Take advantage of the area’s many campgrounds and start
planning with friends and family for complete relaxation in your own backyard.
View the Milky Way in the night sky. Name the stars,
wildflowers, plants and birds, and find delight in hearing the babble of
brooks. Poke around tide pools and rediscover the secret world of starfish, sea
anemones, crabs, snails, octopi and sea urchins making their homes there. Sing
around the campfire and have a s’mores-making
contest.
The following is a guideline to some of the area’s most
popular camping spots. Many of the parks also offer group campgrounds and
environmental campsites in secluded areas. Be sure to check for pet
restrictions and fees in advance, and follow all safety and open fire
regulations. Always leave the area in better shape than you found it.
Before you go
If you are planning your trip to a California state park,
you may make reservations by calling (800) 444-PARK or going online at
www.parks.ca.gov. Confirm that your vehicle can be accommodated, and don’t hang
up until you have been given your reservation number. A nonrefundable
reservation fee of $7.50 will be charged for each campsite.
The parks Web site also provides a camping reservation
guide with a complete list of rules and guidelines, and a complete list of all
state park campgrounds.
Be sure to bring flashlights and batteries; firewood,
shovel and matches; hats and sunscreen, insect repellent and a well-stocked
first aid kit. Don’t forget to tell friends or family where you are going and
when you plan to return, in the event of an emergency.
Jalama Beach
Jalama is
a favorite spot and has 117 campsites. Legend has it that the land near Jalama Creek was once a Chumash Indian settlement named Halama.
It’s a known spot for rock cod and perch fishing, and Jalama Point is cherished by surfers. Campers come to relax
while others come to windsurf, fly kites and enjoy the long expanse of sand.
The Jalama store is well known
for its breakfast burritos, chili and hamburgers, and the beach store leaves no
beach lover without. It sells fishing licenses and gear, too.
There are 29 RV sites with electrical hookups, and dump
stations are available. Campsites, assigned on a first-come, first-served basis
(one site per vehicle) fill up fast. Group areas may be reserved in advance.
Campers under 18 must be accompanied by an adult.
From Buellton, take Highway 101 south for approximately
14 miles. Then take exit 132 to Highway 1 toward Lompoc and drive about 14 more
miles to the Jalama Beach turn-off. The road to the
beach campground is scenic, long and winding, and one-lane in spots. Camping is
$20 per day. Dogs are allowed for $3 per dog. For more information, phone (805)
736-6316.
Gaviota Beach
Gaviota
State Park is about 16 miles south of Buellton off Highway 101. Gaviota means “seagull” in Spanish and is the only beach on
the coast between Goleta and Pismo with a pier, making it a popular fishing
spot.
It can be fun to walk the pier to see what everyone is
catching, even if you don’t fish yourself. Gaviota is
also the trailhead to the Beach-to-Backcountry Trail (see map), with Gaviota Pass Overlook a five-mile, round-trip hike with a
700-foot elevation gain. The loop via Overlook and Hollister trails is 8.5
miles round-trip, with an 800-foot elevation gain.
The trail to the Gaviota Wind
Caves is 2.5 miles long and is semi-strenuous. The trail to Gaviota
Peak leads hikers to the Gaviota Hot Springs (sulfur
spring pools), and up to the peak, giving a view inland as far as the Santa
Ynez Mountains and out to sea all the way to the Channel Islands.
If planned around low tide, hikers can walk the shoreline
from Gaviota Beach to Refugio,
and from Refugio to El Capitán or along the bike path
that runs on the bluff along the coast. Gaviota has
39 campsites and a general store.
For camping reservations, phone (805) 968-1033. Campsites
are $25 per night.
Refugio Beach
Refugio State Beach is known for the thick beach grass
that surrounds the picnic area and stately palms that give it that classic
California look. It’s a great fishing spot and has a nice sandy beach for
playing, and great waves for swimming and bodysurfing. You can walk from
Refugio to El Capitán at low tide, and head up the
bluff to get around the rocks. There is a small store and a bike trail along
the beach bluff. Campsites are $25 per night. Phone (805) 968-1033 for camping
and other information.
El Capitan Beach
El Capitán State Beach has a popular sandy beach great for
body surfing and swimming, and tide pools for exploring. Its many trees and a
seasonal creek give it a spacious feeling, with more than 100 campsites on
several levels.
There is a self-guided nature trail through the old
sycamores adjacent the beach. Legend is that El Capitán
is named after Captain José Francisco de Ortega. He was a Spanish Army officer
who served as trail scout for the Portolá expedition.
