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View photos and discover details about Santa Barbara beach camping! Updated February 28, 2008. Related info-- HOME :: Latest News :: Overview: Southern California camping overview :: Beach Camping: Carpinteria Beach Camping :: Dockweiler Beach Camping :: Doheny Beach :: Huntington Beach camping :: Newport Beach Camping, :: San Diego Beach Camping :: Santa Barbara beach camping :: Ventura Beach Camping :: Desert Camping: Joshua Tree NP Camping :: Lake & Mountain: Lake Arrowhead Camping :: Big Bear Camping :: Lake Elsinore Camping :: Lake Jennings Camping :: Paso Picacho Campground :: Road Trip from SoCal: Big Sur Camping :: Santa Barbara Beach CampingFeast your senses castaway-style!
Santa Barbara County is a beautiful location to go camping on the beach. You'll find 4 California State Parks which feature beach camping in this area. Another interesting camping possibility is a shiny new private camping ground high on the bluffs with a terrific Pacific Ocean view.
The weather is mild enough that you'll be able to camp year round at the Santa Barbara beaches. (Yes, it will get quite chilly during winter nights, but there's never any snow in this area.) The palms are green, the sand is golden, and the ocean is a magnificent azure blue. You'll be able to relax and feast your eyes on nature's beauty as your ears enjoy the sounds of the surf breaking in the distance and rolling up onto the clean, wide beaches. On this page, we'll talk about the information you'll need to plan your camping vacation to the beaches of greater Santa Barbara, California, including contact information for the campgrounds and maps for finding exactly where you need to go. Santa Barbara Beach Camping--Ocean Mesa Campground
It's wonderful that Santa Barbara's 4 state campgrounds are so lovely...BUT, this very fact means that they are the favorite camping spots for many families! While you won't have trouble finding a camping spot in them during the "off season," it's really difficult to get into the public beach campsites during the busy summer vacation season.
In fact, for Summer 2007, most camping spots are already reserved at the state beaches---and it's only early March as I write this! Therefore, we'll start talking about Santa Barbara beach camping with a great new camping ground which overlooks the ocean...because at least you still CAN get tent and RV spots there this summer! The Ocean Mesa Campground opened in October, 2006. Therefore, it's still brand new & sparkling clean. The landscaping hasn't grown much yet (its trees are still in the "twig" stage,) but this campground's Pacific Ocean views are spectacular.
As you can see in the photo to your right, tent camping spots are available at the Ocean Mesa campground. There are 20 tent camping spaces at Ocean Mesa. Each tent camp site has its own picnic table and fire pit. (Wood is available for purchase at the Camp Store.) The sites aren't very private, but they do have a good ocean view. Prime summertime camping rates for tents are $45/night per space. The winter time camping rates (November thru March) are available at a discounted price. Reservations are not really necessary during the off-season, but are highly recommended during the summertime. (Though this will be the park's first summer of operation, the very fact that the state camping grounds are already fully reserved ensures that there will be a busy vacation season at Ocean Mesa!) Your camping fee allows you to have up to 4 persons at your site. Naturally, your fee also allows you to enjoy the park's amenities, including the pool, spa, shower buildings, etc. In the image to your left, you see some typical RV campsites at the Ocean Mesa Campground. Since the camping area is built on a hill, the RV campsites are terraced. This is the view of the Pacific Ocean that you'll see from one of the RV camp sites on the lower tiers; the view from higher up is even more spectacular. There are 80 camping sites at Ocean View which feature full hook-ups for RV's, camping vans, pop-up campers, etc. Hookups feature 50-amp service. A very good feature of this up-to-date campground is that it was built with modern RV's in mind; each camping site is wide enough to accommodate slide-outs on BOTH sides of the RV at the same time. There are different styles of RV camping sites at Ocean Mesa, depending on what type of camper you are using. There are 30 back-in/pull-in sites for camping vehicles up to 35 feet in length. There are 18 pull-in sites and 32 pull-through RV sites for vehicles up to 50 feet in length. RV camping spaces for this first summer of operation will run $85 per night, and will accommodate up to 6 people and a pet. Winter/off-season camping rates (November thru March) are discounted. Reservations are highly recommended during the summer vacation months. 
