- Restaurants |
- Nightlife |
- Shopping |
- Movies |
- All
Arroyo Burro Beach
Categories: Active Life Beaches Active Life Parks Beaches, Parks [Edit]
Arroyo Burro BeachSanta Barbara, CA 93109
(805) 687-3714
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
29 reviews for Arroyo Burro Beach
29 reviews in English
-
Review from Michael B.
Ventura, CA
11/24/2011 3 photos
Awesome!
Took our Golden there for Thanksgiving, she loved it.
Great beach for hiking, lot's of DOGs...Shannon was very happy.
A real plus is the dog washing station in the parking lot. For a couple bucks you can fully wash your dog. There is shampoo, showers and blow dryers.
We will be back. -
Review from Hannah D.
Boston, MA
11/21/2011
Having been to my fair share of California beaches, it's safe to say that this is one of the best. After getting lost trying to find a different Santa Barbara beach, Yelp led us to this gem where we spent all afternoon sitting oceanside, chatting, napping, and playing guitar in the calm ocean breeze. There were groups, couples, joggers, dog-walkers, families, and even singles along the beach... everyone just having a good time relaxing on the sand and living in the moment.
It was a beautiful beach, and not at all hard to find. I would definitely go there again! -
Review from Shawday B.
San Francisco Bay, CA
9/8/2011 1 Check-in Here
My hubby & I decided to go down to Santa Barbara (one of our faaaav towns) for the Labor Day weekend. We did a bunch of reviews on the beaches and wanted to come to one that wasn't touristy and packed with families (not that we hate kids or anything *lol* we just wanted a more chill day at the beach).
We decided to bring our dog Lucy along for her first beach day - as we usually leave her at home. Boy was this ever the best becah we could have introduced her to! There were dogs all over the beach at the section where you can take them off the leash. She ran around and played until she was completely wiped out. There are even doggie wash/dry stations there for if your pooch gets too dirty (luckily for us our dog avoided the water so we didn't need them).
Overall the beach was set in a good enviornment and was def packed with more locals that tourists - which is what we look for on vacations. It was nice, but not our favorite beach in SB.
Some cons: the beach was quite kelp-y (lots of seaweed washed up all over). Also parking can be a bit difficult - we lucked out and got there right as someone was leaving but saw many others waiting for quite a bit.
RATING AS A 'REGULAR' BEACH: 3/3.5
RATING AS A DOG BEACH: 5!!! -
Review from Steven S.
Moorpark, CA
1/22/2012
Just got home from this amazing beach!! Max and Marley had the best time playing with all the other dogs. This beach is clean because of the thoughtful owners that are very friendly as well. You can walk for a great distance as your pups find new playmates along the way. My only question is why arent there more dog beaches in so cal?
-
Review from Bridgette O.
Santa Barbara, CA
5/4/2011
Love this beach! It is typical beautiful Santa Barbara and a great place to let our four legged friends run free and play. Mine love to get out and play with the other dogs at the beach. Its like a supervised doggy day care and such a treat to watch!
Notes:
This is a great environment for well tempered dogs. If your dog has any aggression issues this may not be the best. location for an outing.
Doggy bags are provided at the beach. So let's keep this beautiful treasure clean and not forget to pick up after our pets! -
Review from Brett H.
Scottsdale, AZ
7/1/2011
Stopped here on a trip to get my dog some exercise.
Large stretch of beach that gives your dog a ton of area to roam. Our little beagle Sidekick had a great time chasing crabs and adventuring in the rocks. The beach is divided into leash and off leash areas. We only ventured to the off leash area because what is the fun of a leash at the beach.
The reason for 4 stars and not 5 stars is for the lack of dogs for Sidekick to play with. This is good because it means less people but not as fun for the dog.
Parking was easy and painless. -
Review from Jennifer N.
