Douglas Family Preserve - Tourist Attractions

Mindfulness Based Leadership

Dog Training for Inquisitive Canines

Advertise on Edhat

more articles like this

Douglas Family Preserve
updated: Jun 18, 2011, 9:30 AM

By Katie Rodman, Photos by Eli Lopez

There are few locations better suited for an afternoon stroll than the Douglas Family Preserve. Situated directly above Arroyo Burro/Hendry's Beach, the park offers stunning views of the Pacific. Whether you are looking for the perfect spot to let your dog run free, a sanctuary of nature to explore, or the best view of the sunset in town, the Douglas Family Preserve will not disappoint. It is now named for the movie star Douglas family, who have lived in Montecito for years and made a significant financial contribution to buy the property and preserve it as open space.

You have to know what you are looking for, though, because this park is tucked back in a residential area. The easiest entrance is at the end of Linda Drive. To get there, exit the 101 at Carrillo, and head away from the mountains. Turn right at Cliff Drive, then left onto Mesa Lane. Mesa Lane is the second of two stoplights in very close proximity to each other, so make sure you do not miss it! Once on Mesa Lane, turn right at Borton Drive, and then left onto Linda Dr. Follow the road until it dead ends. Parking is usually easy to find anywhere on the street. The more conventional entrance at the end of Medcliff Road is currently blocked by work crews, but to enter the park that way, take Mesa Lane all the way down to Medcliff and turn right.

Formerly known as the Wilcox Property, and still referred to as such by some locals, this 70-acre park still bears the marks of a planned housing development project. Through public activism and fundraising, the bluffs were spared, and are now open for the public to enjoy.

The park hours are 6:00 A.M. to 30-minutes past sunset.

Let your dogs off the leash. Although all dogs must enter and exit the park on a leash, most of this preserve is open, and off-leash dogs are permitted. The park is often teeming with dogs, running and playing to their hearts' content. Be careful though, as dogs do occasionally get too close to the edge and are lost to the beach below the cliffs. Don't let this spoil your fun, however; these accidents are very rare. For the most part, the park is doggy paradise. There is even a water station and several areas dispensing doo-doo bags.

Directly above Arroyo Burro Beach. There is a hiking trail beginning at the far eastern end of the Arroyo Burro parking lot (toward Las Positas) that takes you up to the bluffs and makes a large loop. If you are starting from the bluffs and wish to hit the waves, the easiest and safest route to the beach is down the steps at the very end of Mesa Lane. There are many lookout points within the preserve where it is easy to see all of the happy beach-goers in the sand on hot summer days.

The park does preserve nature. One of the first things you will notice upon arriving, other than the dogs, are the giant eucalyptus, oak, and cypress trees. The park has more wooded, shadier areas set back from the dirt trails near the bluffs. There are huge logs to climb on and a wonderful array of flowers blossoming in the spring. Visitors are asked to leave the park cleaner than when they arrived, so for the most part, the environment is well preserved. This is the perfect place to check out the natural environment of a southern California bluff.

Sunset is stunning. The Douglas Family Preserve boasts one of the best sunset views in town. The sun sinks behind the far bluffs of Arroyo Burro Beach and the light reflects off the ocean and cliffs all around. There are vista points all other the park that make is easy to get close to the amazing views.