Paradise Campground

I was at this campground in March and it was the only one open along Paradise road. I’ve camped here over ten years ago, but it seemed like it hadn’t been maintained that well and needs some updating. Most of the facilities (day use areas, trailheads) along Paradise seemed run down. They charge $10 for parking so I don’t know where the funds are going. 

There are 15 campsites, but two were closed. Most sites are in the shade of lovely Oak Trees. They are spaced well apart. There was flush toilets and water available. Reservations are a must as it was full every night.

I came in late at night, and there was hardly any one there. The sites are stunning. $30 each tho, which I think is a little steep, but seems standard around here.

I was looking for a campsite where we could actually book a reservation and since most places were booked and only offering first-come-first-serve spots, I reserved this one. The pluses:

- Nice location, far away from cities, right in the forest. 

- Large campground

- Lots of open space for kids to bike, run, etc.

- Each campsite has a dedicated grill and firepit

- Many taps strewn across the campground for easy access to water

The minuses:

- "Developed" is a stretch of the imagination. 

- The bathrooms were clean, but goodness knows when the septic tanks had been emptied. The smell was unbearable.

- No sinks or showers. One of the toilets was leaking the whole time we were there, and had been leaking for who knows how long.

- The camp hosts never showed up.

- The place is infested with flies and mosquitoes. (We went to a nearby campground at Lake Cachuma where there were no flies).

First come first serve spaces available on a Saturday afternoon. Not too many people. Pretty quiet. Beautiful, well kept spaces. Bathrooms weren’t very clean and did not have a sink or shower- toilets did flush though. Nice walk through a secret tunnel out of the park to a little river nearby. Would stay here again.

Reserved this campsite about 1 month in advance on Reserve America.  11 total sites in this camp and all filled up with reservations on a weekend.  Each campsite is very nice with shade under large oak trees, fire pits, bbq, and nearby trash and water.  Bathrooms were clean.  Camp host very nice.

Short walk to the Santa Ynez river which was beautiful.  A few mile drive to the day use area that had lots of picnic tables and access to hikes.  We did the Aliso loop trail which was fairly steep and ~4 miles but had great views of the river valley.  $10 fee for day use area.

A canopy of sprawling oak trees covers almost all the campsites, growing in a ring around an open grassy field. This USFS campground accomodates any type of tent or camper up to 40 feet wIth the standard forest servIce amenities - table, grIll and fire pit. Water spigots are communal, as are the primitive bathrooms. ReservatIons are taken through the RecGovCamp app and websIte for assorted sItes whIle the others are walkup only. ParadIse Is located 25 drivIng mInutes to lovely Santa Barbara, where It is a delIght to shop for provisions, hit the beach or club and enjoy a top notch nIght out. The Santa Ynez rIver is a short hike away and typIcally is flowIng in the wInter and sprIng- a good place to splash around! Be very cautious wIth fire as the flora is always tinder dry. We have been evacuated twice due to wildfire incidents in the Los Padres Forest. If the campground is full you’ll have other USFS campgrounds nearby to land a spot.

Camped here in December. no frills campground, but it was clean (for the most part) and the campground host was very nice. This campground can get hot, so be prepared. Shade exists, but is minimal. Just a short drive to the river or lake, and 45 min from the coast. Good for families - lots of space for the kids to run around.

Host kindly found an overflow site when we arrived late with no reservation.