Carpinteria State Beach

Carpinteria State Beach is a state beach in Santa Barbara County with a sandy shoreline and calm waters. The location stretches along a substantial section of coast where gentle waves and shallow areas make it welcoming for swimming and water sports.

The Chumash people originally lived in this coastal area and constructed wooden boats using local resources. Spanish explorers who arrived later named the location after this boat-building craft they observed.

The name comes from the Chumash people who built their boats here, which Spanish visitors noticed and named the place after this craft. Today, you can still sense this maritime heritage when you walk along the shore where the water is calmer than other nearby beaches.

The beach has camping areas, restrooms, showers, and picnic spaces that are easy to reach from the parking lot. Everything is clearly marked and straightforward to navigate when you arrive.

A protected seal breeding ground here is one of only four remaining on the Southern California coast. This makes the location an important place for the survival of these marine mammals.