Carpinteria has smaller waves than Ventura most of the year, but what it lacks in swell, it makes up for in natural beauty. The cliffs and rock formations have all the majesty of those in Central and Northern California, while the water temperatures are as nice as Southern California. The Carpinteria State Beach also offers a variety waves close together. The northern part has open beach breaks while the southern part has dramatic rock formations.
It’s probably these ideal conditions that make the beach a very popular location, especially in the summer. Hundreds of tent and trailer campers fill the spots, often to capacity. If you want to guarantee a good paddle session, I would recommend camping there for a couple of days. The campsites are tight, with hit and miss views, but close to the water. There are also restrooms, showers, and many sites have water hookups. If you want to risk a day trip, there is a $10 fee for day parking.
There are about 15 spots close enough to cary a fiberglass board down to the water on the southern most side of the beach, where the rock formations are. These spots are also shared with campers, who are allowed to park there overnight. Your best chance of getting a spot is to go early in the morning or evening, when it is colder and less people want to be on the beach. I would recommend going on a calm day with a 2.5 tide level or lower, if you really want to take in the rock formations, as they mostly get covered in higher tides. There are also many rocks that always stay completely hidden, so tread carefully and wear waterproof shoes.
There is a lot more day parking at the north end of the beach, as well as seasonal lifeguards, and shaded picnic tables. A good stretch of beach makes the high or low tide irrelevant. There are ramps that provide passage over the sand dune, if you wanted to wheel your board part of the way there. At low tide, it is about a quarter of a mile walk to the beach.
Just adjacent to the the park is the Carpinteria Bluffs Nature Preserve, which I would highly recommend, especially in the spring, when the wildflowers are in bloom. The beach connecting the preserve to the campgrounds is closed half the year, until June, to protect the seal sancuary. You can only make an easy entry between the two beaches when the tide is at about 2.0 or lower. However, there are (somewhat confusing and unmarked) trails along the cliffs that connect the campground to the preserve.
During the seals’ protected season, you can sometimes see hundreds of seals from the cliffs. From March to June you can see the mothers with their adorable baby pups. The trails connect all the way to Rincon, one of California’s most famous surfing spots.
This is one of my favorite stretches of the California Coast and Pacific Coast Highway. If you are a SUP enthusiast, I would highly recommend visiting at least once. If you want any questions about the spot answered by a local, comment below.
*All photos in this post were taken by me and are my property.
Stefany Hedman Images 