Carpinteria City Beach

So very very sad! The dog portion of the beach, from Ash going North has been completely washed away. So keep the dog at home. I hope someday it will return. The state beach to the South seems to be fine.

Really great beach! The sand is clean and there are attentive lifeguards throughout the beach. Nice bathrooms are a huge plus, and the sand is not rocky at all. Definitely gets crowded, but nothing crazy. There are also some volleyball courts. There’s a part of the beach that allows dogs (on leash) and a part that doesn’t. Definitely a lot of families in the area. There’s a lot of free parking but it can be a huge pain to actually find an open spot.
Awesome, clean, and close to a lot of food spots on Linden Avenue.

It’s got to be better than Carpinteria State Beach. So dirty at SB. Bathrooms disgusting at SB. I will try the city beach next time, thanks.

The beach is clean, and we’ll protected. The beach had some sort of jellyfish surface a couple of days ago. They were all dried up, hardly any rocks. The wave currents are really strong. Be safe when entering the water. There were lifeguards, police and state park constantly patrolling. The restroom, showers and eating area are very clean aswell. There is a camping area right across the parking lot connected to the beach.

I am fortunate enough to live within 20 minutes of this wonderful beach. The City Beach connects with Carpinteria State Beach as well as the Carpinteria lagoon area at Ash and Sandyland where the clean restrooms and parking are located. I can take a nice long beach walk on the soft white sandy beach and work off all the calories from the restaurants that I write reviews about.
There is a wide sandy sunbathing area, the waves are gentle, and you have great views of the islands and the occasional harbor seal bobbing around, dolphins too. The hills rising behind Carp make this a scenic spot far enough off the freeway so there is no freeway noise, only the sound of gently lapping waves.
The beach has a very different look in the winter when the sand gets scoured away but it is still a great beach walk. I will be walking here more often thanks to the almost completed Hwy 101 widening between Ventura and Carp.

I don’t know if its just the season, or if it’s a regular problem, but watch out for tar! Its gross and feels impossible to get off your feet.
Other than that the beach is very clean! Trash wasn’t washing up on shore and not a cigarette butt in sight!
Camp sight was nice, plenty of shade but you get pretty friendly with your neighbors since all the spots are close together. We would go back, it was a lovely vacation.

This is the best beach in Southern California. Only Hawaii has better ones. It has soft white sand and excellent water for swimming and boogie boarding. This is a great place to bring kids and family for the day. Only in the evening is the beach is okay for dogs. There is amazing food a few blocks away from the beach sand. I highly recommend visiting!

What a beach!
CLEAN
Safe
Lots of Parking
Tons of soft sand
Huge grassy dog friendly field
Semi-​clean bathrooms
This beach is about 2 – 3 min from the freeway and it’s definitely worth a stop! I came here after eating a huge brunch and had a blast.
Took a nap, relaxed, walked around a bit.
Sort of stumbled upon this by chance and I’ll definitely be back!

Always love a good beach.

I like hanging out with pelicans, dolphins and seals. Don’t you? If you don’t, then this beach isn’t for you. If you do, this beach is for you. Nuff said.
Oh, and clean up after yourself. Don’t be a jerkstore.

Pretty beach with some tidepools but the high cost, close proximity to others, and transients (I.e. bums) using the showers for free when I’m paying $ 50 a night is not real cool.
I won’t be back.

Gorgeous beach. Pet friendly by the rocks — but not one foot before! Lifegaurds will stop you.
Really great piece of scenic beach here!

I haven’t been in the summer so parking hasn’t been an issue. The beach is definitely less crowded than most and compared to the state beach I much prefer it. The only problem is rest rooms are not easily accessible, so why I give it 4 stars. Great for kids, not exceptionally deep in terms of distance to beginning of sand to the water line so you can be safe on the sand then venture to water with the kiddies. I also like the fine clean sand and garbage cans were accessible so that helps people actually use them and keep the place clean.

Nice local beach in Carpinteria. Less crowded than most. We walked over here from our rental. Great little beach town feel with local campgrounds, restaurants, etc. near by.

Nice beach with beautiful views a carpinteria. Headto this beach during the avocado festival so you can get a nice beach front walk or run after indulging in some delicious avocados.

MY HOME. Carpinteria beach is gorgeous, and if you go near sunset, there are always dolphins or a beautiful sunset to experience. The beaches are never packed with people even in the height of summer. I love this place!

