Santa Barbara County Parks - General Information

Department of Parks

Locate a Park or Open Space

Reservations

Special Events

General Park Information

Get Involved

Park Foundation

Park Commission

Arts Commission

In Good Company

Contact Us

Get the Weather!

Santa Barbara County

In 1890, Mr. H. L. Williams donated some four acres of beachfront property in Summerland to Santa Barbara County. Mr. Williams' parcel became Lookout County Park, and thus was launched a countywide program to acquire land for public use and enjoyment. Click Above to View a Larger Image Over the years, 13 parcels have been donated, demonstrating our citizens' great interest in designating and preserving land for park use. Our turf now covers thousands of acres, thanks to these donations and to acquisitions made possible by state and local grants.
1913	The original 16 acres of Tucker's Grove Park was purchased, as was the site of Ocean Beach Park near Lompoc.
1926	Trustees of the Lompoc Cemetery donated Miguelito Park land. The Santa Maria Golf and Country Club donated the first 77.29 acres of Waller Park. The additional acreage in Waller Park was purchased in 1964 and 1967.
1928	Rocky Nook Park, the former home of Mrs. G.T.S. Oliver, was donated to the county in her name by Sam and Carolyn Stanwood.
1934	William and Nora Rennie donated Santa Rosa Park.
1935	The Manning Family estate was deeded to the county as Manning Park.
1943	The Atlantic Richfield Oil Company donated the original acreage for Jalama Beach Park.
1944	The initial 58 acres of Nojoqui Falls Park was donated by the Petan Company. The westerly 27 acres were purchased in 1968.
1946	Santa Ynez Park land was purchased from the Santa Ynez Valley Union High School District.
1947	Six acres of Arroyo Burro Beach Park were leased from the state of California.
1949	The federal government granted Goleta Beach Park to Santa Barbara County.
1950	The Richfield Oil Company donated 15.74 acres to create Richardson Park in New Cuyama.
1953	The county granted Goleta Beach Park to the state of California. The state of California granted Goleta Beach Park back to the county in 1970. The county entered into a long-term lease with the Federal Bureau of Reclamation to manage the 9,000-acre Cachuma Lake Recreation Area. Cachuma Lake was formed by the construction of Bradbury Dam in that same year.
	Through 1952, the County Board of Supervisors administered the parks within their districts, and custodial care was maintained by the Department of Forestry and the Fire Warden. With the development of the Cachuma Project, a Park Department and County Park Commission were created.
1965	The 11-acre site for Stow Grove Park was donated by the Stow Company. Three acres surrounding the family house were purchased in 1967, and Stow House became one of the county's first historical landmarks.
	In the same year the Park Department became responsible for maintenance of open spaces and greenbelts, and the grounds surrounding county buildings on the South Coast. This responsibility now extends countywide.
1969	The original 25-acre site of Rancho Guadalupe Dunes Park was purchased. In 1988, the park was expanded under a state Coastal Conservancy grant.
1960s	The availability of state and federal funds on a matching basis served as an impetus for expanded land acquisition. From the late '60s and into the '70s, land that would become Isla Vista Park, Rincon Park, Toro Canyon Park, and Los Alamos Park was purchased.
1968	The state of California granted Arroyo Burro Beach Park to the county.
1974	One hundred forty acres surrounding Lake Los Carneros were purchased from the Boise Cascade Company, and developed into a park.
1980s	During this time a number of small neighborhood parks became the responsibility of their local city governments.
1990s	Approximately one acre was purchased from state lands for the Arroyo Burro Beach parking lot (area previously leased from "Wilcox Property" owners).
	Burton Mesa Little League fields in Vandenberg Village were purchased, as well as Santa Barbara Shores Park, for which a Master Plan is under development.
	Today, along with managing public lands, the Park Department administers a variety of leases, e.g., restaurants in county parks, cattle grazing on range land, and historical and cultural facilities operated by non-profit organizations.