El Capitán State Beach Campground

Clean and very nice view. Easy access to the beach.

We spent two nights at El Capitan State Beach. Our site had an ocean view, which is why I give this campground a 4-star rating. There isn't much to do here (limited hiking), so that is why it isn't a 5-star review. Still, other than one windy day, we had a lovely time relaxing here, walking the limited beach bluff-top walk down to the beach and west toward Refugio. The path used to go all the way to Refugio, but it is closed right after the walk/bike-in campsites at El Capitan due to the ocean erroding away the cliffs the path sits on. The bathrooms were fairly clean and there are showers (didn't use). Like many CA parks, the area has a run-down feel. We went into Santa Barbara on our way to and from the campsite. It is about a 20-mile drive, so a bit long. One of my photos is at Chase Palm Park in Santa Barbara (you can see the pier). It is a good place to park a van (up to 22 ft) or they have "motor home" spots for day parking.

Site #112 didn’t really have flat ground for tent. A good spot if you share with neighbors/family at the site next to it. Beautiful beach views sunset a short walk from campsite but this site has no beach views. Entire campground gets a track train and 101 fwy noise, but you can also hear the waves at night. Overall a great experience.

Got a great ADA campsite for my sweetie and I w our 2 little dogs. First night unobstructed views of sunset over the ocean. Decided to stay a few more nights. Beach is fantastic, but no dogs allowed so we will jave to travel for that, makes me very sad.

Perfect for families. Can be slightly noisy if your side is on the back side by the freeway

Went with friends and we love the scenery of the campground

We love this campground large sites ,beautiful views , bbq pits by the water and a walk way for easy access

Camped one night inside my Rav4 Felt safe the entire time, didn't hear too much road noise. Arrived around 7pm right before sunset. Enjoyed a nice golden hour walk on the beach. Didn't realize the campsites came with their own bonfire pits. I wish I had known in advance to bring my own fire wood. Restrooms were nice and clean. They had garage bins too. Campsite was directly across the street and under the highway from a cabin rental company. Would definitely stay again.

Stayed 1 night alone in my car, clean area, beautiful views, felt safe, overall great spot!!

Beautiful area. Everything you could need! peaceful!!

Love this campground! Of all of the places I’ve stayed this summer this has been my favorite. Great beach access, awesome views, popular campground, felt very safe, camp host and rangers were constantly patrolling.

I knocked two stars off of my review however due to two issues. The first issue is the road noise. It’s right off the 101 freeway and it can’t be helped. Big rigs, trains, and traffic at all hours of the day, very loud at night; bring earplugs.

The second issue has to do with our specific spot, number 87. It felt so so tiny. Now it might not be fair to judge the whole campground on a single spot, but I can judge that the very best spots in the park along the ocean view were at least twice the size of our spot, and were level, while our spot was halfway level and the other half fell straight down into a gulley.

That being said, I’ll be back here in the future. Armed with ear plugs, and booking the ocean view sites way ahead to ensure a good campsite.

We camped at site 87 which had a tiny ocean view but was very close to the beach access and cliff views. It is a very very very small campsite. It’s so small that it really shouldn’t even be a campsite in my opinion.

We were able to setup our 10 person tent and a small bathroom tent but that’s it. Our tent was only a foot or two away from the fire pit so if you do camp on this site with a tent make sure to bring a very small tent.

I felt very safe here as there is a camp host nearby and it was very busy when we went even though it was a weekday. The biggest con was definitely the highway noise. Lots of big rigs and other vehicles traveling 70mph throughout the night into the morning. Make sure you bring earplugs because this noise will keep you up.

Besides the highway noise I think this is a great campground for families. Take a trek down to the beach for some amazing views and beach time or just stand on the cliff while sipping your morning coffee. Enjoy!

Absolutely spot on camping for tents, RVs or trailers!

Group spots are available as well. Some spots are close to a train which isn’t the best, but from a lot of spots you can hear or see the ocean.

There are some spectacular sites at this campground. Anything on the beach side is your best bet, otherwise you will get stuck by the train and highway, and that’s no fun for anyone.

Clean bathrooms and showers.

