Update, May 10: Citing inconsistencies with state and county law, the California Coastal Commission has requested that the parking lot gate and new signage at Loon Point be removed. Not only were the gate and sign installed without a permit, the new posted hours allow beach access between 8 a.m. and sunset, a window more restricted than historic use from dawn to dusk. “The next step is I’m talking to [the Coastal Commission] regarding their request,” said Brian Yanez, deputy director of Santa Barbara County Parks Department.
On any given warm day in Summerland, beachgoers fill the Loon Point parking lot and hoof it along the trail that parallels the train tracks before cutting beneath the Padaro Lane overpass and down the gentle ravine to the sand. It’s a popular spot for families because there’s free parking, a porta-potty, and lots of room to spread out once they reach the beach. Surfers and fishermen dig it, too, its rural ambiance and crashing waves drowning out the background hum of Highway 101.
Many Loon Point visitors don’t know that Santa Barbara County Parks Department put up a new sign, with hours that shrink the amount of time the public has access to the gated parking lot and beach trail. The old sign said, “Closed dusk to dawn.” The new sign, installed last fall, says open 8 a.m. to sunset. According to Brian Yanez, the parks department deputy director, the new rules at Loon Point were instated “to be consistent” with park hours countywide. Yanez added that the original dawn-to-dusk open hours proved challenging in terms of staffing, as those natural phenomena occur at different times throughout the year.