Carpinteria: A State Beach That Is Ideal All Year Round

Carpinteria State Beach

Twelve miles south of Santa Barbara, Carpinteria State Beach offers a mile of beach for swimming, surf fishing, tide pool exploring and camping. The Spanish-named the area Carpinteria because the Chumash tribe, which lived there, had a large seagoing canoe-building enterprise, or "carpentry shop" made possible by the naturally-occurring surface tar used to seal the boats.

Seals and sea lions can be seen in the area December through May, as well as an occasional gray whale. Tide pools contain starfish, sea anemones, crabs, snails, octopi and sea urchins.

Carpinteria enjoys a moderate climate year round with daytime averages between 60 and 80 degrees. Ocean temperatures range from 58 degrees in the winter to 72 degrees during the summer and fall.

There are many recreational opportunities at the beach. Swimming and surfing are favorite pastimes at Carpinteria State Beach. Its gentle swells and shallow, gently sloping beach make it one of the safer beaches on the west coast, although the situation can change based on conditions. A picnic area with tables, barbecues and ramadas (covered patios) offers a wonderful view of the sand dune restoration area with the picturesque backdrop of the Santa Ynez Mountains.

Carpinteria State Beach is an ideal getaway in a very scenic part of California.

For those who don’t want to drive to the beach, there is Amtrak train service to the park. Check with Amtrak for schedules, times and fares.