City of Santa Barbara Temporarily Blocks Off Popular Cliff Drive Overlook 

Fondly known as “Makeout Point,” Cliff Drive’s ocean overlook between Hendry’s Beach and Hope Ranch has attracted Santa Barbara locals and tourists alike for decades, offering an idyllic spot to enjoy an early-morning coffee, spend a hot summer afternoon, or catch a sunset. But for nearby residents, the late-night noise from speeding cars, burnouts, and groups lingering into the early morning at the pullout has become an ongoing frustration.

Public Works Operations Manager Adam Hendel said there wasn’t one specific incident that prompted the city to block off the pullout with barricades in early June. Instead, the decision followed years of complaints from residents and concerns about public safety.

“We’ve been hearing a lot of complaints from the residents and public about the noise, especially the nuisance activities at night,” Hendel said.

While the overlook has become a popular place for drivers and motorcyclists to show off, Hendel said the city is trying to strike a balance between maintaining public access and addressing safety concerns.

“The goal isn’t to completely keep the area shut down,” he said. “We are trying to find a balance and are figuring out a way to reconfigure the area so that it’s closed at night.”

After Public Works staff finish evaluating the different options for that reconfiguration, the assessment memo will be released as part of the public approval process, which will likely include a Coastal Development Permit reviewed by the City Planning Commission.

While this closure is a separate effort, it aligns with the city’s broader Cliff Drive Vision Zero Project, which addresses the communities overall concerns about traffic safety and is expected to begin construction in spring 2027.

By adding a new three-mile separated path on Cliff Drive from Arroyo Burro County Park to Castillo Street, the project will complete a major gap in the 30-mile South Coast Santa Barbara County Coastal bike route from UCSB to Ventura County.

“By collecting data on traffic patterns, operational impacts, and alternative configurations during this temporary closure, staff can develop recommendations that address both safety concerns and legal obligations to maintain public coastal access,” the city said in a statement. “This work supports the City’s Vision Zero policy, which is aimed at eliminating all traffic-related deaths and severe injuries.”

Although there have been no reported traffic-related deaths or severe injuries along the Cliff Drive overlook in recent years, the city announced on July 24 that the overlook will remain closed for now. The south ocean-side pullout, however, is tentatively scheduled to reopen in mid-August.

Hendel said his street maintenance team deployed the temporary barricades, but the city’s working plan is to eventually replace them with gates that would allow the overlook to operate how it was meant to: enjoyed during the day and quiet at night.