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Yahoo!BEACH WALK INFORMATION
Distance—3 miles from Rincon to Carpinteria State Beach
Topo—Carpinteria
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DIRECTIONS
From State Street, follow Highway 101 east for 13 miles to the Bates Road turnoff (2.5 miles past Linden Avenue). There are two parking areas. The parking lot directly across from the Bates turnoff leads down to the main beach and surfing area. To the right, the upper parking lot overlooks the bluffs just west of Rincon Point. A path leads down to the beach.
A CAUTION
The Harbor Seal Preserve is closed to entry from December 1 through May 31. Please observe the closure. Dogs and seals make a bad mix. If you bring yours with you make sure it is on a leash when you are anywhere near the Seal Preserve. Please be respectful of private property rights.
THE WALK
There is excellent tide pooling at Rincon Point, with a long stretch of sandy shoreline from the point west to the Chevron Oil Pier. I have always enjoyed walking along the edge of the seaside homes, dreaming a bit of what it might be like to live in one of them. When the surf is up this is a great beach to watch the riders cruising across what are California's best waves. It is a few hundred yards to the point. Along the way there is plenty of driftwood to sort through and when the tide is low, plenty of rocks and pools to check out along the way. You may have to take off your shoes to make it across the creek, but once you are past this point the walking is free and easy.
West of the point the beach is wide and sandy. It is a bit more than a mile of very pleasant walking all the way to the Chevron Pier. There is a very remote feeling despite being so close to Carpinteria. From the bluff overlooking the pier you can watch harbor seals frolic on the beach.
If you would like to avoid the creek crossing or the more crowded point area, park in the upper parking lot and head directly down to the west beach.
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