Amenities at the Ocean Mesa Campground include the lovely camp store, laundry and bathroom/shower buildings that you see in this picture to your right. There is also a pool and hot tub (spa) nestled among this cluster. There are both men's and women's shower and bathroom buildings which were sparkling clean on the day of my visit. There were about a half dozen individual shower stalls (with curtains) in the women's room, as well as an equal number of sinks. "Real" mirrors were above the sinks; no polished steel at this resort! There are also private family shower rooms which contain only one shower in each room, which would be great for parents trying to bathe the entire brood at once. Other amenities are available at the Ocean Mesa Campground because of the fact that it's a part of the El Capitan Canyon resort. (El Capitan Canyon offers both cabins and luxury tent accommodations at their facility just south of the camping grounds.) El Capitan Canyon offers docent-led walks, an even-larger grocery & supply store, and a summer concert series---all of which are open for campground guests to use & attend free of charge! The Ocean Mesa Campground phone number is 805/879-5751. Ocean Mesa's toll-free telephone number is 866/410-5783. The Ocean Mesa Campground address is: 100 El Capitan Terrace Lane, Santa Barbara, CA 93117. If you'd like further information about the campground itself, you may use the following link to view the
Ocean Mesa Campground official website.
Santa Barbara Beach Camping-- Refugio State Beach Campground
You'll find 4 state beaches in Santa Barbara County which offer camping. These are (from south to north): Carpinteria State Beach, El Capitan State Beach, Refugio State Beach, and Gaviota State Beach.
Each campground is similar to the others in many ways. For example, they all accept both tents and RV's. They all offer individual parking at the campsites, and each camping spot has its own picnic table and BBQ grill. Yet, each Santa Barbara state campground has its own characteristics, as well. In this section section of the page, we'll be talking about the camping facilities at Refugio State Park. As you can tell from the photo to your left, Refugio State Beach has some of the "closest to the sands" camping spots of any California State Park that you'll encounter! 
Before you begin to get excited about camping at the gorgeous Refugio State Beach campgrounds, you must realize that the campground fills up very quickly during the summer vacation months. If you do decide that you'd like to camp at Refugio State Beach, be sure to make your reservations as far in advance as possible for popular vacation periods.This state campground takes reservations through the ReserveAmerica system. You can find out for yourself if the date you want to camp at Refugio is available by clicking on the link to Refugio State Beach official website at the end of this section. From the official website, you can link directly to the Refugio campground page of the Reserve America website. Most camping spots are near or underneath some type of shade tree, however some camping sites sit in a lawn-type area. There's a maximum of 8 persons and 3 vehicles per campsite. Amenities include bathrooms with flush toilets (some bathroom buildings are newer than others), running water for drinking and showering off the sand, a small children's play area and a basketball court. Cyclists and joggers will be happy to know that there's a bike path leading from Refugio State Beach to the nearby El Capitan State Beach. There is a camp store on-site, though it's only open during the busy vacation season. There is 24 hour security (park ranger) at Refugio State Park. Group campsites are available. 
The Refugio State Beach phone number is 805-968-1033.The Refugio State Beach address is: 10 Refugio Beach Road, Goleta CA 93117. Directions: Refugio State Beach is easy to find; simply head west from Santa Barbara on the US 101 Freeway. You'll reach the campground at Refugio SB in about 20 miles; you will see signs pointing the way as you draw near. Refugio State Beach Map: You may use the following link to view a Google map to the Refugio Beach entrance from the park's website. If you'd like, you may check out the layout of camping spots at Refugio by viewing a map of Refugio State Beach's camping sites on the Reserve America website. While you're selecting a good-looking campsite from this map of Refugio SB, why not make your camping reservations, too? Don't forget: this campground fills to capacity nearly every day of the busy summer vacation season! Refugio State Beach camping prices: Camping fees at Refugio SB are $25 to $35 most of the year (during peak season, March 1st thru November 30th each year.) This park's off-peak season only lasts 3 months, from December 1st thru Feb. 28th each year. During the off season, a $5/night price reduction from high-season prices can be expected. Non-camping visitors should know that the park's day use fees are currently $8 per car. If you would like to learn more about this delightful California State Park, you may use the following link to access the
Refugio State Beach official website.
Other Santa Barbara Beach Camping
As mentioned in the introduction to this page, there are 4 state beaches with campgrounds in the immediate areas surrounding Santa Barbara, California. Each one features similar-looking campsites, yet each state beach has its own different "personality." All 4 state beaches are open for campers during the summer tourist season; during the wintertimes, one or more of the beaches will be closed for off-season maintenance work.
