Refugio to El Capitan State Beach
This hike will start at Refugio only because free parking is a little easier to find. You can do this hike from El Capitan, too, if you want, too. Free parking there is a little further from the beach than at Refugio. The paid parking can fill up in summer.
Some people say "Re FOO Gee Oh" and others say "Re FOO He oh" and still others, and I can't figure out why on earth, say "Re FOO Fee oh."
This beach hike is nice because it's about 4 or 5 miles long, has an alternate route along a bike path, has nice tide pools with fat pink starfish to look at, and great secluded and not-so secluded beaches. There is even a snack bar at both ends in case you get hungry or thirsty, plus restrooms, too.
If you wish to start at El Capitan State Beach, the exit for this is two miles sooner than Refugio.
There is parking inside Refugio for a fee. There is free parking along the frontage road sort of straight ahead and up the hill after you exit and come to the first stop sign.
The parking situation for El Capitan also has a fee. <a href="https://maps.apple.com/?address=10 Refugio Beach Rd, Goleta, CA 93117, United States&auid=16270086180771754739&ll=34.461323,-120.024986&lsp=9902&q=El Capitán State Beach&_ext=CjIKBQgEEOIBCgQIBRADCgQIBhASCgQIChABCgQIUhAHCgQIVRAOCgQIWRABCgUIpAEQARIkKfsLpgyBL0FAMWON9LuYCF7AOek+ZwaVRkFAQWvgzQGa+l3A">Directions to El Capitan</a>
Begin this hike at the snack bar at Refugio beach, or just to the left of it, to the left of the little lagoon. Sometimes you have to get your feet a little wet trying to cross the little lagoon, but you can avoid it walking through the campground.
Head East (or southbound — we Santa Barbarans are very confused about direction.) Basically, head back in the direction of Santa Barbara.
There is not much to say about this hike. You're just walking along the beach. There are a couple of points that are tricky to navigate. The first one looks nearly impossible. Your choice is to either run through the surf (that's why you should always check for a low tide on these beach hikes), or to climb the rocks.
The second point that looks impossible really is. It is here that you will need to head up to the bike path that parallels the beach.
Now you just follow the bike path until you reach the next obvious spot to go back to the beach. If you don't find an obvious spot, or you just like walking the bike path, you can continue along it. It ends at a group camp and parking lot at the westernmost edge of El Capitan State Beach campground. You can follow the bike path until you reach an obvious little path leading down to the day use parking and the snack shop. You can walk down to the beach here too and stop to use the facilities.
If you keep going along the beach, or along the walkway along the beach toward the rocky point, that is where the fat, pink starfish are. They are really fat and interesting. You can go as far as you like, or stop at one of the picnic tables for lunch.
To return it is usually wise to use the bike path. By now, if you started at low tide, the tide should be starting to come back up, and many of the easier points you were able to dart around will be difficult to get by.
The whole round trip is about 4 to 5 miles.