Updates

From the Ellwood Bluffs parking lot, the main trail leads through the middle of a long corridor of open grass meadows. This is the first of a series of very lovely fields which you can walk through on your way to the bluffs overlooking a very long and beautiful stretch of the coastline.

As you leave your car and head out to the edge of the bluffs the view west to Devereaux Point is outstanding. In the evening sunset the long peninsula-shaped point and the sihlouettes of coastal fir trees makes for a perfect picture. You can reach the point either by following the top of the bluffs or dropping down the stairs and walking along the beach.

Most likely, you will be bit intimidated by the huge resort complex which has just been completed on the far side of Tecolote Canyon. Surprisingly, what you will find, once you reach the beach, is one of the most remote and quiet sections of beaches along the coast, despite being only a few miles from downtown Goleta.

But if you are lucky and the tides low enough, the walk out and around the point is wonderful. Once you round the point you have nearly two miles of almost straight coastline and wide beaches which will take you all the way to Devereaux Point if you want.

The walk to More Mesa beach is one of our favorites. There is a small obstacle which is often present, which is a short “creek crossing” through the water exiting the Slough area but after that you’ll find yourself mesmerized by the mile long stretch ahead of you. You’ll have hundreds of seagulls, a few pelicans, and loads of sandpipers and sanderlings for company.

More Mesa is the mid-point between Arroyo Burro and Goleta beaches, with long stretches of relatively deserted shoreline, with the exception of the beach area immediately below the access point. There are many acres of bluff top that you can explore, with excellent views of both the Santa Ynez Mountains and the Channel Islands.

Vista Del Mar provides an access point to the beach between Gaviota and San Onofre. A narrow trail leads down to the bluffs. Below is a small quarter mile long beach that has a very remote feeling to it.

It is a bit of a hike down to the beach on the rough trail, but once you are there you’ll find a long stretch of wide open sand and plenty of places to set out your gear for the afternoon.

Walking along the edge of the harbor, listening to the sound of the sailboat lines clinking in the breeze, watching the seals lazily making their way through the channels and the boats of such varying types and sizes slowing making their way in and out is wonderful.

Like El Capitan, Refugio Beach State Park has lots of space for picnicking and playing in the surf, and the water is usually calm, making this a relatively safe place for the kids to play at the ocean’s edge.