Tar Pits Beach

Located in the city of Carpinteria, Tar Pits Beach is a narrow beach with light brown sand that is a part of Tar Pits Park, which in turn lies within a state park known as Carpinteria State Beach. The beach is situated below oceanfront bluffs and asphalt regularly seeps onto the beach and the surrounding areas through a nearby natural asphalt lake, which is one of the only five natural asphalt lakes present in the world. Tar Pits Beach does not have lifeguards, but it does have restrooms and showers. If you are driving, there are two ways to access this beach - you can either enter Carpinteria State Beach via Palm Avenue and after paying an entrance fee, drive to the southern end of the state park. In the southern end of the state park, you will find the access stairs to the beach along with a parking lot nearby. Alternatively, you can drive to 5596 Calle Ocho, where street parking spaces are available, from here you can walk south to the access stairs for Tar Pits Beach. However, since this route requires crossing an active railway line, we recommend being careful. In addition, since this beach is known to have active tar seepages, we recommend carrying natural oils including olive oil, canola oil, or coconut oil so that you can easily clean off any tar which gets stuck to your body.

Tar Pits Beach offers many fun activities including swimming, sunbathing, beachcombing, wildlife watching, surfing, kitesurfing, windsurfing, body surfing, boogie boarding, paddle boarding, boating, tidepooling, fishing, kayaking, canoeing, wakeboarding, jet-skiing, and surf-skiing. The water near the beach occasionally offers good left-hand surfing waves. However, if you are planning to go into the water near Tar Pits Beach, we recommend being careful as the water here is known to have rip currents. The water near the beach is also home to many animals including seals, sea lions, and migrating grey whales (between December and May). In addition, there are tidepools near the beach that are home to a variety of animals including crabs, anemones, mussels, and sea stars. If you like birdwatching, you can see many shorebirds on the beach and the water near it. Another popular activity is fishing - you can catch a large array of fish here including perches, halibut, and cabezon. However, if you are planning to fish in the water near Tar Pits Beach, we recommend complying with the local fishing regulations. The blufftop area above the beach offers an Instagram-worthy view of the Pacific Ocean. The tar pit seepages on and around the beach are an incredible attraction that offers a unique insight into the regional geology of Southern California. As an interesting fact, the Tar Pits in and around this beach also have a few fossils dating back to the Pleistocene era - you can see some of the fossils excavated from here on display at the Carpinteria Valley Museum of History. In addition, the Native American Chumash People used the tar found around the beach for construction of their boats. When Spanish explorer and soldier Gaspar de Portolà arrived in this area with his expedition in 1769, he named this area La Carpinteria, or "the carpentry shop" due to its popularity among the Chumash people as a canoe building site. Unfortunately, most of the tar in and around this beach was extracted for the construction of a coastal highway during the early 20th Century. Carpinteria State Beach also offers many fun activities and attractions - the state park has a picnic spot with picnic tables, covered pavilions, and barbecue spots overlooking the Santa Ynez Mountain Range. The park also has the Tomol Interpretive Playground that is a children's play area with an interesting theme based on the lifestyle and mythology of the Native American Chumash people. In addition, it also has the Jellybowl Vista Point that offers Instagram-worthy views of the Pacific Ocean and the Carpinteria shoreline. If you like camping, the state park also has four campgrounds with more than 200 campsites. The campgrounds accommodate both tents and RVs and have many amenities including picnic tables, fire rings, showers, and restrooms. In addition, the Santa Rosa Loop and San Miguel Loop campsites have water and electricity hook-ups for RVs. If you are interested to know more about camping at Carpinteria State Beach, you can contact the state park authorities at 1-800-444-7275.

There are many attractions near Tar Pits Beach. The Wardholme Torrey Pine tree is one of the largest Torrey pine trees in the world, standing 126 feet tall with a branch spread of 130 feet. The tree was planted in 1888 and in 1968 it was designated as the city’s "first official landmark." If you like shopping, Linden Avenue has some great shopping stores (especially antique shops) and restaurants. In addition, many festivals are organized in Linden Avenue throughout the year including the Christmas Parade of Lights, the Avocado Festival, the Antique Car Show, and the Fourth of July festivities. If you are looking for another attraction near Tar Pits Beach, the Carpinteria Valley Museum of History offers interesting exhibits on local history and also features a gift shop. In addition, the museum also hosts flea markets and art-and-craft fairs.

If you get hungry, there are many restaurants near Tar Pits Beach. Giannfranco’s Trattoria is an upscale Italian restaurant that offers a beautiful outdoor patio dining area and serves excellent pastas, Italian seafood dishes, risotto, and salads. The Worker Bee Cafe offers delicious breakfast dishes including eggs, waffles, pancakes, and burritos. If you are looking for another good and affordable restaurant near Tar Pits Beach, the modestly priced Danny’s Deli offers an excellent variety of sandwiches.

If you are looking for a hotel near Tar Pits Beach, there are many great options. The 4-Star Best Western Plus Carpinteria Inn offers many amenities including a restaurant, a bar, a pool, a hot tub, an exercise room, and a garden. A more affordable hotel is the 3-Star Holiday Inn Express & Suites Carpinteria that offers many amenities including a fitness center, a pool, and complimentary breakfast. If you are looking for another good and affordable hotel near Tar Pits Beach, the modestly priced 2-Star Sandyland Reef Inn offers many amenities including a pool and a hot tub.