He was granted a strip of land two miles wide and 25 miles long from Point
Conception to Refugio Canyon on which to raise cattle to repay a debt.
You can walk the beach from El Capitán
to Refugio and vice-versa, depending on the tide. There is a small store. A
bike trail along the bluff leads to Refugio, also. Sites are $25 per night.
Phone (805) 968-1033 for more information.
Carpinteria State Beach
Twelve miles south of Santa Barbara, Carpinteria
State Beach boasts a mile of sand, gentle waves and lots of tide pools. It also
has a visitor center with displays of marine life and Chumash history. The
beach can be walked all the way into the quaint town, to the City Bluffs Park,
or to the Chevron Oil Pier. Carpinteria has a harbor
seal preserve and rookery, with pups through May, so bring your binoculars.
Seal Watch docents will be onsite to answer questions.
To get there, take Highway 101, exit at Casitas Pass and
take Casitas Pass Road into Carpinteria Avenue. Make
a right at the signal and a left on Palm, and go to the end of Palm Avenue. For
information, phone (805) 968-1033. No dogs are allowed.
Pismo Beach
Now officially known as the Oceano
Dunes State Vehicular Recreation Area, Pismo Beach is famous for clams and dune
buggies. Legend is in the 1930s and ’40s, the dunes were filled with free
souls, artists and others, who believed the dunes had
a creative energy vortex and called themselves "Dunites.”
The dunes today are home to fragile plants and wildlife.
Recreational vehicles are allowed in a limited area. Some clamming is still
allowed with a fishing license. Camping is allowed south of post 2 on the beach
and in the open dune area.
Vault toilets and chemical toilets are provided, but
water-delivery and holding-tank pump-out services are available on the beach.
Beach camping is recommended for 4-wheel drive vehicles only.
Post 2 is one mile south on the beach from Pier Avenue
and marks the beginning of the Off Highway Vehicle area. All OHVs must be
transported to this point before off-loading and must have a green sticker.
Fenced and signed areas are closed to vehicular use, either because the
property beyond is private or because the area contains sensitive plant and
animal life.
For camping information, phone Reserve America at (800)
444-7275. Campsites are available by reservation year-round and can be made
from 10 days to six months in advance. To get there, from Buellton take Highway
101 north to Grover Beach and take the Grand Avenue exit to Oceano
Dunes.
Big Sur
In the Big Sur area off Highway 1 are several campgrounds
available only on a first-come, first-served basis. About an hour north of Cambria,
Pfeiffer Big Sur and Limekiln are closed this year due to a horrific fire last
season.
This year, campers can only use the Andrew Molera campground, which has 24 camping spots. The Big Sur
River flows through the park. There are no showers and no dogs are allowed.
It’s about a one mile walk to the beach.
Phone (831) 667-2315 for campsite availability and other
information. To get there, take Highway 101 north to San Luis Obispo, take the
Highway 1 exit, and head north up Highway 1 past Cambria.
Cachuma Lake
Cachuma
Lake Reservoir is right off of Highway 154, just east of Santa Ynez. It has
many RV sites, as well as tent sites in a wooded oak-land setting. Cachuma Lake is a very popular fishing spot for trout, bass
and catfish. It also has a very extensive nature center with
interactive displays and contests for kids, campground roads good for bike
riding, and a fishing dock especially designed for those with disabilities. No
swimming is allowed as it is a public water source.
Nature cruises around the lake are offered
and require reservations. A Cachuma Lake boating
permit (annual or day-use) and current state registration (decal and number)
must be displayed, and canoes, kayaks and rafts are not allowed. Boats are also
available for rent. Quagga mussel regulations are in
effect. Phone (805) 686-5054 for more information and reservations.
Santa Margarita Lake
With thousands of acres of unspoiled open
space, Santa Margarita is home to countless species of plants and wildlife.
Fishing is reportedly very good, and a swimming pool is open from Memorial Day
through summer (similar to Cachuma, swimming in the
lake is not allowed because it is a public water source). In addition to 60
primitive campsites (meaning no RV hook-ups), there are group sites and an
overflow site. There are also five backcountry and lakeside campsites which are
only accessible by foot, horseback or boat, one with horse set-up.
