More Mesa Beach

Located along the Santa Barbara County shoreline, More Mesa Beach is a narrow and remote beach with light brown sand. This beach is situated below the blufftop More Mesa Open Space which is an undeveloped natural area. 

More Mesa Beach does not have lifeguards or any other amenities, so plan your trip accordingly. Dogs on leash are allowed on the beach. 

More Mesa Beach offers many fun activities including sunbathing, wildlife watching, beachcombing, swimming, surfing, bodysurfing, bodyboarding, kayaking, canoeing, and boating. If you are planning to go into the water near More Mesa Beach, we recommend being careful as the water here is known to have rip currents.  You can also watch many kinds of marine mammals in the water near More Mesa Beach including seals and sea lions.  Depending on the time of the year, you can also see migrating whales in the water near More Mesa Beach.  If you are planning to fish in the water near this beach, we recommend that you follow the local fishing regulations.  This beach is ideal for those looking for a private beach experience as this remote beach sees few visitors. The western part of the beach is often used by clothing-optional visitors.  In addition, in the fourth edition of his book, California’s Nude Beaches (published in 1994), author Dave Patrick claims that this beach is one of the most popular nude beaches in Santa Barbara.  However, if you are planning a clothing-optional visit near More Mesa Beach, please keep in mind that public indecency is legally punishable under local regulations.  As an interesting fact, the area around More Mesa Beach also has intriguing tar seepages. More Mesa Open Space is spread over 300 acres and offers many fun activities including hiking, biking, wildlife watching, and horse-riding. This undeveloped coastal space has vast grasslands and a vernal pool wetland that offer an interesting insight into the local biodiversity. The blufftop area in More Mesa Open Space also offers amazing views of the Pacific Ocean and the Southern California shoreline.

Getting to More Mesa Beach is easy - the main entrance to More Mesa Open Space is situated near 1095 Mockingbird Lane.  From this entrance, you can walk to the edges of the bluff near the eastern part of this open space.  Near these bluff edges, you will find a steep and rocky access trail leading down to More Mesa Beach from the blufftop area above.  It is important to note that no parking spaces are available on Mockingbird Lane, and you need to park along the nearby Vieja Drive or Puente Drive and then walk to the main entrance for More Mesa Open Space.  As another option, you can also enter More Mesa Open Space from the entrance available at the nearby Patterson Avenue, which has a small free parking lot.  You can walk easily to the access trail leading to More Mesa Beach from this entrance.

There are many attractions near More Mesa Beach. South Coast Railroad Museum has interesting exhibits related to railway technology and the history of railroad expansion and its contributions to the development of local communities in Southern California. The museum’s centerpiece is the Goleta Depot which was built in 1901 and is listed in the United States National Register of Historic Places. El Presidio de Santa Bárbara is an important local historical landmark. This fort was built in 1782 and is a part of a group of four presidios (meaning forts in Spanish) built in the present-day California region during the Spanish Colonial era. This presidio is open for self-guided tours and offers a unique insight into the rich history of California. If you are looking for another attraction near More Mesa Beach, Coronado Butterfly Preserve is a nine-acre preserve that has portions of the Devereux Creek, woodlands, coastal scrub habitat, groves of eucalyptus trees, a classroom, and an outdoor gathering area.  The area near this preserve is home to migratory monarch butterflies between late October and early March.

If you get hungry, there are many great restaurants near More Mesa Beach. Lure Fish House is an upscale restaurant that offers amazing seafood. This restaurant is known to serve classic seafood dishes including fish tacos, chowders, ceviches, cioppino stew, and charbroiled oysters. Cody’s Cafe offers amazing breakfast dishes, soups, sandwiches, burgers, pasta, salads, steaks, and seafood. If you are looking for another good and affordable restaurant near More Mesa Beach, the modestly priced Del Pueblo Cafe offers amazing Mexican dishes.

If you are looking for a hotel near More Mesa Beach, there are many great nearby options. The 4-Star Pacifica Suites offers many amenities including complimentary breakfast and an evening wine reception on weekdays, a pool, and a hot tub. A more affordable hotel is the 3-Star Hilton Garden Inn Santa Barbara/Goleta that offers many amenities including a rooftop restaurant, a pool, a fitness room, and a 24-hour convenience store. If you are looking for another good and affordable hotel near More Mesa Beach, the modestly priced 2-Star Motel 6 Goleta, CA - Santa Barbara offers many amenities including morning coffee, a pool, and a coin-operated laundry.