Santa Barbara's camping is on the water. Twelve miles south of town, Carpinteria State Beach is the only state beach here with hookups; west of town, three state parks line the Gaviota Coast. Inland, the Los Padres National Forest has year-round campgrounds along the Santa Ynez River. Book ahead for summer weekends, and check the seasons: in winter El Capitán and Refugio switch to first come, first served, and Gaviota closes to camping.
Santa Barbara campgrounds at a glance
| Campground | Where | Sites | Hookups | Max RV | Booking |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carpinteria State Beach | 12 mi south of Santa Barbara | 4 loops | Full (Santa Rosa), water and electric (part of San Miguel) | 35 ft | Reservations all year except Feb 15–Mar 13, 2027 |
| El Capitán State Beach | 17 mi west | 132 + 5 group (sites 1–28 closed) | None | 30 ft | Reservations; first come Dec 1, 2026–Mar 30, 2027 |
| Refugio State Beach | 20 mi west | 67 + 3 group | None | 30 ft | Reservations Apr 1–Nov 30; walk-in Dec–Mar |
| Gaviota State Park | 33 mi west | 39 | None | 24 ft | Reservations Apr 1–Sept 30; no camping Oct–Mar |
| Paradise Road (Los Padres NF) | Santa Ynez River | 14–38 per campground | None | Varies | Mostly reservable, some first come |
Booking state beach campsites and RV camping
- Reserve on ReserveCalifornia.com or at 1-800-444-7275, from the same day up to six months to the day before arrival.
- 8 people per standard site; check-in 2 p.m., check-out noon.
- Each site's fee covers one vehicle; extra vehicles are $10 a night, paid at the park, and park in the extra-vehicle lots.
- Hike and bike sites at all four parks are $10 per person a night, for people arriving without a motor vehicle: two consecutive nights at most, then leave for 48 hours. The yearly cap is 10 days at Refugio and Gaviota and 5 at Carpinteria.
- Dogs are allowed in campgrounds and day-use areas on a 6-foot leash, never unattended, and not on the beach.
- At all four parks, generators run only 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., and quiet hours are 10 p.m. to 6 a.m.
- Day use is $10 per vehicle at each park.
- Renting a trailer? Only one company, 101 RV Rentals, may deliver trailers to El Capitán, Refugio and Gaviota; others may be turned away.
Carpinteria State Beach camping
Best for: RVs and families near town. A mile of beach with terraced bluffs, dunes and tide pools, on Highway 224 off US 101, twelve miles south of Santa Barbara. Campsites are open all year in four loops named after the Channel Islands:
- Santa Rosa: full hookups (water, 30-amp electric, sewer), 21 to 30 feet, including 22 premium beachside sites.
- San Miguel: sites 420–446 have water and electric; sites 401–419 have no hookups, and sites 447–456 are back-in, no tents and no hookups.
- Santa Cruz: tents, motorhomes and trailers, no hookups, with 12 premium beachside sites and three group sites.
- Anacapa: tents, motorhomes and trailers, no hookups, a hike and bike area and three group sites.
Rules worth knowing:
- RVs and trailers up to 35 feet, but each site's limit varies (18 to 30 feet in San Miguel).
- From March 1 to November 30, stay no more than 7 consecutive nights, then leave for 48 hours; 30 nights a year in all.
- Annual maintenance, February 15 to March 13, 2027: all four loops come off the reservation system, with some first-come sites at the entrance kiosks. Bookings made for those dates are cancelled.
- Every site has a picnic table and a fire ring, except the San Miguel beach row, which has no fire rings.
The Gaviota Coast
El Capitán State Beach camping
Best for: a big campground on the coast. Seventeen miles west of Santa Barbara off Highway 101 (exit 117), with a sandy beach, rocky tide pools and sycamores. 132 standard sites for tents, motorhomes and trailers (the Del Mar area is for self-contained vehicles only, no tents), 5 group sites and hike and bike camping. No hookups; RVs up to 30 feet.
The park reopened on June 23, 2026 after infrastructure work, but the lower loop (sites 1–28) is still closed for trail construction. From December 1, 2026 to March 30, 2027, the whole park is first come, first served.
Refugio State Beach
Best for: palms and a quiet beach. About 20 miles west of Santa Barbara at Refugio Road, with palm trees by Refugio Creek. 67 standard sites with no hookups, RVs up to 30 feet, three group sites (Bouchard, for up to 80 people, can now be reserved all year) and hike and bike camping. Reservations run April 1 to November 30; from December 1 to March 31 sites are first come, first served (no reservations), and group sites need a special event permit, except Bouchard.
Gaviota State Park
Best for: summer camping by a secluded beach. Thirty-three miles west of Santa Barbara on Highway 101, with trails into the backcountry and natural sulfur hot springs. 39 standard sites, no hookups, RVs and trailers up to 24 feet. Camping runs April 1 to September 30 only; the park closes to camping from October 1 to March 31 under an annual order, though day use stays open, so it's closed now; the next season opens April 1, 2027.
Inland: the Santa Ynez River and Figueroa Mountain
The Los Padres National Forest's Santa Barbara Ranger District has campgrounds on Paradise Road, off Highway 154 about 11 miles from Santa Barbara; the last six miles of the road run along the Santa Ynez River. Los Prietos, Paradise, Fremont and Sage Hill are open all year, mostly reservable on Recreation.gov on a 6-month rolling window, with a few first-come sites. None have hookups. Watch for poison oak.
Fees at the family campgrounds are $40 a night, plus $2 on weekends and holidays, for up to 6 people and 1 vehicle (8 people maximum; $10 per extra person and for a second vehicle).
- Los Prietos: 38 sites (35 reservable, 3 first come) under big oaks; Recreation.gov lists RVs up to 35 feet. White Rock day use, with river access, is a quarter mile away.
- Paradise: 14 single and double sites (12 reservable), flush toilets and water, paved spurs that fit most RVs.
- Fremont: 14 sites (13 reservable, 1 first come) among oaks on a hillside, porta-potties and potable water.
- Sage Hill: five large group sites by the river: four hold up to 50 people, and Caballo, with 12 horse corrals, holds 60; $150 a night. Heavy winter rain can make the river crossing impassable and close it for short periods.
- Upper Oso: closed by storm damage under a Forest Service closure order that runs through September 15, 2027.
Further north, in the Santa Lucia Ranger District around Figueroa Mountain: Figueroa campground (Loop 2 temporarily closed), Davy Brown with 13 sites along its creek, and Nira (9 reservable and 3 first-come sites, best for tents; small RVs under 20 feet), near the Upper Manzana Creek trailhead into the San Rafael Wilderness. None of the three has drinking water; bring your own.
Two Forest Service orders limit fires: forest-wide fire use restrictions, and a separate Santa Barbara Front Country order. Check both before lighting one. A California Campfire Permit is needed for campfires, charcoal and even gas stoves outside designated recreation sites.
County parks: Jalama Beach and Cachuma Lake
Santa Barbara County also runs campgrounds at Jalama Beach and Cachuma Lake, both with cabins (Cachuma also has yurts). Book through the county's parks reservation system, which adds a non-refundable reservation fee; check the county's pages for current fees and seasons.
Free camping near Santa Barbara
All four state beaches charge for every site. For free and dispersed options in the national forest, see California dispersed camping, and for the rules across the state, the dispersed camping guide.
More of the coast: Pismo Beach camping, Morro Bay camping, Big Sur camping, Half Moon Bay camping and the California camping guide.
