Rancho Guadalupe Dunes Road Construction

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Construction work on repairs to Main Street outside the Rancho Guadalupe Dunes entrance started on June 12, 2023. During the January 2023 storms, access to the Rancho Guadalupe Dunes was closed when the road between the sand plant near the park entrance and the beach washed out. In subsequent storms, the natural path of the Santa Maria River shifted to the south, damaged the main entrance, washed out nearly 2000 feet of roadway west of the gate, and cut off access to the original washed-out section of roadway. Construction on the eastern section near the park kiosk is expected to finish by the first week of August. R. Burke will construct this $1 million project. Work on the central section (from the kiosk to the sand plant) is expected to begin in early fall. This summer, Santa Barbara County Public Works will assess the damage to the roads and parks facilities to understand better when the park could reopen. The park is inaccessible due to the current damage, and it could take a few months before there is a full damage assessment. The western section is in an extremely sensitive wildlife habitat area. Rebuilding the road in this area will require permitting and coordination with federal, state, and local agencies. Access to the park could be restored within six months to a year. This is a similar time frame to when the road washed out in the winter of 2011. These construction projects are emergency repairs, and the road will likely only be passable while the river remains in its original channel. If the river continues to the south, the area could be inundated again during future rains. The new river path is outside the County’s jurisdiction, and Santa Barbara County Public Works is working with the County Office of Emergency Management, local stakeholders, and federal and state agencies to determine how to repair the breakout areas west of Highway 1.

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