Lookout Park

Went to the beach today with a group of friends and all I can say is… stay away! Sure it’s picturesque, but you’ll find it quite empty most days for a reason… the whole area reeks of petroleum! My friend went for a swim and quickly came out after she noticed oil in the water and all over her skin. We promptly picked up our things because I did not feel comfortable with my son playing in that sand.
Somehow we all missed the very small warning sign at the bottom of the ramp that stated the air/​water/​sand poses «short term» health risks… whatever that means. This beach should really be closed to the public.
I don’t want to know what all the people rating this place 5 stars are smoking… especially the ones who bring dish washing soap just «in case» their dogs get covered in oil… hmmm.
But don’t take my word for it… google it and see for yourself.

Great dog beach! Although, last evening, February 24, the beach SHOULD have been CLOSED due to OIL coming on shore. By the time we recognized how bad it was, it was too late. Our two Chessies were slick with oil. Took a big bottle of Dawn to scrub them down.

Beautiful view from the top at the park and the beach is a short walk down a hill. We lucked out and didn’t experience any tar on this visit but we have been when the tar was too much to enjoy the beach.
Go off season and the parking is easy, but I imagine it can get pretty busy during peak times!
The park at top is okay with bathrooms and public shower area. Unfortunately not everyone picks up after their dog and homeless seem to overrun so much of SB.
All in all… a very nice time.

Today we went with the family and while I was excited to get there my excitement quickly turned to dissapointment. I’ll start with the park.
The park area was nice. It had grills and benches and a nice play area for the kids. You have to get there early to get a spot with a grill and parking. The park and beach is also open to dogs. The bad part of the park is that shade is limited so you need to come early or bring your own shade and chairs.
Now for the beach…
From a distance the beach looks nice and clean. However when u get close you can see that’s not the case. From the top at the park you can see the brown water splashing on the shore. The shore is full of rocks so bring water shoes. From what we heard those rocks haven’t always been there so those who have been here in the past may not have had to dealt with them. When your up close not only can you see the oil but you can smell it too. The water stinks of petroleum which I’m sure is why you won’t see too many people swimming in the water. The oil will stick to your skin and you’ll come out of the water with oil blotches on your skin and clothes. As soon as I saw the oil blotches on my feet I immediately went to go wash my feet and stayed away.
Only reason why I’m giving this 2 stars is because the park was ok and we found somewhat close parking up the street. They shouldn’t be allowing people near that water. The beach was closed a few weeks ago because it had more oil in the water than it did today and the smell of petroleum was much stronger. The beach should be closed down until it is completely cleaned up. It’s a safety hazard to humans and animals. The oil rigs in the distance don’t exactly make for a great photo worthy moment either.

Stanky. Beach reeks of petroleum! Beware the brown nasty water and getting tar foot while walking in the sand. Not suitable for swimming, IMO. Only reason I am giving 2 stars is because the bluff view near the parking area is kind of nice. However, the oil rigs in the distance really spoil the view of the ocean for me.

The beach is very nice, although if you are barefoot expect to get tar on your feet. My dog had a blast playing in the small waves. Dogs can go off-​leash at the beach just by the park and at a different no-​name public beach down the road past the entrance to this park which had even fewer rocks on the beach, where you have to park on the side of the street and just walk down to the beach. Beach showers were off, with a sign saying it was due to the drought. Dog wash also not working, at least when I went. But the sand was beautiful, it was very peaceful, the dog had a blast, and we all enjoyed watching her.

This park is absolutely adorable! I wish I could spend every afternoon here! There’s a few benches & plenty of grass to have a pic-​nic, & there is also a path that leads down to the beach. Just be sure to be out of the park by closing hours, usually right after sun down.

Love this little park, I had my sons first birthday there and it was great. The park is well taken care of and quiet.

There is calmness at this area and the park. I enjoy trekking it down to the beach at low tide refit a great walk toward Padaro lane. It is a little oily, thus I haven’t been in the water here. Yet, definitely a nice place to chill out and think.

Wonderful flat packed sand beach for a long walk. The beach is blocked from the freeway noise by the houses on the cliff above. It is a doggies-​run-​free beach, and there is little wave action so dogs have a great time swimming out to retrieve balls.
Access to the beach is via a walkway down the hill from the parking lot at the end of Evans street in Summerland. The park on top has restrooms, playground, shower, benches, picnic areas and grass for soaking up Summerland sunshine. There is another beach access parking lot at the other end of town.
This beach is a hidden jewel and the park is a good bathroom stop if you are stuck in traffic between SB and Carp.

I absolutely love Lookout Park. It’s also perfect for my dog as it has a large grass area for him to run on as well as the beach. They also have doggie baths. With the tar here, I was glad I brought my blue Dawn although I didn’t need it.
In the upper area in the back there are several regulars that gather at a table to drink. They kept to themselves and added to the ambiance here. Nearby is a horseshoe pit as well as grills.
The view over the cliff to the land formations, rocks and ocean make it clear whee this park received its name.
There is also a playground I’ve always found to be busy with smiling kids.
I can’t think of any age or demographic group that wasn’t represented during my two recent visits.
I deducted one star because an aging lobster cage had washed up onto the beach. I have a feeling this isn’t the first time something similar has happened.

