Both a wooden stairway and a ramp lead from the steep bluffs to the sandy beach. The park provides access to Rincon Point, one of the best places to surf on the entire California Coast. East of the point, surfers catch the swells refracted around the point and ride them near-parallel to the shore. Some of Southern California’s best waves break here in a foamy maelstrom, a true challenge for skilled kayakers and surfers. Check out the tide pools at the point and the sandy beach extending up-coast. – Santa Barbara County beaches by the TrailMaster.
GPS Coordinates: N 34 22 553
W 119 28 762
Facilities: Picnic facilities, including picnic areas available by reservation, restrooms, outdoor shower, cool wooden tilted beach chairs, lots of parking.
Costs: Free
Directions: From Highway 101, about 12 miles up-coast from Ventura and 12 miles down-coast from Santa Barbara, exit on Bates Road. Head briefly toward the beach; down-coast to the left there is a public parking lot N 34 22 522 W 119 28 514 in Ventura County, with a restroom and a footpath to the beach. To the right, up-coast is Rincon Beach County Park.
Information: 805-568-2460
Watch the surfers from the shade of the beach shack.
The Surfers Code: Keeping surfers civil.
Rincon Beach was a gift to the County of Santa Barbara by George Allan Hancock(Hancock College). His father drilled dozens of oil wells on the beach and in the water. Cleaned up the beach WITHOUT help from environmentalists.