Mesa Lane Steps

This beach is so quiet and always has so many friendly dogs! I love coming here just to sit and watch them play.

If you don’t mind walking up a lot of steps, this is such a great beach! Very quaint. Not crowded. Friendly people and dogs! Loved it.

Beautiful view of the ocean! It’s a short walk down the steps. We were visiting Santa Barbara and wanted a view of the ocean and this place is great! The tide was high when we went in the morning so don’t always expect to walk on the sand.

Wonderful few and those steps will kick your butt on the way back up! Nice little work out, thank heavens for those benches ;)

Very pretty. Steps are hidden by homes in a residential part of town. More for surfers than beach loungers.
Perfect photo opp and great exercise.
You’ll probably spend 15 – 20 minutes at most here.
Parking is easy

Very nice spot. Beautiful and secluded. Seems sort of out of the way because it’s just hidden in the back of a neighborhood. Not many people there while we were there. The beach is nice, lots of little caves to hang out under to get some shade.

best view in town in our opinion. always love my time at the steps

Hidden stairs in a residential part of town that leads to what seems more like a surfers beach. Not much sandy area to layout, tons of seaweed and kelp flies. Best part was feeling our thighs burn on the way up. Prefer cleaner sands and easier access.

I was visiting Santa Barbara looking for a non conventional beach that wouldn’t be crowded. This was it!!! It feels exclusive and hidden. Parking was easy, (not sure because it was Tuesday) parking is in residential area. You walk to the end of the street where you will find the most beautiful staircase down to the beach. There was surfers and a few people lounging, and a few dogs too. The tide seems to come out as it gets closer to sunset. I was there until 8pm and there was still space to be on the sand. This beach is ideal to relax lay out and enjoy one of the most beautiful sunsets you will see. On the way back I ran up and down the staircase a few times for a quick workout! I absolutely love this beach.

I visited for the first time with my boyfriend on a Sunday afternoon and it was perfect! Parking was easy and each step we took closer to the ocean the more beautiful the view was. The beach was secluded only a few people with their dogs and one or two couples, very open. It’s an awesome place to visit hidden in a neighborhood 10 minutes away from Stearn’s Wharf.

5 stars because the beach is absolutely beautiful and it’s dog friendly. On this section of the beach dogs are also allowed off-​leash. The steps do take your breath away, but with the views you get, that is easy to forget. A warning, there is a lot of tar in the sand. My husband and I had a lovely 2 mile walk, but at the end our feet were completely covered in tar. The amount of tar we had on our feet was pretty concerning considering it’s been the worse we’ve ever experienced. Thankfully we noticed a CVS store on our way here at the corner of Meigs Rd. and Cliff Dr. and that’s where we headed to purchase some baby oil, baby wipes, and a pumice stone. All of those three things helped. Unfortunately our shoes had to be thrown in the trash and we ended up purchasing some cheap sandals. This place is truly beautiful, but be cautious of the tar. Bring sandals, shoes you don’t mind destroying, or be prepared to take a trip to CVS. Best of luck and enjoy. :)

One of favorite places to exercise– Perfect number of stairs for work out sets with the most beautiful views. I used to live in SF and loved the Lyon St. stairs for the same reason– And must admit that the Mesa and Hendry’s beach ties if not beats the grandiose views of the Pacific Heights & Presidio for me!

My boyfriend and I really enjoyed this beach! We found this serendipitously while driving around Santa Barbara on a beautiful sunny day!
There was plenty of free parking in the residential area nearby.
There were about 242 steps down to the beach. You get an awesome view of the coastline from the top of the stairs.
This seemed like a private beach used by locals. There were lots of couples, families and dogs! So cute! Good place to go for a stroll, play frisbee, or lay out in the sun.
FYI, there are several rocks and trees that have fallen down in the area.
Overall, a good, quiet beach that isn’t too crowded. You can also get a great workout going up and down these steps!

please do yourself the favor and come here. this was my favorite part about santa barbara, honestly.

One of my two favorite beach spots to hang out, especially for a picnic. Beautiful, and hardly any other people, and mostly just locals. There’s always plenty of parking in the surrounding neighborhood and you get an awesome thigh, calf and tush workout when you head back up the steps:)

A hidden gem in Santa Barbara, although not too hidden since it’s already on Unilocal.
Not much sandy beach, even less at times depending on the tide. The cliffs block out the wind making this beach perfect even on low 70s day (my perfect beach weather is 76 – 84 degrees Fahrenheit).
Never too crowded, whether because it’s unknown to some or because the steps to get down deter some, either way I always find a spot to claim.
The beach itself isn’t too clean with dried up kelp and seaweed everywhere. But I’ve learned this is the SB way.
My favorite beach to relax at and not deal with crowds or parking.