Los Angeles, CA
I wish I could give this beach 10 stars!!!! Hands down best dog beach in California. You take a left at the sand for the leashless area, and then walk FOREVER! No cones to say "dog area ends here." It NEVER ENDS! We've walked for hours on this beach and never seen the end of dog heaven. Patrons are very responsible dog owners who love this beach and clean up after their dogs - no poo anywhere. About 30 minutes walk and you will come to a staircase that leads up and out of the beach. Head up here and go left into the residential area - you will come to Douglas Preserve - a forested LEASHLESS area! Amazing views and a great loop back to the parking lot where you started!
-
Review from Lisa Z.
Los Angeles, CA
9/8/2010
Jean Baudrillard must have been standing on this beach at sunset when he referred to Santa Barbara as a paradise.
Arroyo Burro, or Hendry's as us locals like to call it, is one brilliant stretch of coastline--moss covered cliffs, soft wet sand, a gentle sea. In the late afternoon, the landscape takes on this radiant, golden glow which is, in itself, the stuff of poetry. -
Review from Mari C.
Simi Valley, CA
12/26/2010
My sister's dog loves this beach! I do too. It's lovely and it has a dog spa. You can walk up to the wilcox preserve too, it is a really nice walking park/path that smells like eucalyptus. On clear days you can see UCSB from the park. This beach is a great place to relax on a weekend.
**a dog spa is one of those coin operated machines for diy doggie showerListed in: Born in a Small Town
-
Review from C L.
Valencia, CA
8/8/2010
For a couple of years I've been trying to find a dog beach for my Chloe and I was so excited to visit Arroyo Burro. The locals refer to it as Hendry's, but it's easy to find by it's formal name. I think this is the only dog beach in Santa Barbara and here dogs rule! The moment we got out of the car we knew we were in the right place. Dogs are allowed on all portions of the beach (leashed in the parking lot and the park), however if you follow the signs just to the left of the entrance there is a vast area where you pooch can roam free UNLEASHED.
I felt like a mommy sending her baby off to school on the first day. Chloe was in HEAVEN. The dogs (and owners) are behaved, nice and polite, and I was blown away by how picturesque and clean the beach was. Post up here for a couple of hours and your dog will be worn out and happy as a clam. There are plenty of driftwood sticks to throw around, but just be sure to come prepared to clean up after your dog, as the success of this beach depends on the owners respecting it.
For any dog lover this place will warm your heart, plus there are other things to do in the area. There's a beach front restaurant and a hang gliding launch in the hills above the parking lot.
I loved this place so much I almost didn't want to write this review so I could keep this little gem to myself. It's Santa Barbara's best kept secret! -
Review from Baby G C.
Woodland Hills, CA
10/3/2010 1 photo
It's a little haven, what a beautiful place and was such a pleasure to see a dog beach. Both of my puppies was so happy to play in a water, clean and romantic place, friendly happy people with friendly dogs....
Love it, best weekends ever, have to plan a weekend stay around just to spend more time on that beach.... -
Review from Josh M.
Lake Hughes, CA
9/4/2010
I have been to a few dog parks but this "dog beach" tops them all. There was a large variety of dogs out there, none of them aggressive and with friendly owners. Everybody seemed to pick up after their dogs as well. The beach looked just as good as any other to swim in if you want to go in with your dog. It is situated against a cliff and the cliff eventually meets the ocean so your dog can only escape if they go back towards the parking lot.
The thing to do looked like to bring a six pack to the beach, pretty much everybody there brought a few beers with them in their bag and was drinking responsibly. I wish I would have known and brought some myself.
Even though it is a heck of a drive for me I will definitely be coming back.. -
Review from Mari K.
Ventura, CA
2/28/2010 1 photo
I've seen the parking shituation from the seat of my bike and on weekends it can be a cluster f-word--sometimes on weekdays, too.
If you're sans vehicle or don't feel like driving it, there are a couple of bus lines that will get you here; also, you can pedal your way to AB via bike paths that wind through Hope Ranch, down Las Positas Road or cliff drive. You can also park at Eling's park and walk/bike your way down.
So, about Arroyo Burro/Humphrey's beach: it's smallish, I've seen surfers catch some baby waves; there are little tidepools, walking/hiking/bicycle paths, and showers for your doggies after they've been running around in the sand and surf :)
The best part about being at AB/Humphrey's is that it's a tiny hike away from one of the most breath taking views you may ever witness: the view of the coast from the Douglas Family Preserve. -
Review from Michael O.
