Ohhhh my gosh! This is a hidden gem! Seriously HIDDEN! Went for a drive thru the hills of…read moreCarpenteria and Montecito and stumbled upon this park... saw the sign for the turn off and decided to take it! Drove for a while on this gorgeous lush road with so much foliage and trees that you could barely see the sky, that led us to a beautiful park with a ton of trees, and a creek running through it! A wooden bridge crossing over...There was a huge dog park area; A nice bathroom; Playground for kids; There are several picnic areas available to reserve for events... Just lovely!

Only four stars for lack of puppy water…read more.. GPS is a little misleading. Once you see the Toro Canyon Park sign on the road you must keep going. It's definitely worth the extra drive. The fenced in off-leash dog park is big, but all dirt. The entire park itself is Amazing!!, Huge!!!, Clean And nicely done. We lucked out & were the 1st ones in. When we were leaving this nice park ranger type woman asked us if we'd be interested in attending a Rattlesnake Avoidance Training Class ?!?!? Lucky, Blessed, Confirmed! (9/14/22)

Cute neighborhood park that is bigger than you expect it to be. It was pretty quiet when I visited…read more Locals bring their dogs so watch for off lease dogs here.

This park is located just east of Carpinteria High School between Casitas Pass Rd and Linden Ave…read more There are parking lot entrances along Foothill Rd as well as El Carro Ln. If you access from the north lot, it's directly adjacent to Girls Inc. Looking north, you'll have an awesome view of the mountains and Franklin Trail. The park has 2 baseball fields, a soccer field, picnic tables, 3 BBQ sites, 2 restroom buildings, and playground to make it very family friendly. If you want to reserve a BBQ site, there's a $30 reservation fee and a refundable $50 cleaning deposit. Bouncy houses must be permitted at a cost of $10. 203/100 Reviews for 2014

Such a magical tree…read more The fact its almost 300 years old is mind blowing. It has grown so big that it has rested its branches on the ground, which have grown upward from there. It looks like a grove of trees but its really just one! A perfect spot for a picnic or date to connect with an amazing tree!

What an amazing tree. I come here every trip to Carpinteria because it reminds me of the journey…read moreof life and what is truly meaningful and lasting about it. This tree has been there a long time and I believe it has the embedded knowledge of all these years it has lived in that same spot, unmoving, ever-growing and undaunted by all that has passed since it began as a little sprout. I go to commune. I go to touch this ancient being. I go to be awe-struck. I go because my friend goes and loves this tree too. Its special and being in its presence is special.

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.

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.

We were looking for a place to take our dog and was told this is the spot! Free parking too -- so…read morewe walked to the right (North of The Point) and a long beach awaited us with happy doggies running and playing. Sign says they must be on a leash but I guess the dogs couldn't read! Not too crowded even on a warm summer weekend. No lifeguards but people were swimming as the waves were very mild. Saw a bunch of surfers way to the left (South of The Point). I can see this getting a bit cold in the winter but perfect for summer.

Great beach especially to take my dog. Nice walk down to the ocean and the beach was kept clean.read more

Camping here requires a reservation a couple months in advance, make sure to plan accordingly for…read moremajor holidays as it fills up quick months in advance, we stayed a couple nights and it is peaceful and lovely. The amenities include some good showers with hot water, pick up coins at the entrance before setting up. Restrooms available as well, take something to clean the seats, sometimes people leave a little mess, but overall the cleanliness is good for a campsite restroom/shower.. Great town for bike riding and some hiking along the coast. Weather can be a bit unpredictable, sometimes really windy sometimes calm, gets cold at night. If you prepare with care, the campsites are an awesome time, the beach can get windy and cold, check the weather.

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.

I hosted my husband's 7-0 birthday party on Mother's Day, and it turned out absolutely beautiful!…read more The process with the Park staff was seamless. From our contract to the cleanup everything turned out , as planned. I had 60 people with a catered barbecue by SCOOTERS from Ventura, the hosted bar open for my guests w wine and champagne, and a great DJ. I really appreciate how beautiful the Park is, amongst the trees and green grass. There was plenty of parking for our guests, nice bathrooms, a kitchen for cold foods and lots of room to play. The Lions park staff were fantastic and so helpful!

I rented out the Lions Park Hall for my daughter's 15th birthday (quinceanera) and omg was it…read morebeautiful! I have attended the park as a wedding guest and I loved it so much we chose it for our own event. Cat is professional, responsive, and flexible. I really appreciated her helpfulness. The bartenders at our event were fast and made delicious margaritas. The onsite monitor the day of the event was sweet and kind. There are also so many wonderful add ons like the bridal suite, access to the kitchen and entry to the venue the night before. I can't rave about it enough! I 100% recommend the venue. I think it's such a great location and option for us locally.

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!