| 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 / 34.46222°N 120.07250°W[1] |
| Area | 20 acres (8.1 ha) |
| Governing body | California Department of Parks and Recreation |
Refugio State Beach (Chumash: Qasil, "Beautiful"[2]) is a protected state beach park in California, United States, approximately 20 miles (32 km) west of Santa Barbara.[3] 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.
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.[4]