Canyon Country, CA
Updated - 10/12/2010 2 photos
This was a nice stop on our way up the coast. No charge for parking and a good beach location that if you have dogs is perfect. We took our little Boston Terrier who enjoyed the company of the other dogs there.
I would recommend this place for anyone coming or going from Santa Barbara, the location was easy to get to and it had a lot of nice features. We saw a pod of dolphins playing out from the shore which was also very cool.1 Previous Review: Show all »
-
10/10/2010
This was a nice stop on our way up the coast. No charge for parking and a good beach location that… Read more »
-
-
Review from Joe B.
1/31/2011
Arroyo Burro translates roughly into "dry ass river gully" and nothing could be less true about this beach. There is a small river running through the beach that you get to jump across, and there is nary a dry ass in sight. Great beach for running barefoot a short distance, (which I did) and I was able to lay out with a friend on a fine January day that was in the mid-'70s recently. That alone is worth a 5-star rating.
-
Review from Pat S.
Upland, CA
8/10/2009 2 photos
I love this place. It has a desolate feel where it's like a secret beach. Free parking!! Is booze allowed on all Santa Barbara beaches? cause that is unheard of in LA or The OC. The bar at the restaraunt makes some great blood orange margaritas.
The waves were much calmer than at Huntington. There was quite of bit of seaweed & luckily I didn't experience any of the tar.
I can't wait to go back. It was calming & relaxing. I felt like I was so much further away from home than I actually was. I like the 2 hour drive. It was my escape. -
Review from Thomas P.
Santa Barbara, CA
5/8/2008
It's "real" name is Hendry's Beach, but you won't see any signs proclaiming this. At the same time if you ask a local where "Arroyo Burro Beach" is you might get a funny look. Nobody, I mean NOBODY, calls it that.
It's a good beach for walking and a great beach for dogs it has little else to offer. For dogs you want to turn left, after you cross the slew it's a "No Leash" area. For walking I recommend turning right and watching the sunset. It's a chilly walk into the wind but when you turn around the wind and sun are at your back and it becomes much warmer. Better chilly on the way there than the way back I say. There are also some outdoor showers if you want to rinse off your feet. They are behind the boarded up restaurant.
It's generally windy and the sand is rocky and hard making it a crumby place to lay out. The water is generally clean but can be some of the worst due to a sewage overflow in the slew that empties into the beach. Which reminds me ....
Attention Parents: DON'T LET YOUR KIDS PLAY IN THE SLEW!!
I don't care what beach you are at, it's disgusting and not good for their health.
There used to be a really bad restaurant here called the Brown Pelican but it's boarded up now. It has amazing views and a liquor license so it has potential. Knowing Santa Barbara it'll probably just become another tourist trap though :(
Oh, it also has a small park with some picnic benches and BBQ pits.Listed in: Santa Barbara Off Leash Dog…
-
Review from Koko Y.
Santa Barbara, CA
3/6/2011 2 Check-ins Here
I've been living in SB for almost 5 years. How come I haven't come here before? This beach is great. You get free parking, and lots of beach space. There is an off leash and a on leash area to the beach. We (me and my dog) went to the off leash area. My dog loves it here. All the dogs and people here a super friendly and know how to interact with dogs. other beaches I have gone to have people who don't seem to understand that dogs are dogs. Everyone is super friendly, the beach is super clean (everyone picks up after their dog), and I will be coming here for many more years to come. Also, if you forget to bring a ball or dog toy, there are plenty of pieces of drift wood around for you to play fetch with your dog.
-
Review from Lostin Thought A.
Saratoga, CA
7/9/2009
I grew up on this beach, learned to swim in it's waters and had tar covered feet. Attended S.B.'s Jr. Lifegaurd program for years and became certified but ended up guarding at a pool ;-(
In the old days (early 70's) there used to be a cool snack shack that served the best tortilla strips, and we sit in the sand munching them down. -
Review from Serena G.
