Devereux Beach, Goleta
Devereux Beach, known to the Chumash as P’ok’oy, sits in an area the Chumash have inhabited, along with the Channel Islands and surrounding coast, for an estimated 11,000 to 13,000 years. They utilized the natural oil and asphaltum seeps found at the point to caulk their seafaring plank canoes, known as tomols. The Spanish displaced the Chumash in the late 1700s, and the land became part of the Dos Pueblos Rancho, used primarily for cattle ranching through the 19th century. The land later became Campbell Ranch in the 1920s, when Colonel Colin Campbell and his wife Nancy Leiter purchased 500 acres to build a grand estate known for its luxurious mansion and a beach house famously adorned with abalone shells. The “Devereux” name comes from Helena Devereux, a pioneering educator who purchased the Campbell Ranch in 1945 for her foundation, converting the once-luxurious ranch into a school for children with special needs. In the 1960s, a portion of the land was sold to the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB), which eventually led to the creation of the Coal Oil Point Reserve in 1970. The reserve is famous for its successful restoration of the Western Snowy Plover habitat, where docents monitor nesting sites year-round to balance public recreation with wildlife protection.
- 25 minutes from Downtown Santa Barbara, with 5-10 minute walk to the point.
- Located by UCSB and Isla Vista – lots of college students on a warm sunny day can be found surfing or relaxing on the beach.
- Nice area to walk above the beach along the cliffs.
- Paid parking lot, about 10-15 spots.
- A large Snowy Plover reserve found her
Words from the Photographer: The photo taken is an agave plant sunrise looking out over the Pacific. Absolutely stunning time to go at sunrise.
