Goleta Beach

Santa Barbara County

Goleta Beach, Santa Barbara County, California
Goleta Beach, Santa Barbara County, California

Goleta Beach

Santa Barbara County


Goleta Beach

Beautiful Goleta Beach is surrounded by Santa Barbara County's 29-acre Goleta Beach Park. The wide, sandy beach attracts sun bathers, sand castle architects, beach combers, boogie boarders, and swimmers.

The 1,450-foot Goleta Pier is a favorite spot for local anglers. Boat launching from the pier is available during park hours.

Within walking distance of the University of California Santa Barbara, Goleta Beach attracts many students looking for a tranquil place to relax between studies.



map of Goleta Beach, Santa Barbara County, CA

Nearby Beaches

Isla Vista Beach

Isla Vista Beach is west of Goleta Beach, around the tip of Goleta Point. Adjacent to the beach is 1.4-acre Isla Vista County Park resting on a grassy bluff overlooking the ocean. The park has picnic tables, benches along the edge of the bluff, sandlot volleyball courts, and stairs leading down to the beach.

girl standing on beach with a bucket, CA

Sands Beach

Farther west along the coast, beyond Coal Oil Point, is Sands Beach, a popular surfing spot for local college students. Find parking near Camino Majorca and Del Playa, then follow a path to Coal Oil Point.

Windamajig

Next to the playground at Goleta Beach Park once stood a 15-foot-tall sculpture known as Windamajig. The structure was created in 1990 by artist George Rhoads. Rhoads has spent more than 30 years designing rolling ball machines and wind sculptures for public and private places.

Windamajig was composed of about 20 cone-shaped pieces attached in small clusters to poles that rotate independently of one another. Propelled by the wind, the cones spin at various speeds, creating a dazzling array of whirling parts.

Unfortunately, the sculpture was damaged by strong winds in 2006 and removed from the park. Read more about George Rhoads' sculptures in Wizard at Work.

Goleta Beach, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara County, California

Goleta Beach



Goleta Beach Park Special Regulations

  • Dogs must be on leash.
  • No fires allowed on beach.
  • No bicycles, motor vehicles, or jet skis allowed on the Goleta Beach Pier.
  • No launching of vessel in excess of 8,000 lbs. or longer than 22' from the pier.
  • No diving, swimming, surfing, or operating a jet ski within 100 feet of the pier.
  • No overhead casting on pier.
  • Flying kites, balloons, model planes, or gliders in Goleta Beach County Park is not allowed in any area west of the pier.


Erosion at Goleta Beach

For many years Goleta Beach has been gradually eroding as sand and sediment are washed away. Many of the popular features of Goleta Beach Park are in danger of being lost.

A variety of plans have been proposed by various groups. Some favor doing whatever is needed to protect the park with structures such as breakwaters or seawalls. A second school of thought is known as managed retreat which calls for gradual removal of threatened features at the park and allowing nature to take its course. A third approach is known as the beach nourishment strategy. This involves depositing sand on the beach.

In 2017, winter storms prompted the county parks department to add rocks to protect Goleta Beach Park. Most recently, mudslide material from Montecito has been dumped at Goleta Beach, ostensibly to provide nourishment benefits. Concern about the management of the park and beach continues. See Friends of Goleta Beach Park

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Ocean Safety

California State Parks and Recreation cautions that "large surf, cold water temperatures, backwash, sudden drop-offs, pounding shorebreak, and dangerous rip currents can turn what seem like safe activities such as playing near the surf line, wading, or climbing on rock outcroppings, deadly." Learn more about ocean safety at CA State Parks: Ocean Safety