To get there, take
Highway 101 north to the Highway 58 exit into Santa Margarita. At the end of
town, turn right onto Santa Margarita Lake Road (Pozo
Road) and drive approximately six miles to Santa Margarita Lake Road (do not
turn left onto Highway 58). Camping is $23 per night and the ranger reports
there is availability Memorial Day weekend through summer as of press time.
Phone (805) 788-2401 for camping information.
Lake Lopez
Lake Lopez is located 10
miles east of Arroyo Grande, with 1,000 acres of lake for fishing and boating.
Lopez has secluded coves with warm water and good wind ideal for windsurfing,
and tranquil waters for canoeing at its upper arm. There are 354 campsites, a
marina with a launch ramp, store and tackle shop, and boat rentals.
The lake was created in
1969 to provide domestic water for the Five Cities area of the Central Coast.
Lake Lopez has free activities for the family every weekend, including a full
moon nature hike May 8.
Tent site fees are $23 per night and sites
with RV hook-up are $26. Pets are allowed at $3 each per day. Mustang Water
Slides is located at Lopez with two, 600-feet-long curving waterslides, a
38-foot drop inner tube ride and a tot pool with mini-slides.
To get there, take 101
to Arroyo Grande and exit at Grand Avenue. Head eight miles east and follow the
signs. You can view the campgrounds and make reservations online at
www.slocountyparks.org or call (805) 788-2381.
Lake Lopez’s 8th annual
trout derby is May 2 and 3, with a grand prize of $3,000. Entry fee is $45
(pre-registration encouraged).
Zaca Lake
Zaca Lake is a privately owned, 20-acre mineral spring lake surrounded
by 450 acres of wooded, mountainous land adjoining the Los Padres National
Forest. There are 14 small cabins available to rent for $168 on weekends ($148
during the week). A few larger cabins are available that sleep from four to 16
persons, and range in price from $200-$450. There is availability through
summer at this point.
Zaca Lake is approximately 20 miles north from Santa Ynez, off Highway
101. To make reservations, phone (805) 688-5699 or send an e-mail message to
zacalake@hwy246.net.
Figueroa Mountain
Figueroa, Davy Brown, Nira, Cachuma, Ballard Camp and
Sage Hill campgrounds are in the Los Padres National Forest in the Figueroa
Mountain Recreation Area. Hiking, fishing and wildflowers are the main
attractions. Spring flowers include blue lupines, chocolate lilies, golden
poppies and the scarlet Indian paintbrush. Fishing is reportedly good through
May in Davy Brown and Manzana creeks.
A U.S. Forest Service
Adventure Pass is required, which is $5 per day or $30 annually, and are
available at the USFS office in Goleta or Big 5 sporting goods stores.
To get there, take
Highway 154 to Los Olivos, turn onto on Figueroa
Mountain Road, and travel about 12 miles to Davy Brown Campground.
Davy Brown is a
no-charge camp with 13 sites and is open all year. It is close to a number of
hiking trails and an adjacent creek flows throughout the summer. To learn more
about the natural history of the area, take the Aliso
Canyon Trail. It follows Aliso Creek, and then climbs
to the top of the ridge.
You can continue 1.5 miles
to Upper Oslo Campground or follow the three mile loop and return to Sage Hill.
The trail is steep in places, but the climb offers wonderful views. Self-guided
brochures are available at the trailhead or at the ranger station.
The Figueroa campground
has 32 sites and water available. This is a no-charge campground set in a stand
of pine and large manzanita. You can see the night
sky contrasted against the lights of Santa Ynez and the glow of Santa Barbara
in the distance. The campground is close to a number of hiking trails.
The Nira
campground is also free, and has 12 sites, but drinking water must be brought
in or obtained at Davy Brown Campground. Manzana
Creek flows beside the campground and is a popular attraction (low flow in the
summer).
Nira is at the end of the road and the starting
point for backpackers and equestrians visiting the San Rafael Wilderness, where
the only ways to travel are by foot or horseback.
The Cachuma
campground on Happy Canyon Road is also free and has six units. Cachuma is set among large oaks in a narrow, shaded,
canyon.
Ballard trail camp is
accessible only by foot or horseback and contains two units.
Reach Wendy
Thompson at wendy@syvjournal.com.
Author’s note: This is by no stretch
of the imagination a full list of all camping options available in the area. It
is meant to be
an inspiration and guide.
Do you have a local favorite hiking
or vacation spot you are willing to share with others? Contact the Santa Ynez
Valley Journal with your story suggestion for the Our Own Backyard section,
(805) 688-1694.