishing is restricted to the very end of the pier so anglers end up being shoulder to shoulder). I tried to use a spoon however kept getting stuck on kelp/seaweed so I stuck to bait. Tried fish filets, salmon eggs, and raw shrimp using a Sebiki rig and a bobber. The perch, sardines, and minnows went crazy for the shrimp. I probably caught about 10 perch in an hour in addition to a couple sardines and minnows. The guy next to me was fishing the bottom with heavy gear and some minnows and he got about 3-4 large 20-40lb bat rays in the same time as I got my 10 small perch. A group of crazy college kids came by as the sun was setting to jump off the end of the pier, yikes! Sunset was beautiful even though it doesn't set over the water read more

See all

Not much of an area to sun. But if you're looking to get away from the crowd and stroll along the pier or enjoy a park bench then this is your place. Plus plenty of park picnic tables to enjoy a BBQ. read more

I am shocked to read these glowing reviews. We stumbled on this place a few days ago and were so excited until we went in. Nothing but seedy looking people drinking alcohol at all the tables. Graffiti and trash. It seemed almost deserted. It was weird and we did not feel safe there. read more

Bottom Line: This is a pretty awesome beach if you like airplane and tar I have been going here since I was a little kid. The beach has a little bit much naturally occurring tar that I'd like but it's still a great place to hang out and BBQ. There is a sweet play structure for the little ones, a pier....they have been struggling with erosion for years now but they pretty much have it under control read more

Make sure to check the sign that you will miss if you blink, cause your little ones are too excited to be at the beach, that warns you that the beach is contaminated and can cause illness! Beach has lots of seaweed, but worse of all is the tar! It gets stuck to your feet, terrible for your health. This beach should be closed down when it's that bad or have a lifeguard or giant signs in front of the water warning everyone who comes to the beach. Never again stopping at this beach. Packed up and came to East Beach instead, clean, no smell of tar or rotting tar seaweed. Pinchi big oil! read more

A great (and underrated) beach! Pro: Free parking, Lots of BBQ/picnic areas, Horseshoe pits, pier and restaurant nearby, Close proximity to UCSB, Bike paths everywhere, Typically uncrowded, Great views. Cons: The beach is eroding slowly but surely = not a ton of sand, not many volleyball courts, the "park" needs some minor improvements to the grass areas and infrastructure. I've been here countless times to: picnic, lay out, play volleyball, fish off the pier, run / exercise, birthday parties, work events, eat, scuba dive.......pretty much anything you can think of. Having been to nearly every other public/private/secret beach on the SB coastline, I would say that this is one of the most under appreciated beaches around. I feel Goleta Beach is the most well-rounded beach in the area. There's not much surf here (campus point is around the bend), but you can pretty much do everything else. This is also a great place to run. If you start at the pier and head East (South in SB speak) you run along one of the most secluded and scenic stretches of beach in the area (a similar run is going West (North) from the parking lot of Hendry's Beach). It's not long, but you can always do a few laps and you will likely find that no one else is around. Also, you'll typically see artists painting the cliffs/seascapes on this side of the pier, pretty cool. The fact that you can easily bike in and out of this beach is icing on the cake. I really wish the city would look at possible remedies to the beach erosion because it's really starting to take its toll. If you want proof, check out the pictures inside of the Beachside Cafe (near the pier). Also, the grass areas could use some reseeding and the parking lot could use a fresh coat of asphalt. I highly recommend this spot. read more

This beach is beautiful! We took a bike ride from UCSB and then rode down here and stopped for a Picnic lunch. We threw some bread at the birds and they were crawling back to us. Great place to take a Panoramic Photo (New photo feature on iPhone 4 or 4S+) & Family Photos. *Pro Yelp Tip*: Rent some bikes and go on a short bike ride toward the beach. Pack a Picnic lunch & some board games. Go swimming! Take Family Photos! Have a blast ;) read more

Great beach for relaxing. Lots of seaweed on the sand, which brings flies. People BBQing... lots of fun! Dogs can't be off-leash though. read more

See all

I wish this was my hometown beach. Parking on a gorgeous, picture-perfect Saturday was plentiful and FREE. Suck it, Huntington city and state beaches! A mix of local Gauchos and families cooking some AMAZING smelling food on the grills here. It's nice to find a beach where parking is easy, doesn't cost a thing, there are grills that you can use, there are benches you can sit on, and there's a ton of shade too! I LOVE THIS TOWN AND I LOVE THIS BEACH. read more

