Sea Lookout Park Off Leash Dog Area
Del Playa is a street that lives in a state of constant infamy. It is a riotous, oceanside party street in Isla Vista, CA, a densely packed college community adjacent to the University of California Santa Barbara. Isla Vista, like Santa Barbara County as a whole, is a dog-loving community, and there are plenty of places to take your dog, including the beautiful Sea Lookout Park high on the bluffs off of Del Playa Street.
The Sea Lookout Park Off-Leash Dog Area itself is perfect for passing college students to walk their dogs and play. It is an unenclosed park open to the street, although there is a fence running along the bluff which overlooks the ocean and gives the park its name. If you ask for directions from locals, it is worth noting that the local name for the park is actually DS Park, short for dog “poop” park.
This dog park has long served as a symbol of Isla Vista’s self-proclaimed sovereignty, and at any given time you are sure to encounter college students enjoying the sun and letting their dogs run free. Despite the local nickname, the park is typically kept fairly clean, although you will need to bring your own poop bags to help make sure that the park is kept up that way.
The Sea Lookout Park Off-Leash Dog Area is technically owned by Santa Barbara County, but as with most of Isla Vista, the county typically takes a hands-off approach when it comes to governing the goings-on of the area. There are large picnic bench areas and plenty of open space to let your dog play, but there is no water or a nearby public restroom.
If you visit, you should expect to encounter college students, and if you visit at night, you should be prepared to encounter all of the wild and less-than-sober aspects of partying college students. The park is one of many beautiful, cliffside parks that Santa Barbara County has to offer, and if you are a college student just looking for a place to let your dog run as free as you are, then Sea Lookout Park is the place for you and your dog to be.