San Diego, CA
4/21/2010
Koa Bear LOVED this beach!
Everyone was super friendly and all the dog's were too!
We will definitely come back when we do another roadtrip from SD :) -
Review from hellokittynme ..
Alhambra, CA
12/11/2008
I came here in September and finally I'm getting a chance to write a review and maybe in a couple more months I'll find some time to upload the pictures to go with it. :p
In any event, this wasn't anything special especially since we made a drive from LA to SB. Not worth it but i'd also like to note that we might have enjoyed it a bit more if it was low tide and we could see a bit more. Otherwise I would have hit another dog friendly beach closer to come.
We started out with the hike through the Douglas Family Preserve and made our way past the sludge then on to the beach. Overall it was a nice walk but I'd never do it again because at the end of it all is a long set of stairs probably about 150 steps up to take us back to the residential streets where we parked. I didn't like the 10 flights of stairs but I didn't mind, the problem was I had my 3lb dog in my bag and my 63lb bulldog gasping for air as he struggle at each and every stair. He took breaks but he was also a fighter, at the end of 10 minutes we made it to the top. He couldn't stop panting for the next hour. He has never been worn out to that extent.
Something worth seeing is the trees that have disengaged from the overhead cliff. The trees are draping into the sands and waters of the beach, its overwhelming. My photos are no match for the true immensity. If you go now it might not be there anymore due to the tides that may have dragged them away. -
Review from Alex B.
I love the off-leash area for dogs. Only problem - my dog went crazy and took off running down the beach! I couldn't catch him... he was running in the water, past the point where the beach ended. Climbing over rocks with water up to my waist (wearing jeans), I must say that I didn't have the best experience here. Maybe I'll go again once I have a better behaved pooch.
-
Review from Agatha M.
Wilmington, CA
7/15/2009
I love this beach and my dogs love this beach. Free parking lot. Restaurant on-site. Bathrooms too. Dog on-leash side. Dog off-leash side. Soft-packed sand. Sun. Waves. How can anyone not love this place! Oh yah, and they have a (pay) dog-washing station on the way back to the parking lot. What an ingenious idea!
-
Review from Jill B.
Carson, CA
6/26/2010
I found this dog-friendly beach when we went for a walk in the Douglas Family Preserve. I saw the nice view of the beach with owners and their dogs frolicking by the shore. I told my husband, "I know we had a long day and you must be tired, but we have go here before we call it off for the day." And I'm glad we went. I'm impressed that this beach is so clean, compared to other beaches in Santa Barbara and very nice views. It's a good place to take photos of your dog or other dogs playing fetch and splashing around by the shore. Very relaxing atmosphere, a good place to hangout at the end of the day.
-
Review from Michelann Q.
Austin, TX
7/15/2008 2 photos
This is my favorite beach for a walk and for interesting photography. It was my dog's favorite beach when we lived in SB. The tide pools at low tide are fun to explore, and even if you don't have a dog, it's fun to watch the dogs play together. I miss the Brown Pelican, if only for the location. I hope the new restaurant is at least as good, because the view is spectacular.
-
Review from Allyson C.
Chicago, IL
11/19/2008
It's too bad the Brown Pelican is gone as that was my favorite breakfast spot, but visiting the beach for a walk is still a must.
-
Review from Jennifer P.
San Diego, CA
9/30/2010
Great dog beach. Clean and you can walk for a ways. Milo loved it!
-
Review from christine p.
Lake Balboa, CA
6/8/2009
easy to get to. lots of free parking. not crowded. dogs can go off leash. no waves. the water seems slightly warmer than in la. the restaurant nearby makes a descent tuna melt and fries. it also has a bar. my dog loved this place so much more than the malibu (leo carillo) dog beach. there's even a self-dogwash area, where you can wash your dog with tea tree shampoo.
-
Review from Rick B.
Wellington, OH
1/12/2010
Was crowded with people and their designer dogs when we were there. Interesting cliffs, good picture taking at the end of the day. mussels and anemones on the rocks that the kids enjoyed. Easy to get to and lots of parking. We didn't try the restaurant.
