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Arroyo Burro Beach (Hendry's Beach)

Arroyo Burro Beach (Hendry's Beach) is a dog-friendly, off-leash beach in City of Santa Barbara is the beach that runs below the Douglas Family Preserve. The area begins east of the slough at Arroyo Burro Beach (the locals call it Hendry's Beach), and stretches almost to the steps at Mesa Lane. The fallen eucalyptus trees are considered the eastern boundary. From the parking lot at Arroyo Burro, walk to the beach, turn left, and cross the slough - this will bring you to the legal off-leash area. Please be sure your dog is leashed in the parking lot and on the beach until you cross the slough. Visit Website

Or call (805) 687-3714 for more information.

Reviews

BringFido Guest Rating
TripAdvisor Traveler Rating

Arroyo Burro Beach (Hendry's Beach) has received a rating of 4.7 out of 5 bones by 34 canine critics on BringFido and 4.5 out of 5 by 362 guests on TripAdvisor.

  • Sherrielyn
    Nov 20, 2023
    Excellent idea but poor execution

    The “off leash” area is small. As you walk the 100 yards from the restaurant that overlooks the beach, On one side is a “lagoon” with stagnant water. The other side is the ocean, which is beautiful. However, between the lagoon area and ocean are piles of flea invested seaweed. We also saw a decapitated decaying small finned sea creature. Thank you, but no thank you

  • M
    Jun 24, 2023
    Off leash beach

    Aka Arroyo Burro County Beach Park. Beautiful, peaceful beach for off-leash play. Approx. 1/2 mile long (?). Restaurant, restrooms, showers, and a for a fee self-serve dog wash ($10). Cons: no shade, oil in the water (this is nornal for this area due to the natural tar pits/oil fields), seaweed, limited parking.

  • Edwin
    Nov 21, 2022
    New Comers, Amazing Time

    I used this app a lot while I traveled out west and was surprised there weren’t too many “fenced in” dog parks in Santa Barbara and now I kinda see why… hard to compete with locations like this. What a beautiful view and my dog Jack had such a fun time. One tip… bring water! There didn’t seem to be any dog bowls or watering holes anywhere.

  • Mandy
    Sep 21, 2022
    Best Dog Beach Yet!

    Great beach with both on- and off-leash areas. My Pepper loved playing with all the other friendly pups there. I imagine it gets really crowded on the weekends, but it was perfect on a Wednesday. The Boathouse restaurant right on the beach is dog-friendly, but if you’re feeling a little scruffy, you can order a to-go cocktail at the outdoor bar.

  • Elizabeth
    Jan 17, 2022
    Winter time FUN!!!

    Mid- January, doggies had a blast with all the fur-friends!! Friendly dog owner.
    Dog friendly restaurant on beach. (Tip: can get crowded, check in 1st, let your dogs run, then enjoy a meal).

  • Maria
    Aug 28, 2021
    Our dogs loved this beach

    Our dogs (boxer and Goldendoodle) loved this beach. There is also a dog friendly restaurant there as well. the food was delicious.

  • Tupelo
    Aug 24, 2021
    Best Dog Beach Anywhere

    This is the best dog beach you will ever find! It is certainly Tupelo’s favorite place to be. I love that as you walk the beach the cliffs keep dogs from running into parking lots or the road once you get past the parking and restaurant. New sign at shoreline park stairs now says dogs can be off leash all the way back to Arroyo Burro so that is a nice long stretch of off leash beach. Basically this is dog Disneyland!!!

  • Charlotte
    Jul 27, 2021
    Great Beach

    Excellent dog beach...clearly marked where leashes are required and where they were not. Long stretch of beach where dogs were off leash. Very enjoyable. Seemed like plenty of parking (on a Tuesday morning). It would probably fill up at other times.

  • Liz
    May 31, 2021
    Best dog beach ever

    This is the best dog beach I've found so far. It's clean, safe and not too busy (there isn't much parking and it's not really walkable unless you live in the area). The dogs (and people) were all well-behaved. You have the option of an off-leash area or a much longer distance where on-leash dogs are welcome. Both areas are shorter in high tide. But generally this was far more expansive than other dog beaches I've been to. Also nice, it was a "normal" beach with shallow waves like you'd expect and the ability to wade in--not a deep beach that required swimming. Lots of people seemed to be there for the popular beachfront restaurant. It also welcomed our dog, though it took us several days of vacationing to finally land a (dog-friendly) table with no wait. But it was worth it.

