About Parks & Recreation

Santa Barbara has over 9,000 park trees and more than 23,000 street trees. Over 450 varieties of trees can be found along Santa Barbara’s streets and throughout the park system. To find out more about Santa Barbara’s trees and tree protection rules, visit Trees & Urban Forestry.

Established in 2001, the Creeks Division has completed a variety of creek restoration and water quality improvement projects, and continues to educate the community about creek and ocean water quality and local watersheds. The Creeks Division is funded by Measure B, a 2% tax on hotel visitors. Visit the Creeks Division to learn more.

We offer something for every kid! To find out more or to register for camps, visit SantaBarbaraCA.gov/Camps.

Some of the programming that we offer for teens includes: early career job opportunities like lifeguard and camp counselor positions, junior counselor programs, the Job Apprentice Program, Chef Apprentice Program, the SB Arts Alliance, and the Santa Barbara Youth Council.

Along with market rate programs, we offer free and low cost programs for all ages, and youth scholarships for market-rate camps. 

We are proud of our Adapted Recreation Program, which offers programs specifically designed for individuals with disabilities, as well as a robust inclusion support program to provide positive and fulfilling experiences for individuals with disabilities who would like to participate in our traditional programs.

Parks and Recreation coordinates with community partners to offer 35 miles of front country trails in the Santa Ynez Mountains. To find a local trail, check out our trail list.

Santa Barbara is a leader in Integrated Pest Management (IPM) strategies. Since 1990, Santa Barbara has worked to decrease the use of toxic pesticides in public spaces. Through IPM strategy efforts, Santa Barbara has transitioned all of its parks to pesticide free zones. Pesticides are only used in City parks and facilities by approval from the IPM Committee if all other strategies have failed and the pest presents concerns related to health and safety, or would compromise the integrity of the facility or site.

Residents and visitors to Santa Barbara can expect that our parks and public facilities will be maintained at the highest public safety and aesthetic quality, and that the IPM approach to pest management offers the best balance of environmental sensitivity, cost-effective pest management, and safety.

Santa Barbara is a Pollinator-Friendly City, designated as an official Bee City USA since 2018.

Santa Barbara is proud to be designated a “Tree City USA” for over 40 years. The City of Santa Barbara maintains over 60,000 open space, park, and street trees and recognizes the importance of professional tree care and annual tree planting programs to sustain a livable community. Every year, the City of Santa Barbara and Santa Barbara Beautiful collaborate with local schools to plant trees in observance of Arbor Day, which is observed as the last Friday of April every year.