This Quiet Beach Is One Of California's Best-Kept Secrets With Stunning Tide Pools And Playful Dolphins

Be it surfing, strolling, or sunbathing, the beaches in Southern California offer something for every kind of visitor. And while Venice Beach with its body builders and Huntington Beach's surfable waves may get all the attention, California's lengthy coast is home to numerous hidden beaches. If you're craving endless sunsets, long walks across the sand, and the chance to enjoy the ocean in peace, you will love Haskell's Beach. 

Nestled between the Ritz-Carlton Bacara Santa Barbara and Sandpiper Golf Club in sleepy Goleta, Haskell's Beach is loved by locals but has remained mostly undiscovered by tourists or even visitors from neighboring towns. However, with a 4.5-star rating on Google, it's definitely a must-visit destination. At low tide, you can walk for 7 miles along the uncrowded beach, passing rugged bluffs, Haskell's Pier, and tide pools home to all manner of creatures. 

Although the tide pools aren't as well known as the ones at nearby Carpinteria, a small town with "the world's safest beach," you can still spot sea stars, urchins, sea cucumbers, and crabs hiding between the rocks. Haskell's Beach is also a prime destination for birding. From the shore, look for four T-shaped towers off the coast. Once part of a pier used to transport oil, these structures are known locally as "Bird Island" and attract seabirds, including cormorants, gulls, and pelicans. Due to the beach's close proximity to the Santa Barbara Channel, dolphins visit Haskell's Beach year-round and can frequently be seen playing in the surf. 

Located only a 20-minute drive from Santa Barbara, Haskell's Beach is easily accessible from Highway 101. However, it's not in the same part of town as the more well-known Goleta Beach Park. Instead, continue north on Highway 101, passing Santa Barbara Airport and the University of California, Santa Barbara. Once you're almost outside Goleta's city limits, you'll arrive at the Haskell's Beach parking lot.

The parking lot can hold over 20 vehicles and connects to the beach via a 500-foot access trail. Lined by fragrant California sage bushes and partially shaded, the hard-packed trail is wide enough for strollers and wagons and isn't too steep. In addition, there are bathrooms and picnic tables beneath the palm trees at the end of the access trail. Dogs on leash are permitted on the beach and trail, but keep in mind that you might encounter off-leash dogs on the sand. 

Besides Haskell's Beach, there are plenty of other things to do in Goleta that will make you feel like a local. The 9.3-acre Coronado Butterfly Preserve is only a five-minute drive down the coast and home to peaceful paths, eucalyptus groves, and patches of blooming nasturtiums, fuchsias, and California poppies. The best time to visit to see monarchs and western tiger swallowtail butterflies is between November and February (the peak months are December and January). 

Although you can always travel south to the best beaches Santa Barbara has to offer, a 10-minute drive north takes you to El Capitán State Beach. This preserve offers over 130 tent and RV camp sites steps from the beach and an impressive swell for surfing during the fall and winter months. If you stop by for the day, enjoy panoramic views of the ocean from the accessible bluff-top trails or explore tide pools along the shore.  

When you get hungry, drive into Goleta for a bite to eat. The town's branch of the Santa Barbara Fish Market offers fresh, locally sourced seafood, including perfectly fried fish and chips, oysters on the half shell, sandwiches, and incredible fish tacos. The market gets a 4.7-star rating on Google, and the setting is ultra-casual with outdoor seating in a prime spot for people-watching. Find Santa Barbara Fish Market Goleta at The Plaza, an open-air shopping center that's next to the Sunday Santa Barbara Farmers Market.