  • Jennifer
    Jul 29, 2020
    Great Beach

    really great off leash dog beach. lots of dogs both on and off leash and lots of humans too.

  • Jamie
    Jul 22, 2020
    Best Dog Beach Ever!

    This was our second time at this dog beach. Our pooch loves it here! We sat on the no dog leash side and everyone is very friendly. Our pooch had a wonderful time meeting dogs and new people. We will be back soon!

  • Maggie
    May 31, 2019
    Great off-Leash Dog Beach!

    We had a wonderful day here with our dog! The beach is clean and there is a dog-wash nearby that costs $10 and has shampoo, conditioner, and a blow dryer. There is an upscale dog-friendly restaurant at the beach (The Boathouse). We brought sandwiches and fruit and had them at the grassy picnic area. There are grills there as well.

  • John
    Nov 4, 2018
    Great Off Leash Beach

    It’s easy to get to from the car park, very flat with easy access for all family members.

    Beach area is protected on the one side by cliffs which mean your dogs can only run along the beach itself. This makes it great for training your dog to be off leash.

    Lots of friendly pups with plenty of space to run around and waves for your dog to frolic. Makes for a great place to take awesome action shots of your pups.

  • Kayla
    Sep 1, 2018
    Perfect Spot

    Took a day trip from LA with my pup. The best dog beach we have been to in the area. Plenty of room to run around and to set up camp. Went during the week so it wasn't as busy. Parking was super easy with the parking lot right there. The views are also great!

  • Dezerae
    More than a year ago
    The Best Dog Beach

    We took our dogs on vacation with us this was so much fun for them to run around with no leash. It was very busy but so worth it!

  • Shelly
    More than a year ago
    Don't use the map link from this app!

    I linked through the app and wound up hiking down and then back up almost 200' off Mesa Ln. Good exercise, but not good for as frequently as I want to take my puppy to the beach on a vacation. If you just do a search for Arroyo Burro in Google maps, it will take you to the grade level beach access. The dog beach is just a hundred feet to the left of the beach access. It is great!

  • Sonsie
    More than a year ago
    Best dog beach

    This is a MUST see if you are traveling with your four legged friend. Dogs are allowed off leash (even during summer)! The people were friendly and the dogs were all smiling. Highly recommended 👌🏾

  • Jerry & Darlene
    More than a year ago
    Great Beach!!

    Went to SB mainly for the dog beach and it was great. Our 14 yr old dog has always loved the beach and she had a great time running & playing with the other dogs. Free parking, and we never had a problem finding a spot. All the dogs and people there were friendly, we went on weekdays and it was never crowded. We'll be back!

  • Marcia
    More than a year ago
    Two happy Dalmatians

    Great doggie beach. Easy to find and easy parking. We had a great afternoon. Our pups ran and played and splashed in the water. The beach was clean and the people we met were friendly and took good care of their pups.

  • Heather
    More than a year ago
    soon much fun

    People are just as sweet as the dogs! Had a great day watching dogs play and my daughter and boogie boarding - we even saw dolphins! Truly a great experience.

  • Fenella
    More than a year ago
    awesome dog beach

    Stopped for 2 nights in Santa Barbara on our way to LAX to fly back to Australia after 3 years living in the U.S. After days in the car driving from Kansas City this is just what my dogs needed to let off steam, they had an awesome time. Dog wash in the car park $10, credit card only, and had too much time for my 2 dogs: $5 minimum fee would be better. But enabled the dogs to be washed off before returning to hotel. Everyone we met was friendly, dogs and people. Just wish Sydney was as enlightened about having such a great beach for dogs!

  • Gretchen
    More than a year ago
    Great beach for dogs; so-so for humans

    Beautiful beach for playing with an off-leash dog -- lots of sand, and interesting rock formations at the water line to bounce balls off of. Slightly less appealing for people: the slough was super-smelly the day we came here, and the sand was a little too rocky for beach games with the kids. Also, the great-sounding dog-wash has been removed.

  • Nicole
    More than a year ago
    Great, but be careful...

    I bring my frenchie here almost every weekend. I always keep him on a long line because he won't come when called. The beach CAN be perfect if the right crowd is there, however twice my dog has been attacked by other dogs. PLEASE if your dog is aggressive, training them to not be aggressive at the beach, off-leash is the worst way to go about it. Also, don't bring your dog here and let them run loose without keeping track of them. During one of the attacks, we couldn't even find the dog's owner. Besides some people ruining it, it is usually a really fun experience for everyone.

