Butterfly Beach
Butterfly Beach is located along Channel Drive in Montecito, California. This is a popular beach with Santa Barbara area locals, many who walk their dogs at the water’s edge. The beach has been eroded here so the sandy part is thin sometimes especially at high tide and after winter storms. Rocks and broken concrete barriers are trying to protect the bluff and the road. There are no public restrooms at Butterfly Beach.
Directions
Getting here is easiest if you just drive toward the ocean on Olive Mill Road which turns into Channel Drive near the Four Seasons Biltmore Resort. Park along the waterfront on Channel Drive or on Butterfly Lane if necessary. Near Butterfly Lane there is a stair to the widest part of the beach.
At lower tides, it’s possible to walk all the way to East Beach in Santa Barbara. In the other direction the narrow shoreline leads to Hammonds Beach. There is a paved bike path that runs from the Santa Barbara Pier to Butterfly Beach if you are coming from the city and have a bike or wish to rent one.
