Hobson Beach(Hobson County Park Beach)

Located south of the neighborhood of Seacliff, Hobson Beach is a narrow and rocky beach that is situated below a blufftop campground – the campground is run by Ventura County and is known as the Hobson Beach Park. Portions of the beach near the bluff side have been fixed with manmade rocky embankments to prevent erosion. 

Hobson Beach does not have lifeguards but it has restrooms and showers. The campground near the beach has many amenities including picnic tables, barbecue spots, and fire rings for a fee and a nearby camp store. 

Hobson Beach offers many fun activities including swimming, beachcombing, surfing, boogie boarding, body surfing, kitesurfing, windsurfing, kayaking, canoeing, boating, skimboarding, wildlife watching, fishing, and sunbathing. If you are planning to go into the water near Hobson Beach, we recommend being careful as the water near Hobson Beach is known for rip currents. The water near the beach is also home to a large array of animals including seals, sea lions, dolphins, and migrating grey whales between December and April. The beach offers a fantastic view of the Channel Islands and the Pacific Ocean. Another popular activity here is fishing - you can catch a large array of fish here including salto, croaker, surfperch, and corbina.

Getting to Hobson Beach is easy - the entrance to the beach is located near 5700 Pacific Coast Highway, which is accessible from United States Highway 101 via Exit-78. The Hobson Beach Park has limited day-use free parking spots from where you can easily walk to the entrance for Hobson Beach. As these parking spots can get filled up easily, we recommend visiting this beach early. We also recommend visiting the beach during low tide as during high tide it becomes significantly submerged and inaccessible. 

There are many attractions near Hobson Beach. Carpinteria Seal Sanctuary is a harbor seal rookery that offers a unique opportunity of watching harbor seals during the breeding season and also has trained volunteers who offer interesting information about the local fauna. Seaside Wilderness Park consists of 24 acres of undeveloped coastal areas having a variety of landscapes including wetlands, sand dunes, and coastal scrub which can be explored via hiking trails. In addition, the park also serves as a great bird-watching spot. If you are looking for another attraction near Hobson Beach, Mission Basilica San Buenaventura is a Catholic mission and historical landmark featuring a museum and a gift shop that also offers interesting tours around the mission premises, giving a unique insight into the early history of Southern California.

If you get hungry, there are many great restaurants near Hobson Beach. Casa Bella Prime Steakhouse is an upscale restaurant that offers excellent seafood and steaks. Rumfish Y Vino is a gastro bar that offers delicious seafood stews, sandwiches, and tacos. In addition, the restaurant was also awarded Tripadvisor’s Travellers’ Choice award in 2020. If you are looking for another good and affordable restaurant near Hobson Beach, Spencer Makenzies’ Fish Company offers delicious seafood tacos, burritos, clam chowder, and ceviches.

If you are looking for a hotel near Hobson Beach, there are many great nearby options. If you are looking for an upscale hotel, the 4-Star Best Western Carpinteria Inn is 17 minutes away by car and 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 The Pierpont Inn which offers many amenities including a pool, a garden, a restaurant, and a fitness center. As another moderately priced option, the 3-Star Clocktower Inn is set in a former firehouse and offers many amenities including a restaurant, a hot tub, complimentary breakfast, and evening wine-and-cheese tasting sessions. If you are looking for another good and affordable option near Hobson Beach, the Hobson Beach Campground accommodates both tents and RVs and has showers, electrical hookups, wifi, a concession stand, fire rings, picnic tables, and barbecues.