  • S
    More than a year ago
    Great

    We visit this beach almost daily. Couple pointers for visitors: Parking; you will always get a spot but you may have to circle a few times, be patient and polite! Obey the sign for off leash vs On-Leash (off leash is to the left of lifeguard; the actual boundary changes so just look for the sign that day). BYO Towel and a water dish. PICK UP YOUR POOP! There are bags and bins by the entrance. There's a coin operated dog wash complete with blow dryer, but it recently got refurbished and now it's $10 for 10 minutes (certainly enough time to quickly wash up to three dogs but too expensive for daily use now). Please DO NOT let your dog off leash if it is aggressive or not under your control (will he come back if you call him or "leave it" if harassing another dog). Folks are friendly but nobody likes a dog that is overly rambunctious and knocking everyone over. And finally: don't stop at the first 10 feet of beach.. walk along a few minutes and you will find it a lot more enjoyable!

  • Kb
    More than a year ago
    dog beach can't be beat

    Very fun place to take your dog on or off lease. Friendly dogs abound. Also great looking beachside restaurant there. Btw self service shower now $10/10 minutes w various shampoos, blow dry options, etc. Takes credit cards. Perfect end for sandy pooch. Hard to know that it's located towards front entrance of parking lot.

  • Mae
    More than a year ago
    snooty

    Wasn't too bad but nothing to write home about. The beach was rocky. There were a few people who didn't have dogs hanging out on the off leash side of the beach then getting upset when a dog would come up to them; thus causing the 3 star rating. Otherwise it's a nice beach for the pups to play.

  • SR
    More than a year ago
    Best dog beach

    This beach tops the charts. Very clean, far from roads, large area and friendly dogs for the pups to run around with. Cute dog wash to clean the dogs off before the ride home. We brought food to grill since there is a nice green patch with grills and tables. I would highly recommend this beach and hope to visit again!

  • Anonymous
    More than a year ago
    Awesome

    Best dog beach in Santa Barbara

  • Hillary
    More than a year ago
    Wonderful Dog Beach!

    Brian and I drove up to Santa Barbara with our dogs, Archer and Lana and went to this wonderful dog beach. There is a restaurant called the Boat House at Hendricks beach that has two options for pets. There is a small outdoor kitchen with burgers and fries etc that you can sit with your dogs and eat, or there is a dog tie up with a partial mini tree cover for your dogs so you can go into the restaurant and eat. The only down side is if your dog doesn't get along with other dogs you can't use the tie up b/c they are right next to each other. The food was delicious there though.
    As you walk down to the beach you will see a sign that says to the right is on-leash, and to the left is off leash. The beach was wonderful. You are basically on your own private beach and the further you walk down the less people you come across. All the dog owners and dogs we came across were very friendly. There were even some tennis balls along the beach that everyone can use to play with.
    Afterwards there is a dog wash station there that is coin operated and very nice. Unfortunately we didn't bring towels for our dogs so we ended up going to TJ Paws to wash our dogs. I will review them as well. But short answer they were awesome! Overall I would drive up from Los Angeles to just go to this beach! It was wonderful. They do have alot of parking, but as the day went on it was getting full, so come early.

  • Katrina
    More than a year ago
    What a day

    Had a great time at this beach. Drove up from Los Angeles and it was totally worth it. My friends Yorkie got hurt somehow and a local named Mary was such a saint getting us to the emergency vet. Mary I lost your number so if you read this call the vet and get mine. Pj is doing great tho and has really healed up nicely and looks normal. You were such an angel to help us.

  • John
    More than a year ago
    Arroyo off leash beach

    Went there January 2011 and had a blast with my 2 labs. I'm planning on going back this January 2012 and I can't wait for the pups to get wet...

  • John
    More than a year ago
    Arroyo Burro Beach

    really a nice beach for traveling with dog.The environment here is good and friendly for the pets.I again want to travel to Arroyo Burro Beach with JOJO (my dog).

  • Debbie
    More than a year ago
    Lots of Fun!

    We took our two dogs to Arroyo Burro Beach and had a great time. Everyone there was very friendly. Can't wait to go back next time we're in Santa Barbara.

  • Chelsea
    More than a year ago
    great dog beach

    This is a wonderful, clean off-leash dog beach. There are boo bags available and a coin operated dog wash station in the parking lot. There is always parking every time I have been there and very friendly dogs and owner. Only one time we got there and the tide was too high to reach the off-leash section so you may want to check tide maps if you are coming from a long way for the day. Great Beach!!!

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Arroyo Burro Beach (Hendry's Beach)