1.) EL CAPITAN STATE BEACH--- El Capitan State Beach is a popular campsite for RVers because the park offers allows a longer vehicle length than does Refugio. (At El Capitan, your RV or trailer can be up to 42 feet long.) There are both back-in and pull-through styles of RV campsites at El Capitan campground. However, if you have a long RV you should note that while MOST of the campsites at El Capitan can accommodate a 35 foot rig, only a few of the campsites can fit a 42 footer. Thus, if you have a motorhome over the 35 foot length, you'll need to make your reservations even earlier than normal. Unlike Refugio State Beach, the camping sites are not at beach-level, but sit up high on a bluff, instead. El Capitan's tree-filled camping area feels more "woodsy;" in fact, some visitors feel that at El Capitan they get the "best of both worlds." That is, they get to enjoy both a mountain AND a beach vacation in one trip! The El Capitan State Beach phone number is 805-968-1033. Directions to El Capitan State Beach and camping ground: Head west from Santa Barbara for approximately 17 miles. Signs will direct your way once you get close. Map to El Capitan State Beach: Here's a Google map to the El Capitan SB campground from the park's website. To pick your camping spot, you'll want to see the El Capitan campground map from the Reserve America website. You may make reservations while you're on this site...and you SHOULD reserve ahead as soon as possible if you'll be camping during the summer vacation season. El Capitan State Beach website: To learn more about this beautiful beach and campground (or to make reservations), you may follow the upcoming link to view the
El Capitan State Beach official website.
Camping at Gaviota State Park is popular with sportsmen because of its boat hoist and its fishing pier...the only one of the Santa Barbara-area state beaches which can make such a claim. Campsites: RV'ers should note that the length-limit for motorhomes is only 27 feet (and for trailers, only 25 feet.) Gaviota State Park uses the same phone number (805-968-1033) as does El Capitan State Beach. Directions to Gaviota State Park: Head west approximately 33 miles from Santa Barbara on US Hwy 101; you'll enjoy a scenic drive with panoramic views of the Pacific Ocean on your way to the park. Map to Gaviota State Park: You may familiarize yourself with the route by viewing the following Google map to Gaviota State Park and campground from the park's web pages. You may also enjoy looking over a map of the camping loops and campsites at Gaviota SP from the Reserve America website. Gaviota State Park website: For further information, you may use the next link to visit the
Gaviota State Park official website.
Good news---Carpinteria State Beach now has its own campground page on this website! If you'd like to see pictures of scenic Carpinteria SB, including a photo slide show of both the beach and the camping areas of the park, please visit the Carpinteria Beach Camping Pictures page of this website. Or, if you'd prefer to read "just the highlights," you'll find them in the next several paragraphs. So far, all the above campsites we've talked about are located NORTH of Santa Barbara. Carpenteria State Beach is the only one of the state campgrounds which is located SOUTH of Santa Barbara's city limits. This will mean that for those who are trying to combine both a beach AND a "city" vacation at the same time, Carpenteria's campground will have the appeal of extra convenience to Ventura and Los Angeles County attractions. Both tent and RV camping is allowed at the large, 216-site Carpenteria State Beach campground. However, there is a 35 foot limit to RV's. All of this camping ground's sites are back-in campsites; there are no pull-through spots. Also, quite a few spots can accommodate motorhomes no longer than 20 to 24 feet long. Thus, the longer your rig, the earlier you'll need to make your reservations at this popular camping spot. Map to Carpinteria SB Campground: Carpinteria State Beach lies 12 miles south of Santa Barbara, not far off the US 101 Freeway. You may plan out your route by consulting the following Google map to Carpinteria State Beach. You may wish to select your camping spot in advance by checking out the Carpinteria SB camping map on the Reserve America website, where you may also make your advance camping reservations. Like the other state camping grounds mentioned on this page, you can get further information by calling the same 805-968-1033 phone number for Carpenteria State Beach. Or, you may use the following link to get info/make reservations at the
Carpinteria State Beach official website.
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Refugio State Beach welcomes people camping in both tents and RV's. However, there is a maximum length of 35 ft long for motor homes and 27 ft long for trailers. RV campers should note that there are no hook-ups at Refugio State Beach. Most of the sites are back-in style, but a few pull-through campsites are available.