We also gave Butterfly Beach four stars, but Goleta Beach gets four stars for different reasons. This beach is still very beautiful, there is a view of the cliffs to the left and of UCSB to the right. The sand and water is decently clean, but Butterfly Beach is much better when it comes to cleanliness. We love Goleta Beach because of the easy access to beachside barbequing, since they have many picnic tables and grills. Although especially in the summer months, most of these grills are taken by noon on the weekends. The parking at this beach is another plus (free!). This is a great beach to run to, as many paths lead to Goleta Beach. Overall, great beach for barbequing, running, and laying in the sand, but we'd probably stay away from taking a swim in the ocean. read more

I was in the area for one night and wanted to make sure I saw the ocean. Goleta Beach is really convenient from the SBA/UCSB area. Plenty of parking, bbq/picnic facilities and a restaurant make for a great spot to hang out. The pier was a good walk out and gave a nice outside-in look at the coast. It was pretty chilly when I went, but when the weather is warm, I bet this would be a nice place to spend the day and go walking along the beach. read more

Goleta Beach is a nice spot for enjoying the ocean without enjoying the beach. There are lots of trees and grassy areas to lay out a blanket and enjoy the sea view. The beach itself is not the most inviting...there was a ridiculous amount of seaweed bundles and kelp all over the place, and it was so rocky that I didn't want to walk barefoot. But once I spread out my beach towels on the grass and just enjoyed the sound of the waves, I didn't mind that my feet weren't freezing in the water. Nice perk - it's a free beach. read more

Great beach with many memorable experiences! A great go to for locals, implants and tourists alike. The water is not the cleanest or warmest but the view and fishing is to die for. read more

Great place with s view of UCSB and beautiful cove. The pier is long and I grabbed a beer for the walk out. Several fisherman on the pier. Clean clear water too. Nice place to hang out after work. read more

One of my favorite beaches. Beautiful and not too crowded. Ucsb is a scenic walk or jog away. Pier is a great place to walk around with loved ones. Starfish and shell gems can be found underneath the pier. Dolphins and seals are at times spotted in the ocean. Kayaking is super fun here as well as a chill time soaking in the sun at the beach. Great place to BBQ and bring kids to pay at the playground. read more

Nice beach with a great pier to fish on. But at the moment the water is no good. Ever since the oil spill, all you get is tar covered feet and some nasty water to wade in. The waves are very calm but still it's hard to do anything since the oil spill. Don't let your kids play in it, you never know what they might get. read more

Very dirty but the views are nice. I went here with some friends and we had a good visit. I recommend going in the evening so you can watch the sun set. There are lots of birds but they will leave you alone if you don't feed them. There are some very nice walks along the lagoon you can easily get to from the park. I highly recommend checking them out! read more

This review is just for the beach/pier side, as the park looked like an exciting place but I didn't check it out personally. The pier is really long and sort of worn down, but it goes really far out into the ocean. There's this little staircase at one point that sorta goes down into a smaller offshoot of the pier. We couldn't figure out what it was for, but it's cool to check out. It was also really windy when we were there so it was really cold, even though the sun was out and the sky was nice and everything. It was actually so windy that you couldn't drink from the water fountains respectably as the wind was literally blowing the water off the spout onto the railing once you pressed the button. However, it's a pretty chill and relaxing place (minus the roaring wind when we were there), and you can see the cliffs up and down the beach especially walking all the way out into the pier. Perfect place to just hang out and waste time on a lazy afternoon! read more

Well kept with rangers driving around to enforce rules. Beautiful views with a long pier that isn't safe for toddlers but nice otherwise. Ample and free parking but very narrow beach with very rocky sand. So not great for the kids to build sandcastles but there is a playground that my toddler loved. This beach isn't a must stop but if you need somewhere to stop to stretch your legs it's a good spot. read more

This is a small beach park, ideal for picnics or fun get-togethers. There are nice picnic benches with grills and there is even a spacious communal picnic area that is shaded for large groups. Spots can be reserved for parties. As for me, I like to come here and chill with a sandwich but the resident sea-gulls seem to have the same idea about my lunch. Please don't feed them. They will come in hoards to fight for your crumbs. Aside from the bird issue, it's a cool spot. You really can't go wrong with SB beaches. read more

Made a quick pit stop while visiting UCSB as a way of staying cool. It was in the 90s this day. There's a grassy area where people found shade or hung their hammock from some palm trees. I chose to sit on a bench next to the restaurant atop a small little mound and read a book until it got a little too hot. People sunbathed, walked the pier nearby and waded in the ocean waves. There was plenty of free parking, but the water didn't look too clean so I opted to not go in. Overall, it's a nice little stretch of beach to cool off, people watch, or read a book. read more

Great Beach! Rarely crowded. Bathrooms, large grassy areas with bbq facilities. Trees on the grass plus an amazing view of the islands. Lots of walking room. Perfect place to enjoy a late afternoon picnic. There is a restaurant on site as well as a snack bar at the foot of the long pier. I visit every time I am in town to visit my UC student. Love it there!!! read more

Goleta Beach Park - Parks Near Me - Goleta, California

A lot of rocks with little sand. Easy parking. The kids had a fun time finding near rocks but we weren't able to swim.

