Carpinteria Bluffs Nature Preserve

Nice little hike.
After a few minutes of hiking, you will cross path with an Amtrak train track which is also a great spot to take pictures at. The train does go on this track so be careful.
Free parking. No public bathrooms.
A bunch of seals

One of the better places with a view that I’ve visited while I was here in Santa Barbara.
Walk through here on the way to the Seal Sanctuary and you can see some pretty nice views. There’s a train track, so it’s a perfect place to capture some nice photos. Definitely a huge plus since one of the main points of my trip was to take some stunning photos.

Great place to relax and enjoy the view. This here leads to the Seal Sanctuary where you can see a bunch of seals lying on the beach doing nothing.
Besides the ocean, there is a train rail and a lot of green.
Good for walking dogs as well

Spectacular! If anyone gives under 5 stars, I have to question your love of the great outdoors! Carpinteria Bluffs Nature Preserve is as good as it gets! There’s views for days!!! Parking is FREE and it’s dog friendly to boot.
I suggest taking the trail down to where the seal sanctuary is down at the beach, head left and have yourself a fabulous one mile beach walk. You will arrive at Rincon Park at this point. Rincon, you say? Yes!!! That fabulous California point break where waves form bigger than life! Watch the surfers test their limits. This is California at its finest!

This is a nice hike, I“m not sure exactly where the trail gears off too the only sign of it is at the entrance. I crossed the tracks and headed to the beach, they have a sign posted it’s where the sea lions gather between December and May and they close the beach access off between those months. You would be able to see the sea lions from the cliff with their pups. The day I went hiking we just walked along the ocean as the little ones gathered their shells and we walked from one end to the only other way out and hiked back along the bluff from the parking lot (no sign posted) the trail is surrounded by chrub. It eventually goes along side a rail road track and we saw the train twice while hiking. When we came back I saw people walking on the other side of the train track in a field which I thought was private property but I“m guessing where the trail head actually is. Either way, both sides of the track is a nice hike. It was empty when we went exploring the area. Saw some people hang gliding above us. I loved the quietness and I only saw one jogger when I got to the train area. The beach access itself is empty just a few joggers and at the parking lot entrance at the far end of the beach is where some people gathered but it’s a nice quiet beach area over all. Total distance we did was 6 – 7 miles.

This was the absolute highlight of my trip to Carpinteria. The hiking/​walking trails are beautiful, and the views of the ocean and coastline are breathtaking. It was exciting to be able to see the seals in the rookery when I was there in March.
There’s plenty of wildlife to watch while you’re walking, and the trails are pretty well traveled, but well-​kept.

One of my favorite coastal walks, with wildflowers in the spring, birds, ocean and mountain views, wide well-​maintained trails. The trail connects onto Carpinteria State Beach, on one end and back to Rincon Point the other direction. Peaceful wanderings with the added bonus of harbor seal viewing at the refuge, with pupping going on mid-​January to March. Yes, there is an oil company parking lot and pier in the middle of all this, but the trail skirts around it. and the island views are wonderful. Ample parking at the end of Bailard Rd.

The Carpinteria Bluffs Nature Preserve comes complete with astonishing panoramic views. Through December to March, you can spy on seals and sea lions at the seal rookery below the bluffs. It’s a great place to bird watch, too! Once the sun rises on the bluffs, this place resonates peace and beauty until the sun goes down. Ample parking. Highly recommended.

Brought the dogs here on a Friday afternoon in November. Weather was perfect, not too hot not too cold.
It’s a good little place for a hike with views.
Cross the tracks, and head down the bluffs onto the shore for a stroll along the beach. That part is closed starting December 1^st to end of May for the Sea Lion mating season.
It’s a good place to let the dogs run free and play in the water. The waves aren’t too crazy. It wasn’t crowded, and the few people we meandered by were friendly.

This place is awesome! It’s beautiful! There is a lot of parking and hiking trails which lead straight to the beach. We came here because of the hot dog stand. Recommend that place for a quick bite before heading to Santa Barbara.

Heaven on earth! This is a GORGEOUS place to walk your dogs or go for a jog. I especially love this place near sunset. Romantic and beautiful

I got up early morning wanting to fill my soul with the sights, smells, and sounds of nature – away from all the Memorial Day madness.
So, I made my way to the Carpinteria Bluffs Nature Preserve. I checked out the area the day before since I knew this place could be easily missed. It’s along the quiet section of Carpinteria Ave, where Bailard ends. It’s really close to the 101 freeway. It has a modest medium sized dirt parking lot.
What’s nice is that once you’re there, it’s easy to forget that a freeway is close by. Actually, you can’t even see it once in the park.
I conveniently found parking in the dirt lot. Since I got there early, I had no problem finding a space.
There are several dirt trails that meander throughout the preserve. There is tall foliage everywhere. Also, a little off to the right, there are plenty of eucalyptus trees that provide shade. It’s all very nice. Plus, there are the sounds of birds such as the California towhee, the spotted towhee, as well as song sparrows singing their songs.
Going further out, closer to the bluffs, you will find the AmTrak train tracks.
Just on the other side of the tracks, there are several spots where a person can go down to the beach. If doing this, be careful for there are several naturally occurring tar pits! Very cool. :)
It’s a lovely area for a morning stroll or even an early evening stroll. If there are people around, they’re mostly locals.
It’s good to know that I have discovered yet, another lovely area to enjoy nature. :)