Very large camp ground that is good for tent rv or pop up camper Right next to the oceanand many of the sites have some tree coverage and shade There are handicapped sites as well Fair amount of restrooms with showers although at times the are a bit unclean The beach can be crowded as well because the camp is large and allow day use as well They have a camp store that has basics if you forget anything Not bad I go there annually

This spot was great! We got one row back from the edge of the cliff but luckily no one was camping in it when we were there. We got to see a pod of dolphins swimming by as we ate breakfast. Great views of the beach and nice bathrooms for a campground.

Excellent facilities, friendly and lively environment, gorgeous beach (no dogs!), make reservations early, there are spots with direct ocean views.

The beach is amazing. But if you’re tent camping don’t bother going if you can only get a site on the back side by the freeway. Way too loud, especially when the trains go by. Sites by the beach are night and day

We stayed in site 86 for 3 nights. It was a huge site (most in this loop were) with great trees for a hammock, our dogs line, and tent. Because of all the trees it’s shaded for most of the day. 84 and 85 got sun the whole day with great views of the ocean but are more public. Our tent area had light after 5 pm until dark. Quick drive into SB for supplies or surf. The campsite point has a fun right, very rocky. We made dinner on the point one night. Hot showers, quiet campers, mostly families. Refugio just up the road is a packed RV parking lot. No good

This place is such a gem. Camping in the trees with less than a 5 minute walk to a quiet, sandy beach. First come first serve, with easy to follow instructions if you come in after hours. Camped in March so still a few spots available at about 11pm. Staff is super attentive and kind. Quiet and friendly neighbors in this family friendly location. Having stayed at Emma Wood State Beach nearby (which was nice) this was just easier to get in and figure things out quickly. Showers are functional (bring quarters) and bathrooms are fairly clean. Cant ask for much more for about $45/night.

Went here on Valentines Day weekend. Stay at spot 71. It was towards the back and of campground C. But the spot was big with trees for shade. The place is very clean. And the hosts are friendly. The only downside is the wind, but I was expecting that. I would recommend this campground.

This campsite is only missing one star due to the fact that there was a bright light shining on our campsite all night located on a lifeguard station across the street from our corner lot. We’ve camped here before and it’s always great. Easy access to the beach and great walking trails and bike trails.

Came with my son for a quick overnight trip. The actual site was very small. Not much room for tent, due to large parking space, tree and large bush. The best part of campground is the paved trail to walk on along the coast and down to the beach. Very convenient and amazing sunsets

Location on map and driving directions are incorrect

Great veiws of the ocean! spacious, clean sites and facilities. Lovely bike/walking path. Be prepared for the mist and put your food away, so the little animals don’t eat it. Just a short distance from Haskell Beach and Old Town Goleta.

We had a blast !! The stars are epic! The beach is close, the place is great !! Can’t wait to go back !!

This is one of my favorite beach campgrounds. There are trails for biking and hiking and great views and beaches. Nearby markets and cafes are convenient and a short drive into Santa Barbara offers more fun options. Beaches offer okay swimming, but better exploring of little caves and coves.

I’ve been going to El Capitan for 30+yrs. Old reliable never disappoints. Whales migrate north during the winter and we could see them from the bluffs. Dry camping, no hook ups, no dump station, quarters for showers, flush toilets, and campground faucets. No glamping here, which I prefer. First come first served from Nov30-Apr1, which is great. No rifraff just lots of young folks and families.

If falling asleep to the sound of waves crashing sounds good to you, then El Capitan State Beach is for you. There are around 120 camp spots to choose from. The bathrooms are clean but the showers are not working. There's also a few RV spots but not many. Make sure you reserve a spot of you plan on visiting over the weekend.

There's a nice campground across the Fwy 101 and a small store and restaurant. There's a few hikes that leave from this campground. A fire recently scored the hills but the campground was untouched.

This campground is huge! There are so many sites, yet can still get booked up! There are some really nice sites, but the best thing about this campground is how many trails there are to walk on. Plenty of people out and about at any time!

This campground doesn’t feel too much like you’re out in the wilderness, but it is on a cliff above the beach on California’s central coast so who’s to complain? Great amenities (had showers, which are always nice after a sweaty hike). Campsites are not very private. Great place to take kids. The beach was a bit rocky but very beautiful, good place to look for tide pool creatures, and we saw dolphins! 🐬 There is a less rocky beach within a short drive (Refugio). Great hiking in this area! We did the Wind Caves trail (see pictures). I would def go again.