Santa Barbara County - 60 Attractions You Must Visit

Goleta Point is a cape in Santa Barbara County. It is characterized by a beach cliff, crashing waves, and a view of the Channel Islands. The rock formation is frequented by shorebirds. It is one of the iconic attractions in this area and also there are so many things to see and do.

Hammonds Beach is a locals beach and a surfing spot in the Montecito area of Santa Barbara County.At lower tides you can walk west (right) along the beach in front of the homes to get to Hammonds Beach. The famous Hammond's Reef surfing spot at Hammond's Beach creates a powerful right breaking wave during large westerly swells.

Haskell's beach is a great beach in Goleta that is slightly more hidden.It is nestled between The Ritz-Carlton Bacara and Sandpiper Golf Club. Soak up the sun on the sandy beach, explore the tide pools, or look for dolphins playing in the ocean.

This beach is just a ten minute drive along the Coast from downtown Santa Barbara. Hendry's is secluded by towering cliffs and a curving coastline. Surfers and children vie for territory as the waves tumble into shore. Hendry's is centrally located to a great deal of other fun.

La Cumbre Peak is a 3997-foot peak in the Santa Ynez Mountains north of Santa Barbara. It is a popular destination for those looking to have a grand view of the South Coast and surrounding area. It serves as a great training hike and affords nice views of the Santa Barbara area coastline and the Santa Ynez valley.

Lake Los Carneros is a living ecosystem that requires freshwater inputs from winter rains to ensure a healthy aquatic environment for birds, fish, and plants. A network of trails meander across the park through rolling meadows and a forest of eucalyptus, oak, and pine trees. A wooden bridge crosses the northern end of the lake.

Leadbetter Beach is a City beach and park between the Santa Barbara Harbor and Shoreline Park and across from Santa Barbara City College. The Shoreline Beach Cafe offers diners tables on a covered patio or even in the sand. Outdoor showers, restrooms, a grassy picnic area combine to make this a mecca for the young and active. It is also a popular location for kitesurfers and windsurfers during the summer, when the wind is consistent.

Lookout Park is the main beachfront park in Summerland, located up on a bluff with a south-facing view. Summerland Beach is right below Lookout Park. The park is operated by Santa Barbara County parks and includes a free parking lot, a grass park, benches, picnic tables, BBQs, a kids playground, a volleyball court, restrooms, and the dog wash.

Lotusland is a globally renowned 37-acre estate and botanic garden situated in the foothills of Montecito, California.Theme gardens include the blue garden, theatre garden, and a Japanese garden. Other classic features are a topiary garden, horticultural clock, Neptune fountain, parterre and hedged allées.

This is a narrow beach located in the heart of Barbara. At low tides, this beach is wide enough for sunbathing and beach sports, but at high tide there is little dry sand. It requires a hike down a steep stairway to reach the beach here.

This is a 10-acre park located at the cross section of Laguna and E. Los Olivos Street and spans between Alameda Padré Serra and Mission Ridge Road. This monument to Santa Barbara was the tenth Californian Mission built by Spanish Franciscans. The grounds contain ruins of Mission Santa Barbara’s old waterworks, tannery vats, grassed areas, and the City Rose Garden and so more.

This massive Rose Garden hosts over 1500 varieties of roses and sits across from the Santa Barbara Mission and is beautiful for a wedding ceremony. Additionally, the collection hosts beds with ancient varieties, such as Gallicas, Albas, and Damasks in various states of health. Other roses maintained within the garden include Old Garden Roses, Hybrid Perpetuals originally cultivated during the 1800s.

Montecito Peak is a mountain in the Santa Ynez Mountains. This is a very popular area for hiking and trail running. This is especially a great place to watch the sunset. The main trail to Montecito Peaks is the Cold Springs Trail. Cold Springs Trail is a favorite downhill route for local mountain bikers so beware of fast riders.

A secluded sandy beach between Arroyo Burro and Goleta Beach. Because of the remoteness it is popular with nude sunbathers. The clothing-optional beach is to the right/west once you reach the beach.

Ficus macrophylla, commonly known as the Moreton Bay fig or Australian banyan, is a large evergreen banyan tree of the family Moraceae native to eastern Australia, from the Wide Bay–Burnett region in the north to the Illawarra in New South Wales, as well as Lord Howe Island. Its common name is derived from Moreton Bay in Queensland, Australia. It is best known for its imposing buttress roots.

The Museum of Contemporary Art Santa Barbara, a contemporary art museum, is at Santa Barbara, United States.The categories covered by MCASB involve various fields of design. It includes the topic of male and female, media, race, and geological study. It aims at displaying, expressing, discovering, and exploring the potential of the art and design in this era.

Mission Santa Barbara is a Spanish mission in Santa Barbara, California. Often referred to as the ‘Queen of the Missions,’ it was founded by Padre Fermín Lasuén. Mission Santa Barbara, like other California missions, was built as part of a broader effort to consolidate the Spanish claim on Alta California in the face of threats from rival empires.

Parma Park is a park located in Santa Barbara, California.The park is situated on State Route 192 about one mile west of its junction with State Route 144. The park itself is located in chaparral and oak-covered hills. The park is relatively primitive, with a handful of picnic tables; however it has several hiking and horse trails. The park is also the major landing zone for hang gliders and paragliders launching from Gibraltar Road.

Royal Presidio of Santa Barbara, is a former military installation in Santa Barbara, California, United States. The presidio was built by Spain in 1782, with the mission of defending the Second Military District in California. The park contains an original adobe structure called El Cuartel, which is the second oldest surviving building in California; only the chapel at Mission San Juan Capistrano, known as "Father Junípero Serra's Church", is older.