Santa Barbara Shores

Santa Barbara Shores has 2 parts. One part connects to Sperling Preserve/Ellwood Mesa, but there is a path to the other section with a playground. It is located in the 300 block of Santa Barbara Shores Dr (off Hollister Ave). This is a playground the Internet will not help you find! There is a 5-12 play structure over rubber mat with 2 slides, 2 climbing areas, monkey bars, sliding bar, bicycle bar and swings over sand.

Park with Swings

5-12 Play Structure (Front)

Path to the Sperling Preserve

5-12 Play Structure (Back)

Parque de los Niños

Parque de los Niños is a lovely park with a 2-5 play structure over sand and a 5-12 structure over wood chips. It is a long skinny park in the lot next to the freeway (there is a vine covered fence) with trees and benches. The 2-5 structure has 3 slides (double and twisty)and a climbing mountain. The 5-12 structure has 3 slides, a bridge, climbing wall and 4 other climbing areas. There are toddler and regular swings.  There are also monkey bars and swinging rings. The park is located on the lower westside of Santa Barbara: https://www.google.com/maps/place/Parque+De+Los+Ninos,+Santa+Barbara,+CA+93101/data=!4m2!3m1!1s0x80e9147132e97349:0x790fd244fd32d6a0?sa=X&ved=0CB0Q8gEwAGoVChMIk93ChILKxwIVCqSICh17WQDA

Pros
This park has a lot of shade!
There are a lot of climbing places.
There are not a lot of playgrounds in this area.

Cons
There are no bathrooms.

5-12 Play Structure (Back)

5-12 Play Structure (Front)

Long, Skinny Park

Sitting Areas

2-5 Play Structure (Back)

2-5 Play Structure (Front)

Spinning Petals

Rocky Nook Park

Rocky Nook Park is a shady park and walking trail in the Mission area near the Natural History Museum. There is a 5-12 play structure over rubber mat with a twisty slide, 3 climbing spots, tunnel, monkey bars and swings.

Pros
The park is shady and there are nature trails to explore.
There are bathrooms!

Cons
This is a high structure and not suited for little ones. 
The playground is not contained and the littles can escape into nature. 

5-12 Play Structure

5-12 Play Structure (Back)

Big Kid Swings

Los Baños del Mar Playground

Note to self: The Santa Barbara Maritime Museum is closed on Wednesdays, but if you forget and are stuck, go to the playground at Los Baños del Mar.

Los Baños del Mar is a public pool with a playground next door. This small playground has a ship shaped play structure (of course, being so close to the harbor) over rubber mat for the little kids (2-5). There are 2 slides, climbing spots and toddler swings. It is located in Santa Barbara on the beach walkway near the meeting on the -illos: Cabrillo Boulevard and Castillo St: https://www.google.com/maps?biw=1203&bih=562&noj=1&q=los+banos+pool&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=X&ved=0CAcQ_AUoAWoVChMIxILZ94u7xwIVVzSICh2B5A23

Pros
This never appears to be busy!
This is a great playground for the littlest kids.

Cons
There are no bathrooms.
This is a small playground and doesn't have anything for the big kids!

Ship Shaped 2-5 Playground

2-5 Playground (Back)

Toddler Swings

Periscope!

Shoreline Park

Shoreline Park is a beautiful park overlooking Leadbetter Beach in Santa Barbara. It ihas a 2-5 play structure over sand with 3 slides and climbing areas. It also has spring riding toys, toddler and regular swings.

Pros
The location is beautiful and relatively cool on a hot day.
The structure is fun, even for the older kids.
There are bathrooms.

Cons
This park gets busy!
There is very little shade. 
Kids can escape between those secure looking posts. BEWARE!

2-5 Play Structure

Toddler and Regular Swings

Spring Riding Toys

Armitos Park

** Updated 2024 with new play equipment 

As we reach the end of the list of parks we already know and hear of, we have scoured some maps to find parks we don't know. This lead to some fruitless driving and "I think we will find a park here...Maybe there is a playground..." Here was a fun one we found that way.

Amitos Park is a small neighborhood park in Old Town Goleta of South Kellogg Ave on Armitos Rd (take a right). There is a green space and a 5-12 play structure over a rubber mat. There is a double slide, climbing areas and monkey bars. https://www.google.com/maps/place/Armitos+Ave,+Goleta,+CA+93117/@34.4384228,-119.8205518,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m2!3m1!1s0x80e94077218353fd:0xe5b47648c6db1649

Pros
There aren't many parks in this neighborhood.
It wasn't busy.
The park is set back from the road for safety. 

Cons
There are no bathrooms.
The structure is high and not good for the very littles.

Green Space and Benches

5-12 Play Structure

5-12 Play structure (Side)

Sunflower Park

Sunflower Park is a neighborhood park near Franklin School and the Eastside Library. It has a 5-12 play structure over wood schips with 2 slides, a bridge, climbing areas and swings. It is located on Mason St nearest Soledad St: https://www.google.com/maps/place/Sunflower+Park,+Santa+Barbara,+CA+93103/@34.4250207,-119.6769594,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m2!3m1!1s0x80e9139911bbbf43:0x9522f1dc02fe982f

Pros
This wasn't a busy park. And I did not experience careless parents like the Yelp reviewers.
There is a variety of equipment for the big kids.

Cons
There is no bathroom.
There aren't many great areas for little kids. 

5-12 Play Structure (Front)

5-12 Play Structure (Back)

Climbing Area

Swings

Bohnett Park

Bohnett Park got new play eqptment in May 2016. Read the new review here.

Of the parks I remember from childhood, Oak Park and Bohnett Park stand out. Bohnett has been redone, so it was a fun place to rediscover with my girls. The main park is still on San Pasqual St near Anapamu, but a pocket park has been added connecting though to San Andreas and is designed artistically like a house. The main park has a 5-12 play structure over rubber foam, soccer field, a climbing structure, toddler and regular swings. This is located on the Westside near the Boys and Girls Club.

Pros
There are bathrooms.
There is a creek (it actually had water in this drought) running through the center.
The pocket park is very artistic and there are lots of small, hidden things to discover. 

Cons
There was a lot of trash (cigarettes, etc) here.
This park was busy! There were a lot of kids here on a summer weekday afternoon.

Murals

Soccer Field

Pocket Park on the San Andreas Side

Creek in the Center

5-12 Play Structure

5-12 Play Structure (Side)

Swings

Climbing Structure

5-12 Play Structure (Back)

Westside Neigborhood Center

This park is located at the Westside Neighborhood Center. While the main entrance to the center is on Victoria Street at Castillo St,  the play ground is on the backside (off Anapamu St near the pedestrian overpass). There are basketball courts, a handball court, a 5-12 play structure, a separate climbing structure and swings. https://www.google.com/maps/place/Westside+Community+Center/@34.4196446,-119.7101369,15z/data=!4m2!3m1!1s0x0:0xfc6ff01176bc62a1?sa=X&sqi=2&ved=0CIEBEPwSMAtqFQoTCN3F26X4sccCFQeViAodxvoFdw

Pros
Parking is easy in the lot (enter from Victoria).
It was not busy on a weekday morning.
The murals are an ocean theme.
The climbing equipment is fun.
The girls found the dog drinking fountain fascinating!

Cons
There are no bathrooms at the park, but there may be in the center. 
The climbing equipment is best suited for older kids.

5-12 Play Structure

Rigid Swings--no tummy swinging here!

Climbing Structure

Climbing Structure (side)

5-12 Play Structure (back)

Handball Court with mural

Basketball Courts