What are some Camp grounds in the santa barbara/ventura area that are near the beach/lake?
October 18th, 2009 | by admin |so im looking for a place to camp this weekend, and i’ve been searching the internet for HOURS, but i was hoping someone knows a place that fits my needs…
Im looking for a place i can camp in a tent that is walking distance from the water (ocean or lake). im also looking for a place that is on a first-come first serve basis since this is so last minute, im sure the reservations are all full… (unless you know of one in particular that is not full around this time)
place don’t just give me links to those sites that list every single on in socal because truust me, i’ve probably been on it. im looking for someone with a real answer from EXPERIENCE
Lake Casitas near Ojai has a lot of campsites, but like Lake cachuma, it’s a water supply so swimming, water skiing, and jetskiing aren’t allowed.
Emma Wood State Beach is a possibility. I’m not sure about camping.
McGrath State Beach near Oxnard is probably your best bet.
3 Responses to “What are some Camp grounds in the santa barbara/ventura area that are near the beach/lake?”
By Donna on Oct 19, 2009 | Reply
Lake Cachuma might fit your needs. It’s about 25-30 miles North of the city of Santa Barbara, and single family sites are all First-come First-serve basis. They have over 400 sites (90 of these have full hook-ups, 38 have electric/water hook-ups only).
The single family sites are first-come, first-serve only.
The Yurts and Cabins that are available, are reservation only.
Group Camp sites are also reservation only.
If you have a dog, along, they also charge a $3 per day dog fee.
By the way… Lake Cachuma is gorgeous this time of year, and very well worth a visit.
There’s also the smaller campground on Jalama Beach, in nearby Lompoc (about 35 miles North of the city of Santa Barbara). But I can’t tell you if it’s any good, as I haven’t been there myself. But they are also first-come first-served.
References :
http://www.sbparks.org/DOCS/Cachuma.html
http://www.sbparks.org/2007/Jalama/jalamabeach.html
By Obviousman on Oct 19, 2009 | Reply
Hmmm. Didn’t I just answer this one?
We get this question this time of year from folks like you who don’t realize the popularity of camping spots in SoCal. The problem I have is that I hate to drive over 100 miles to a camping spot, and find out that it’s full. That’s why I don’t like or recommend first-come, first-serve. There’s just too much risk involved, especially in the summer.
Anyways, Lake Cachuma is VERY nice this time of year, except for two things: The water is EXTREMELY low, and you can’t touch the water. Sure, you can boat on it, but there is no swimming, jetskiing, etc. That’s a real deal killer for me. I could live with a very long beachfront/shoreline, but I want to be able to stick my feet in the water. To their credit, they do have a swimming pool. It can get VERY hot there in the summer. And they do have hundreds of campsites. But they still fill up. So that’s probably your best bet.
Jalama Beach is nothing short of Paradise. It’s not easy to get to. from Santa Barbara take the 101 freeway north approximately 30 miles to
PCH 1, then exit north on PCH 1 (exit sign says
"Lompoc & Vandenberg AFB"). Travel approximately 15 miles to Jalama Road. Turn left on Jalama Road, and drive 14 miles down a pretty windy road to the beach. The two downsides here are the isolation (it’s a long way to drive to get skunked if it’s full), and the fact that everyone has to vacate the campground if Vandenberg AFB launches a missile or rocket. There are 98 sites which fill up all the time. The beauty of it is its isolation. NOTHING is there but a camp store/cafe, and the beach. Oh, and the railroad tracks. But the beauty is incredible. And the Jalama burgers are good, too.
Check out http://www.sbparks.org/ for info on both these parks.
References :
Been there, done that.
By boogeywoogy on Oct 19, 2009 | Reply
Lake Casitas near Ojai has a lot of campsites, but like Lake cachuma, it’s a water supply so swimming, water skiing, and jetskiing aren’t allowed.
Emma Wood State Beach is a possibility. I’m not sure about camping.
McGrath State Beach near Oxnard is probably your best bet.
References :