Beach FAQParks
The following provides information on what to expect of Santa Barbara's beaches, including how the City manages its beaches and the importance of kelp. Read the answers to FAQ below or review our Wrack Card:
Enjoying Santa Barbara's Beaches.- Beaches FAQs
- Which beaches are managed by the City of Santa Barbara?
Santa Barbara has broad sandy beaches, narrow, bluff-back beaches, a working harbor and active waterfront.
East Beach is located between Stearns Wharf and the Clark Estate. West Beach is located between the harbor and Stearns Wharf. Leadbetter Beach is located immediately west of the harbor.
Several bluff-backed beaches are located west of Leadbetter Beach include Shoreline, Mesa Lane, and Arroyo Burro, up to the Arroyo Burro Estuary near Arroyo Burro County Beach (also known as “Hendry’s Beach” and managed by the County of Santa Barbara; their website is at https://www.countyofsb.org/parks/day-use/arroyo-burro-beach.sbc).
From the Mesa area, you can access the beach from three beach stair access points at Shoreline Park, Thousand Steps at Santa Cruz Blvd. and Mesa Lane Steps at Mesa Lane.
- Why is there kelp washed up on Santa Barbara beaches?
What you are noticing is called wrack.
Wrack is made up of seaweed, kelp, surfgrass, driftwood, and other organic materials produced by coastal ecosystems that wash ashore on the beach. In Southern California, giant kelp is an important component of wrack. Coastal storm waves tear giant kelp off the rocky seafloor and seasonal kelp harvesting sends kelp afloat where it washes ashore and fuels the beach food web.
If you'd like to learn more, UCSB has put together a helpful website on this topic.
- Why is kelp and beach wrack important?
Kelp is important both in the ocean and on the beach!
Kelp grows in the shallow rocky reefs off the Santa Barbara coast and throughout central and northern California. Like a rain forest, kelp forests provide food and habitat for a rich diversity of algae, invertebrates, fishes, birds, and marine mammals, many of which are ecologically and economically important. Giant kelp is also of great commercial value, with thousands of tons harvested annually in California and elsewhere in the world for food, soaps, pharmaceuticals and other products.
Wrack provides an important ecological link between the land and the sea. Plants and seaweed cannot grow in the unstable, wave-washed sand of the beach, so beach animals rely largely upon sources of food, like wrack, that drift onto shore. Wrack feeds many creatures that live on and in the sand, and these creatures in turn provide a food source for other animals such as birds.
- Does the City of Santa Barbara groom its beaches? If so, which ones?
Portions of Leadbetter, East Beach, and West Beach are groomed throughout the year, restricted to the dry sand and not within ten feet of the wrack line. Wrack is not removed during grooming, as it is a protected food source for many coastal bird species.
The actual area of dry beach available for grooming changes throughout the year. Large swells, wave run up and high tides occasionally deposit kelp far up the beach, restricting beach maintenance.
Bluff-backed beaches like Mesa Lane Steps and beaches below the Douglas Family Preserve are not groomed.
Debris collected in lagoons is not removed due to sensitive species living in and around this habitat. Debris in these areas often gets flushed out when the berm naturally breaches and flow to the ocean is restored.
- Where does beach litter come from?
Litter from land finds its way to our beaches via storm drains and creeks, when blown by the wind, or swept in by the tide. The top three most common types of beach litter are cigarette butts, food wrappers, and various plastics.
Sea based activities also contribute: recreational water sports, commercial boaters, merchant and leisure shipping, and marinas all produce litter which finds its way to Santa Barbara beaches.
Litter affects us all: injuries from broken glass, damage to boats and sea-life ingestion and entanglement. Litter is a hazard and an eye sore.
- What does the City of Santa Barbara do to keep its beaches clean and safe?
Parks and Recreation Department and Creeks Division
We use a variety of methods to keep beaches clean. The Parks and Recreation Department holds beach and creek clean-ups, has an Adopt-A-Beach program, and works with staff, contractors and volunteers to:
- Remove litter and other pollutants from creeks and beaches
- Groom beaches
- Strategically place lifeguard towers to keep beach-goers safe from a variety of hazards
If you are interested in finding out more, please visit our Creeks Division's website at sbcreeks.com to learn about programs that reduce pollution and keep our ocean water clean. To report pollution, please call (805) 897-2688.
Waterfront Department
The Waterfront Department’s Clean Marina Program includes an annual volunteer seafloor clean-up.
- How do I find out about ocean water quality?
Water is tested weekly and results posted on the County of Santa Barbara website.
- I noticed pipes on the beach. What's going on there?
The large pipes are used to transport accumulating sand from the harbor down the coast in a process known as dredging. Dredging is required to maintain safe depths in the harbor for navigation. The sand removed from the harbor is deposited on East Beach which wouldn’t exist if dredging didn’t occur on a regular basis.
- What time do Santa Barbara beaches open and close?
City of Santa Barbara beaches are open from sunrise to a half-hour after sunset.
- Is camping allowed on Santa Barbara beaches? What about campfires?
Camping and camp fires are not permitted on any City of Santa Barbara beach.
- What do I do if I see something illegal happening on the beach?
In an Emergency
In any emergency, please dial 911.
Non-Emergencies
If you notice illegal activity on the beach (or anywhere within the Santa Barbara city limits), please call the City of Santa Barbara Police Department non-emergency line.
- How can I find out more about the Parks and Recreation Department?
Visit our news page at SantaBarbaraCA.gov/ParksAndRec to learn about programs, summer camps, services, classes, parks, beaches, and more.
To stay informed about all things Parks and Rec, please follow us on social media or sign up for our email list. Or just give us a call at (805) 564-5418.
- Where do I park? Is there public transportation nearby?
Many of our beaches have adjacent parking lots, some of which are managed by the Waterfront Department and require payment by the hour. For more information on parking, please visit the Waterfront Department's Parking Services page.
Metropolitan Transit District (MTD) shuttles run along Cabrillo Boulevard, with stops adjacent to East Beach, West Beach, and Leadbetter Beach. For more information, please visit the MTD website; their downtown bus map is a helpful resource.
- Which beaches are managed by the City of Santa Barbara?