Rincon Beach Park

One of the best places to surf and watch surfers along the Central Coast, Rincon Beach Park also has a very nice beach, picnic table areas, great views, tide pools, bird watching, and good parking. The annual Rincon Classic surfing competition occurs here, which showcases some terrific surfers of all ages and gender, including professionals. Throughout the year, Rincon is a great place to have fun on the sand or in the ocean.

Details

Location

4668 Pacific Coast Hwy

Managed By

County of Santa Barbara

Website(s)

https://www.countyofsb.org/842/Rincon-Beach-Park

Distance from UCSB

30 miles (approximately)

How To Get There

Drive, Bike

Things To Do

Beach Activities, BBQ, Birdwatching, Hiking, Picnicking, Playing on Grass Activities, Relaxing, Running (on the beach), Studying/Reading, Swimming, Viewing, Walking, Watchable Wildlife (including tide pools at Bates Beach below the bluff)

Fun Facts

The Rincon Classic was founded in 1979.

Other Information

The website iNaturalist has a good online plant and animal guide for Rincon Beach.

There is an EV charging station at the Rincon Beach parking lot.

I want to thank my very good friend Cathy Newman for her beautiful Rincon photos, including the one of the majestic Great Blue Heron.

If you are planning on hiking the beach, it is best to do so during low tides. Here is helpful tide information.

Nearby Public Lands Worth Visiting

One of my former students, Jason Mathias, highly recommends La Conchita Beach, to the south of Rincon Beach, and describes it as a great empty beach with good sand.

Best Time To Visit

All Year