Carpinteria City Beach is by far my favorite beach in SoCal. It is lauded as the safest beach in America and I have to believe that to be true. The beach and for that matter the town are hidden gems in a state that seems to be filled with hustle and bustle.
Most of the folks you’ll meet at «Carp» are locals or almost locals, generally traveling from places like the nearby Santa Clarita Valley to camp at the beach. Unlike Huntington, Newport or Venice Beaches where there are a multitude of beach rats and surfers, Carp is a family spot. There is still a large teen population at the beach, but most of these kids are well behaved mainly because most of them are with their parents. There are a lot of younger kids as well, but the beach is big enough that they aren’t right on top of you. Parking is usually easier than most of the beaches to the south and I’ve never been concerned about the safety of my vehicle. The beach at Carp is always very clean and there are a good number of lifeguards patrolling the beach regularly. Near the campground there is a large park, sand volleyball courts and a snack shop. Restrooms are clean and at regular intervals up and down the beach.
One note I want to pass on is the presence of tar in certain areas of the beach. There are large oil deposits off-​shore and a fair amount of natural seepage takes place as a result. These areas are mostly at the south end of the campground and the tar will stick to your feet. There isn’t a ton of it and it is easily removed, but it can stain the carpet in your vehicle, rv or beach rental if not addressed properly. Just be aware of it and check your kids feet for sure.

This is one of my secret getaways when I’m tired of the LA hustle and bustle. I come here to recharge on the small hometown feel of Carpinteria and like it more than the glamour and glitz of it’s super-​wealthy stuck up neighbor, Santa Barbara. No having to keep up with the Joneses here nor having to watch your back as it’s a super safe place. Just enjoy staring out at the view and watching the dolphins that usually play here or watch the campers pitch their tents next door at the State beach camping grounds.
The City beach is located at the end of Linden and is usually clean and not too crowded compared to LA. There are a few picnic tables present behind the small beach store and a large public beach restroom close-​by and another new, lesser used one by the Amtrak station, that is preferable.
Plenty of free parking around town, except summers and during the Avocado festival that takes place during the first weekend of October every year. Don’t miss out on their great taquitos with guac or the avocado ice cream.
If you’re going to do it up, then take a ride on the electric-​powered shuttle that costs 25 cents. I took the shuttle around the whole town for a mini-​tour of the place and stopped by the wetlands, the town museum where a docent explained how the town got it’s name, the residential areas east of the freeway, and finally the Carpinteria City Beach.
Before you leave the town, stop by «The Spot» just up Linden from the beach for a snack and kick back on their outdoor patio.
Ahhh, rest and relaxation!

A top-​rated for safety, good family beach. Diving platform anchored 30 yards out from the beach. Spectacular views of water in one direction, Los Padres mountains in the other. Junior lifeguard training program on summer mornings is very well run, primarily for local youngsters. Saltwater marsh adjacent to beach that is very interesting and well tended. In June and July, tends to be cloudy in the mornings and sunny in the afternoons. Crowded on weekends, when parking is difficult but workable. Good area for biking (although nearest good rental place is several miles away @ SB beach.) As you enter the beach at the end of Linden, the beach to the right is dog-​friendly (and beautiful beachfront celebrity digs are partially visible), but dogs not allowed in area to the left. Great destination on train along the Coast from L.A. or Santa Barbara, or direct from the Burbank Airport; beach within a few blocks of the Carp Amtrack Station. Lifeguards friendly and helpful and the large restrooms clean and monitored.

Stopped in this charming town on a whim, hoping to swim in the ocean, and ended up just north of the apparently fabulous state park at the very nice city beach. Had a great time even though it was a crowded summer Sunday afternoon, thanks to the ample free parking on the nearby city streets, the clean public facilities that made last minute beach preparations a breeze and the cute business establishments and apartment buildings lining the way to the shore. The shoreline was clean but crowded, as was the water. The waves were a little rough and churned up so much sand that it was impossible to see underwater, but thankfully there were lifeguards on duty. I could do without the slightly scary undertow and the potential embarrassment of swimming right into somebody, but neither of those things would stop me from returning to this beach or to Carpinteria in general. Three cheers for randomly pulling off of the highway and discovering this delectable little slice of the California coast.