Leisurely walk along a bluff overlooking the Pacific Ocean.
By Austin Explorer on 10/28/2022
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Distance: 2.03 Miles Duration: 1 hour, 8 minutes
We combined our hike here today with a more tourist-centered visit to the Santa Barbara Mission. We were unsure about the parking situation at the dead end streets that approach the park from an adjoining neighborhood. So we opted to park at the Arroyo Burro Beach parking lot.
This decision required us to hike up a trail segment to get to the top of the sandy bluff that makes up the park. This segment might add about 100 feet of elevation gain to an otherwise flat hike. We stopped and admired a perched hawk with another visitor until the raptor decided it had had enough of our attention.
The trails at the top of the bluff consists of a very wide, sandy trail that encircles the perimeter of the park. However, there are numerous side trails and interconnecting trails to go along with the them. We opted to just stick with the main loop.
The preserve is dog heaven and much of the park allows for off leash dogs. It seems we might have been in the minority lacking any canine companion.
There are nice views of the Pacific Ocean along the park's southern trail segment, particularly those further west. From that vantage point you can also see Headry's Beach and/or Arroyo Burro Beach below.
It looks like street parking in the neighborhoods leading into the park would not have been an issue at all. So that might be an option if you want to avoid ascending the bluff.
We were getting hungry so we wrapped up our walk after logging just over two miles. We enjoyed a seafood lunch at the Boathouse at Hendry's Beach, which we could see from the bluff during our hike.