Easy to get to location fron the airport. Also this beach is dog on leash friendly which is nice. Picnic tables that overlook the Pacific, you can't beat that. Check out the beachside restaurant if you have a chance. read more

Goleta Beach Park - Parks Near Me - Goleta, California

There's a lovely LONG pier that has wonderful views. Off to the left you have kinda like flat lands and then to the right you see UCSB. Quiet beach, nice amount of parking although right now their doing some construction so (the beach) is kinda blocked off. I'm sure if u wanted to touch the water or take a couple pictures you can walk through the barricade.. Bike paths everywhere so you can run/bike/walk. Nice place to swim, kayak boat whatever your plea read more

Nice beach to sight see but not to get in the water. Water is very dirty. Beautiful place to take pictures.

This park is beautiful and the best place to go running. Either in the sand or grass. Great for familys and BBQs. And it's still FREE to park and go here. read more

I really love this beach. It's a people beach with lots of picnic tables and barbecues and even a restaurant, but it still feels clean and natural. The goleta slough empties here and it can be a great place to see birds. One time I saw about 20 great blue herons hanging out at the slough's mouth. There are also lots of cormorants and egrets. And sometimes pelicans. read more

Go to Bagel Place on Trigo then walk over to the Goleta Pier. It is totally worth it. I know most IV residents are sleeping til noon but it is really worth coming here. read more

Love running to this beach from my apartment in IV! This place offers a great BBQ area, pretty clean and well maintained grass area and is located just outside of UCSB and right next to Beachside cafe. Only quip is that it's quite expensive to reserve a BBQ pit area read more

Lotsa beautiful scenery!!!!!!!! Very long pier... and long is good, right?! :)

A nice little beach not far from UCSB up the road. We used to run to the pier from campus and it was a fun run to do because of the view of the ocean. There are picnic tables and grassy areas for gatherings. The beach is generally quite small but I've found it to be clean. Parking generally isn't too difficult because there is a proper lot. read more

The best took the boy&I here when we visited her because well... who goes down to Santa Barbara/Goleta without going to the beach?! We went twice in two days, and both times, there was ample space [no squished sunbathing for me!]. I didn't get in the water [besides dipping my foot in] because well... I know it's SoCal, but the water is still wayy too cold for me! It seems to attract a wide variety of people [from families to college kids]. It was also really nice&clean, which I appreciated. I'd definitely come back the next time I'm in the area! read more

Love this beach! I've been coming here since I was a kid! It's never too crowded and it's very family friendly!

This beach was perfect for an afternoon picnic. Easy to get to, free and lots of parking. Restrooms were sparkling clean. Not over crowded. Very relaxing with nice views and you get to watch the planes as well. read more

This is a beautiful beach. It is well kept and the trees are just now getting large enough to provide a fair amount of shade on a hot summer day. The ocean landscape is second to none. The waves there are child friendly, there are BBQ facilities up and down the park, a large party area with large BBQ pit, children's park, the bathrooms are somewhat clean, and don't forget the Beach-side Restaurant for those who don't like the park scene. A great area to spend an hour or two when your friends and family from out of town come to visit. read more

1st place we hit in the am on a heatwave day (YESTERDAY). it was dead except for the pier, where a few fishermen were at. Perhaps the emptiness was due to a sign that noted that the water was contaminated and that it was UNSAFE to swim in the water. I guess by walking along the water and gettin gour feet wet, we may have put ourselves at risk for getting an infection. After 15m, we decided to try another beach. There is a restaurant right at the Pier, but it was still early, so it wasn't open. They are open for lunch and dinner. read more

One of my favorite places to frequent. I am fortunate enough to be able to come here almost every day on my lunch break. Super mellow and not too overcrowded. Big pier to walk out onto. It does get a little busier in the afternoons/evenings in the summer but its California what place isn't crowded. Free parking is also a plus. read more

Great beach. Went there yesterday with the kids. My 7 year old swam to the buoy with my nephew who is 18. No rocks, family waves.