The hotel room you can book at El Capitan State Park and beach is a hillside lot where you can park your RV or
tent and rough it.
Turn off from
Highway 101 along the Santa Barbara County coastline
and drive down a windy, shade covered road to a
guard station, to find this coastal gem, El Capitan State Beach..
Alonzo Buell, brother of R.T. Buell, founder of Buellton,
purchased the Rancho El Capitan from heirs of Capt. Jose F. Ortega in 1872.
His paradise of lush coastal property extending through a portion of Santa
Barbara County was ideal for farming. Even today, land surrounding El
Capitan State Beach remains in the hands of private owners as farmland.
If you are only going to look, pay the small fee to enter
this beach haven. Hidden in time, the park offers both a public
beach for people seeking escape from nearby Santa Barbara and camp sites
overlooking the water, for apparently lots of people who know about this
popular place and booked reservations long before summer ever came. There's
even a lottery for positions in the camp. That's how hot this commodity
is.
For those of us who love beaches but no longer have a
tent or even a sleeping bag, the nearest hotels are located in Goleta and
Santa Barbara. The conveniences of city life (restaurants, accommodations,
concerts, movies and shopping) are only 20 minutes from this location.
The nearest of three parks along the ocean to
Goleta and
Santa Barbara, El Capitan is accessible to to the next beach 2.5 miles
to its north, Refugio, via a bike trail, the literature states.
Gaviota
is the furthest north and appears to be the most popular of the three for
surfing. The calmer waters of El Capitan create an idyllic
setting for children, especially. Sand castles, water play, sunbathing
and even some shoreline fishing occupy the time of those who come to enjoy
a day at this placid and pleasant spot.
The El Capitan State Beach offers visitors a sandy beach,
rocky tidepools, and stands of sycamore and oaks along El Capitan Creek.
A stairway provides access from the bluffs where there's a small store
right inside the park, to the beach area. Dogs are not allowed on
the beach. El Capitan SB is located off Highway 101, seventeen miles
north of Santa Barbara.
El Capitan SB 10 Refugio Beach Rd. Goleta CA 93117 For
more information about the park, please call (805) 968-1033 805-968-1033
Visit Gaviota State Park, Beach
& Campground as you travel north
OTHER COMMUNITIES
Cuyama
Gaviota
Isla Vista
Montecito
Orcutt
Santa Ynez
BEACHES
Rincon Point
Rincon Beach County Park
Carpinteria State Beach
Carpinteria City Beach
Lookout County Park
Miramar Beach
Hammonds Beach
Butterfly Beach
East Beach
West Beach
Leadbetter Beach
Mesa Lane Beach
Arroyo Burro Beach County Park
Goleta Beach County Park
Isla Vista Beach
Coal Oil Point Natural Reserve
El Capitan State Beach
Refugio State Beach
Gaviota State Park
Jalama Beach County Park
Vandenberg Air Force Base
Ocean Beach County Park
Point Sal State Beach
Guadalupe-Nipomo Dunes Preserve
