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emailCarpinteria State Beach
Mile-long Carpinteria State Beach, 12 miles south of Santa Barbara, was an important canoe-building site for native Chumash people, who used the tar that occurs naturally on this beach to seal their wooden canoes, called tomols. Protected by an offshore reef, this is an excellent swimming and wading beach for children. You will also find a beachfront campground,...
Mile-long Carpinteria State Beach, 12 miles south of Santa Barbara, was an important canoe-building site for native Chumash people, who used the tar that occurs naturally on this beach to seal their wooden canoes, called tomols. Protected by an offshore reef, this is an excellent swimming and wading beach for children. You will also find a beachfront campground, covered picnic tables, and a small visitor center. Carpinteria Creek flows through the park and into a lagoon, which was the launching site for Chumash tomols bound for the Channel Islands. Today this lagoon is a lovely spot to watch mallards, egrets, herons, coots, and other shorebirds. Carpinteria City Beach, which adjoins Carpinteria State Beach, has better wheelchair access to the beach, as well as picnic tables on concrete pads that offer prime views of the Channel Islands and of sand volleyball games.
Visitor center: The visitor center, located between the entrance kiosk and Anacapa campground, has a Chumash Indian exhibit, a touch tank, and animal pelts you can touch. The asphalt path leading to the center has a small steep section, and tree roots have caused it to buckle considerably.
Visitor center: The visitor center, located between the entrance kiosk and Anacapa campground, has a Chumash Indian exhibit, a touch tank, and animal pelts you can touch. The asphalt path leading to the center has a small steep section, and tree roots have caused it to buckle considerably.
Accessibility Details
The facilities listed below meet all of our access criteria unless otherwise noted.
Beach Wheelchair: Yes
Accessible Parking: Yes
Accessible Restroom: Yes
Accessible Restroom: Limited Accessibility
Several large shaded picnic areas with barbecue grills are by the main day-use parking lot. Some with great ocean views are at the foot of Linden Avenue.
Other Things of Interest
For 25 cents you can ride the electric Seaside Shuttle, which stops at Carpinteria City Beach and at the major shopping areas in town. It operates year-round, Mon.-Fri., 6 am-7 pm, Sat.-Sun., 10 am-5 pm.
Carpinteria Creek Lagoon (Bonnie Lewkowicz )
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Additional Information
| View Map |
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| Website: | www.parks.ca.gov |
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| Managing Agency: | California State Parks |
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| Nearest City: | Carpinteria |
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| Phone: | (805) 684-2811 |
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| Hours: | Beach: 7 am to sunset Visitor center: Sat.-Sun., 10 am-noon |
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| Fees: | Parking, Camping |
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| Dogs: | In restricted areas Not allowed on beach |
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| Public Transportation: | MTD Santa Barbara |
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| Useful Links: | Seaside Shuttle |
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Did You Know?
The Chumash name for the area now called Carpinteria was Mishopshnow (“correspondence”), because it was a center of trade with other tribes.
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Reviewed by Bonnie Lewkowicz, September 25, 2008
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 This web guide is a project of Access Northern California.  Thanks to our partner the California Coastal Conservancy |
