Community starts at the park!

Recreation is leisure, exercise, sports, and fun during free time and is an indispensable part of human health and wellbeing. Access to recreation is an essential part of sustainable communities. Our parks build community, provide space for physical activity, benefit the local economy, and foster environmental conservation. Planning for recreation has unmatched benefits for overall community sustainability. ​

Draft Recreation Master Plan

In January 2025, the County’s Community Services Department, Parks Division (County Parks) released the draft Santa Barbara County Recreation Master Plan (Recreation Master Plan) to enhance the quality of life and leisure experience for Santa Barbara County residents of all ages. The Recreation Master Plan will foster new parks, trails, and recreational facilities in unincorporated communities throughout Santa Barbara County in strategic coordination with other public recreation providers in the county such as the cities and special districts. Recreation projects are planned to address recreation needs throughout Santa Barbara County, including parks, sports fields and courts, trails, campgrounds, aquatic and community centers, equestrian facilities, and more in your community!​

The draft Recreation Master Plan is undergoing updates and will be available for review in summer 2025.

​Join our mailing list below to receive updates about this exciting plan!

Recreation planning for Santa Barbara County

To create opportunities for as many people as possible to participate in the recreation planning process, County Parks fostered over two years of creative, adaptive, and diverse outreach techniques directly in communities throughout the county. As depicted below, the recreation planning process integrated community input and analysis of existing and future recreation needs to shape the draft Recreation Master Plan. 

​The next step is to analyze the potential environmental impacts of the Recreation Master Plan in an Environmental Impact Report (EIR). 
To learn more about the project, view the Notice of Preparation, and provide feedback to County Parks, click here to view the County's project webpage. 

Stay involved

• Join our mailing list below to receive updates!
• Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter to stay up to date on our whereabouts and progress on the project. ​#StartAtThePark #SBCRecPlan
• Share this with your family, friends, and associates. Your input is essential to the success of this project to benefit your community.