El Capitan State Beach

Santa Barbara County, California · State Beach

Scenic coastal state beach near Goleta with sandy shores, tide pools, and rocky bluffs, offering camping, swimming, fishing, and picnicking along California's Central Coast just north of Santa Barbara.

Current alerts

• Partial closure — Construction

Campgrounds

• Group Area — Year-round · 5 tent sites · reserve
• Upper Section (sites 92-132) & Portola Group — April – December · 41 sites · reserve
• Hike/Bike Campsite — Year-round · 10 tent sites · reserve
• Middle Section (sites 29-91) & Anza Group) — Year-round · 63 sites · reserve
• Lower Section (sites 1-28) — Closed (checked 2026-08-01) · April – July · 28 sites · reserve

Coordinates: 34.4596, -120.0245.

Get the Explore app for offline maps, live conditions, and every spot in California. Data sources.