Refugio State Beach
Refugio State Beach (Chumash: Qasil, "Beautiful"[3]) is a protected state beach park in California, United States, approximately 20 miles (32 km) west of Santa Barbara.[4] One of three state parks along the Gaviota Coast, it is 2.5 miles (4.0 km) west of El Capitán State Beach. During the summer months, the Junior Life Guard program resides at the beach during the day.
| Refugio State Beach | |
|---|---|
 Refugio State Beach in January 2013 | |
   | |
| Location | Santa Barbara, California, United States |
| Nearest city | Santa Barbara |
| Coordinates | 34°27′44″N 120°4′21″W[1] |
| Area | 20 acres (8.1 ha) |
| Governing body | California Department of Parks and Recreation |
The Refugio oil spill occurred just north of the park in 2015 when a pipeline carrying crude oil ruptured. The spill went into a culvert that ran under US 101 and into the ocean. The spill spread over 7 miles (11 km) of coastline, including Refugio and El Capitán state beaches. The parks were closed during the clean-up, including during the typically busy Memorial Day weekend. The pipeline which caused the disaster is no longer in service.[5]
References
- U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Refugio Beach State Park
- U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Refugio Beach State Park
- McCall, Lynne; Perry, Rosalind (2002). California's Chumash Indians: a project of the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History Education Center (Revised ed.). San Luis Obispo, Calif: EZ Nature Books. ISBN 0936784156.
- "Refugio SB". Retrieved 2008-12-30.
- Panzar, Javier; Reyes, Emily Alpert; Mozingo, Joe (May 23, 2015). "Santa Barbara County oil cleanup continues; pipeline may be dug up soon". Los Angeles Times.
External links
- "Refugio State Beach". California Department of Parks and Recreation. Retrieved April 27, 2017.