Shoreline Park is a gem for anyone seeking peaceful surroundings . The park offers stunning views…read moreof the ocean, with plenty of grassy areas perfect for picnics or lounging. I love coming here for walks and soaking up the panoramic views of the coastline. Benches are stationed throughout the park to enjoy the scenery. Unfortunately, some areas have been gated off for safety reasons due to the foundation of the hillside. If you want to venture down to the beach, just look for the wooden archway. The stairway will lead you down to the shoreline. Occasionally high tides won't allow you to venture down, so just be aware of that. The beach itself is rocky, and sometimes full of debris so bring comfy shoes! This spot is ideal for families, walkers, and even solo relaxation. I recommend bringing a small bag for special sea treasures that you may find during your visit. I always enjoy looking for sea shells, sea glass and heart shaped rocks. The rock formations here are always breathtaking during low tides so be sure to bring a camera or have your phone fully charged. Overall, Shoreline Park is my top favorite in town and a must-visit for beach lovers and nature enthusiasts alike. It's also a dog friendly park, so bring your fur baby as well.

Shoreline Park in Santa Barbara is a 15-acre coastal bluff park known for its panoramic ocean views…read moreand family-friendly atmosphere. Perched above the Pacific, it offers a long, narrow stretch of green space with paved paths ideal for walking, jogging, and soaking in vistas that include the Santa Barbara Harbor, the Channel Islands, and the Santa Ynez Mountains.

This is a charming park located in a residential neighborhood. I didn't see any dedicated parking…read morebut the neighborhood appeared to be tranquil and we didn't have any issues finding a spot. I imagine locals/residents of this neighborhood just walk to the park. There's grassy area to run around, s playground for young kids aged 2-5, and a small baseball area. It also appeared to be very dog-friendly. The park is well maintained and also has lots of beautiful large trees, which offer plenty of shade.

Small, serene neighborhood park…read more I had attended the elementary school adjacent to this park for a few years and had actually come here for my AYSO soccer practice. It's down a small trail and a bridge from the school. The bridge is above a seasonal creek which has seen more dry days as of late. It's still beautiful in its own regard. This park is in the center of an upscale mid century neighborhood and is bordered by homes and a good amount of open space. There is no private parking but the street spaces are plentiful. The park features a lush green belt with backstops for your sports games, an upgraded playground separated into two age-appropriate sections, and a picnic area. I've come here when there are birthday parties. What a great place to host an event. Near the creek, you'll find an abundance of trees and lush vegetation. I've been when the creek is full and the view from the bridge is awesome. This park is very well-maintained and super family- and pet-friendly. A great place to check out.

Was surprised to find this little park on my run today.. At first I was stoked, Santa Barbara has a…read morenew gem I can rave to the Yelpers about! But then I walked around more and found that the park wasn't as exciting as I thought. Basically, it's a tiny little family park at the top of a hill with a nice picnic area that includes family size benches, BBQs, and trash/recycle bins. Then there's the playground which is about the size of a typical driveway (tiny) and the swings only consist of those the fit tiny children and babies - I know, adults, I was bummed too. If you walk up the dirt road to the lined fence pathway, at the top of that path is the basketball court and more picnic bench areas. There's a beautiful view up there and it's nice and secluded from the rest of the park. Overall, it's a cute little run stop or place to meet for a picnic date or have a low budget young kid's birthday party, but wouldn't recommend for much else other than that. It is well upkept, visually appealing, and very kid friendly with nice street parking options, but the mere fact that it is so tiny and has no adult swings is a turn away point for me personally.

Nice little park that offers some open space, a half court for basketball, a play structure and…read moresome picnic tables. A little rough around the edges but a beautiful view of the city.

Yet another nice park on the Mesa. Kept nice and clean. Good for families. We like to hang out and…read moreplay cribbage on a nice day.

We spent a couple of hours here with the kids relaxing near the playground. Sitting under a grove…read moreof Eucalyptus trees and being mesmerized by the 80 degree weather with an off shore breeze made for a nice day at the park. There is free parking and a very kid friendly playground with 4 swings. A few parties happening on a Saturday afternoon although the area is quite large and each group didn't disturb the other. I would recommend this as a place to go a see with the family and a cooler of goods.

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

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.

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.

We absolutely love coming to this park. The kids get so excited every time we pull up im front. The…read moreother kids are usually friendly as well and end up playing games together which is an added bonus!

Went to this park to give our grandkids a break from sitting in the car. We had a 7 year old, 13…read moreand 16 with us. So only the 7 year old loved the park. She said give it a 4 star. She found someone to hang out with and didn't want to leave.