Verified
Established Camping
Cachuma Lake Recreation Area
About
Municipal
Set amidst acres of wilderness flanked by the picturesque Santa Ynez and San Rafael Mountains, lies glimmering Cachuma Lake. Here you will find practically everything you need for a relaxing getaway in the great outdoors. Mild temperatures, typically sunny skies, and celebrated fishing conditions make camping here during winter months exceptionally rewarding. The County entered into a long-term lease with the Federal Bureau of Reclamation in 1953 to manage the 9,000 acre Cachuma Lake Recreation Area. Cachuma Lake was formed by the construction of Bradbury Dam in that same year. Located off scenic Highway 154 in the Santa Ynez Valley, Cachuma Lake is midway between the beaches and bustle of Santa Barbara and the Danish Community of Solvang. At any age... in any season... you'll find that the Cachuma Lake Recreation Area offers a fun and relaxing getaway.
Reservation Info
Reservation Only
Reservations can be made up to six months in advance of your arrival date, starting midnight Pacific Time, for all camping sites. There is a 2-night minimum stay on weekends and a 3-night minimum stay on holiday weekends.
Access
- Drive-InPark next to your site
- Walk-InPark in a lot, walk to your site.
- Hike-InBackcountry sites.
- Boat-InSites accessible by watercraft.
Stay Connected
- WiFiGood
- VerizonGood
- AT&TGood
- T-MobileAvailable
Site Types
- Tent Sites
- RV Sites
- Standard (Tent/RV)
- Group
- Cabins
- Tent Cabin
- Yurts
- Equestrian
Features
For Campers
- Market
- ADA Access
- Trash
- Picnic Table
- Firewood Available
- Phone Service
- Reservable
- WiFi
- Showers
- Drinking Water
- Electric Hookups
- Toilets
- Alcohol
- Pets
- Fires
For Vehicles
- Sanitary Dump
- Sewer Hookups
- Water Hookups
- Big Rig Friendly
Huge County Campground with Numerous Site Types
The lovely county run park in the hills above the Santa Barbara coastline, is a great campground offering a wide variety of camping experiences from full hook ups to grass covered spaces under the trees along the shores of this lovely reservoir. The sites offer the usual camp picnic table and fire ring, and the many group sites offer large grills and even a few picnic shelters.
The sunshine is typically abundant in this California park, and even without full hook ups you can easily get all the power you need with an appropriately sized solar panel system. We’ve run on solar for over 10 years, and it saves us thousands of dollars each year for our full-time camping life.
The flush bathrooms are clean and spacious. Water spigots were plentiful throughout the campground. The coin operated showers got the job done, but since we were there during a chilly March, things could have been warmer. But hey, everything important got clean…
The lake is perfect for boating, but since it’s a drinking water reservoir, there is no body contact with this body of water. So plan on using the campground pool to cool off during the summer months. Hiking and mountain biking trails are abundant throughout the area, and kayaking, canoeing, fishing or sailing on the lake is the perfect way to spend the afternoon.
The campground offers some excellent yurts and cabins for nightly rent right on the shores of the lake. These are often booked out so plan ahead.
The camp store offers enough grocery supplies in case you forgot something, including ice, snacks, fire wood, and gas. There is also a cool pub down by the boat ramp which offers live music in the weekends. The nearby tourist town of Solvang offers a great day trip to sample the amazing Dutch pastry treats, pick up some groceries, wine tasting, or a night out on the town.
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Quiet in the off-season
General: Many different options from tent sites to premium tent sites, water/electric, and FHU sites in addition to yurts and cabins.
Site Quality: Varies greatly depending on what type of site you choose. The only sites with gravel paved pads were the ones with water/electric hookups or FHU; all others were grass. Most seemed level. It was raining heavily when we were there and some of the sites were flooded. Very little to no separation/privacy between sites. We were in a w/e site, and it was long enough to easily accommodate two camper vans.
Activities/Amenities: Off-season, everything was closed but in-season, there is a marina, boat rentals, restaurant, store, gas station, pool, and laundry.
Bath/Shower house: Clean but very basic. No hooks or shelves for toiletries. Cold water only. The shower looked nice but did not use so cannot comment on it.
IMO, the best options are the premier tent sites, yurts, and cabins as they offer the best lake views. We had not planned on camping here but after evacuating from Jalama Beach, we were told this park would honor our reservation. It rained most of the time we were there, and it was off-season, so I imagine it would be an entirely different experience in the summer when all amenities were offered and the campground was full.
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Cachuma Lake
Sprawling campgrounds.
Location
Cachuma Lake Recreation Area is located in California
Directions
For GPS, Input: 1 Lakeview Dr., Santa Barbara, CA 93105 From the South: Take Highway 101 north to Santa Barbara. Take the "Cachuma Lake/Highway 154" exit and follow the signs. Drive approximately 18 miles. There is a sign for the park ½ mile before the entrance, and there is a right turn lane to use for your safety. From the North:Take Highway 101 south to the "Cachuma Lake/Highway 154" exit. Make a left at the stop sign and drive approximately 14 miles. There is a sign ¼ mile before the park entrance, and there is a left turn lane to use for your safety.
Address
2225 Highway 154
Santa Barbara, CA 93105
Coordinates
34.57334212 N
119.958885 W