We walked this beach every day. Each day was a new discovery of views, rocks collected and sea glass found!
The best part was the daily meeting of new folk and their pups. This is a dog friendly beach and we met and made a lot of new friends!
For the view, sound and solitude of a great Pacific Coast beach — we loved it!

Tar patties AND Tar balls alert!!!
It was a beautiful Saturday and what better way to spend it than going to a beautiful beach in Santa Barbara. We came upon Summerland and figured LookOut Park would be the perfect medium. The park was small but had a host of parties in progress. There were benches that looked out onto the beach, some facing the ocean, 1 facing a tree. (Please refer to picture) There is a playground for kids to monkey around in and a small restroom. After taking a quick look around the park we headed down a ramp to the beach.
The beach itself was pretty sad looking. Sea debris everywhere, to be expected, but there were also brown foam that washed to shore. Well no matter, we weren’t divas and were used to a not so clean looking beach. After a short walk, I walked on the beach w flip flops on and suddenly my feet felt sticky. I looked down to see a wad of black goo on my feet. Alarmed that I’d stepped on poo, I immediately rushed into the water to wash the excrement off. However, no matter how hard I tried, it wouldn’t come off. At this point I figured the substance had to be something else. I joked w lover that it was an oil spill since there were so many oil rigs in the ocean and I was lucky enough to step in it. A couple of steps later, I saw the same black substance on lover’s foot. EEK! We rushed to the bathroom to get cleaned up and was about to call the city to let them know when we saw a bulletin.
«Unique to Santa Barbara counties, we have a Naturally (Bold & Italicized) occurring oil seepage. You may run into tar patties or tar balls that sticks to your feet». I’m sure people from around the world flock to Santa Barbara for their naturally (Bold & Italicized) occurring tar balls.
Seriously, crude oil cannot be healthy for you and there were babies, adults, kids, and dogs all frolicking on the beach like their swimming in gold. Gross!
Never again! Like gag me with a spoon.

This place was perfect when I came with my pup. It was however noon on a Tuesday so there were only a handful of people on the beach.
Sign says dogs on leash but everyone (including me) let our k9’s run along the sand: D
Beach is hidden right off highway 101, always a good stop if your on your way to Santa Barbara.

This is a great place to bring your dog. If your traveling the King’s Highway its a must stop to stretch the legs and tire out the pooch before you travel on.
There is a doggy wash station in good working order that solves the sand all over the car issue. When you pull in find the ranger at the south end of the paring lot to buy a couple of dollars worth of tokens so you can wash the dog on the way out.
This beach is a fairly long stretch of sand so bad dogs who run off out of your control should not be taken off leash here.
We ran up from Santa Clarita on more than a few Saturdays this last summer and stopped here on the way to the Brewhouse in Santa Barbara (A dog friendly micro brewer /​restaurant). Just the thing for a great day.

This review is mainly for the park/​view.
On the way home from Paso Robles to LA, we exited the 101 fwy to enjoy the beautiful view. We crossed our fingers that we would be able to find some street parking. To our surprise, there was a perfect little park with a small parking lot. The park had some BBQ grills, a small playground and a pathway to the beach down below. This is a great spot for pictures, with the beach/​waves, and distant cliffs in the background.
Definitely bookmark this park and schedule a stop if you’re passing through.

This beach is absolutely gorgeous, a long slim expanse of sand, with a beautiful park (showers and restrooms) above it on the bluff. The park has tables that I believe you can reserve for events. The beach is clean — I didn’t see any dog mess whatsoever, contrary to other reviews. The place is super dog friendly. I am not sure if its a common thing, but the day we were there the water itself was filled with oil, slicks of gas scented rainbow atop the waves, with long gooey strands of crude wrapping themselves around your legs beneath the waves. It was a sad and disturbing thing, ruining an otherwise gorgeous spot.

gorgeous view and animal friendly, how can you go wrong. Summerland is such a beautiful place the beach is not only clean but is very unpopulated. You feel like a king on your own private beach. love it!

Great little resting spot next to the 101 on the way up north. Has a dog park in the front and has beach access. It even has a doggy shower area in the back in case your pooch needs to rinse off– although you do have to pay for the self service. Worth the detour if you have 20 minutes. or a few hours to spare.

On of the nicest beaches we frequent. Because of the point and wind direction, u can pretty much come here any time of the year and have a great beach day. The facilities up top are great for the kids with a nice little park. Years ago there use to be lots of nude beach goers down aways, but recent crack downs u don’t see it much.
Parking can be a bit of a pain at times. but usually fairly easy to get in and out.
Surf fishing here can be decent in the area, using the Berkeley gulp stuff works, but the beach is covered with sand crabs and pretty easy to dig a few hundred out.