Hendry's Beach

Santa Barbara, California Print   Leave a comment

Description

Hendry's Beach has that classic California beach look, with the tall palms, wonderful cliffs, and lots of driftwood. There are so many natural wonders to explore: beach caves, an estuary, huge spaghetti piles of kelp, sea birds, pebbles, and shells. If you walk to the west, you can take a long walk and the beach becomes more secluded as you go. The Hope Ranch houses above look neat with their stairways and railtracks that lead to the beach. To the east, the beach is doggy heaven with its offleash area. Dog owners are wonderful in California how they always pick up after their dogs, and there are pooper-scooper bags at every beach and park. My son loves to laugh at the name of these bags!
There are tons of kids on weekends building sand castles and making creations from driftwood. Often I've seen dolphins swimming here close to shore!
On Friday and Saturday nights during warm weather there are many gatherings here of friends and starry-eyed couples with picnics of fancy cheeses and wine balanced on the driftwood logs. It's a happy place to be!
Surfers often enjoy the waves at Hendry's. Sometimes, however, if the estuary is open to the ocean the water is very polluted so check the water quality before you go (the official name of Hendry's Beach is Arroyo Burro). Swimming isn't that appealing here because the water is not clear and there's seaweed, but kids seem to enjoy it anyway.
The Boathouse Restaurant at Hendry's Beach is one of the few oceanfront restaurants in Santa Barbara. It has glass panes to shield you from the cold ocean air on a great sunny patio right over the beach! The prices aren't too bad- about $13 for a salad or sandwich.
If you want to pick up a picnic before you go to Hendry's Beach you could take Cliff Drive in the other direction (east) and turn right on Meigs Rd. There on your left will be Lazy Acres Market with its many delicious organic deli meals.
Above the east end of Hendry's Beach is Douglas Preserve, a gorgeous rugged place to walk on cliffs over the sea. Dogs love it here because it's an offleash park. Mesa Steps leads down two hundred steps to the eastern end of Hendry's Beach. From the top of the steps there's a glorious view. Also nearby, check out La Mesa Park, which has stunning views of the ocean, a eucalyptus forest with owls, and a wonderful playground surrounded by shady trees. Further along is Shoreline Park, with winding paths over the sea, regal lawns graced with palms, and a toddler playground.
From Hendry's you can do a romantic drive through an old oak forest and Hope Ranch. Just take Cliff Drive to the west.
For a nearby park and playground that is lush and green, head to Hidden Valley Park, which is in a peaceful recessed area by a creek. Many young mothers gather here with their kids during the week. Also nearby is Elings Park where there is a sunny walk along a hilltop, offleash dog trails, and a small playground, and Steven's Park, where there is a toddler playground and a hike past meadows to a stream.

Photo Gallery

Shorebird at Hendry's.	Reflections in the estuary.	Paragliders fly overhead at Hendry's Beach. They take off at Douglas Preserve.
The cliffs near the parking lot where there is a little park with picnic tables tucked in a canyon.	Boathouse Restaurant sits perched above the beach.	There's lots of fun to be had at Hendry's!
A beautiful string of kelp, shells, and a sailboat.	The incredible cliffs against bluest sky!	The beach to the west, secluded and inspiring.
Hendry's Beach, as seen from Douglas Preserve.	The little sheltered park at Hendry's Beach, as seen from Douglas Preserve.

Directions

From Highway 101, exit at Las Positas Rd. Turn toward the ocean. Continue to the end and turn right on Cliff Drive. Turn left really soon into Arroyo Beach County Park. Once in the park's driveway, I like to turn left right away and drive into the farthest parking lot rather than go over a million speed bumps trying to find a parking in the crowded lot.

This is an interactive map, you can zoom and move it.

Visitor Ratings

Overall Visitor Rating:

Russ 10/15/2009 15:42	Hendry\'s is a sweet long beach, with pretty fun waves for Santa Barbara. I was there for a rainy wedding this week, and had fun getting knocked around by the surf. It\'s a good spot for surfing, especially yesterday!
Colleen 09/19/2009 20:47	Excellent beaches in the area! Was soo beautiful! Great for families and couples. Very dog friendly.
Doug 05/10/2008 10:21	We love coming here with our dog! Thanks for the tip.