Best Cabin Camping near Carpinteria, CA

Recent Cabin Reviews near Carpinteria, California

166 Reviews of 13 Carpinteria Campgrounds

• 

  Andrea R.

  Legend

  

  Apr. 24, 2019

  Thousand Trails Rancho Oso

  Nice.

  Part of the Thousand Trails network. There is very clean bathrooms, room for RV'S, a rec center, store, pool, hot tub. There is a small creek and plenty of hiking trails.

• L

  Lana W.

  Traveler

  

  Jul. 1, 2023

  Sun Outdoors Santa Barbara

  Luxury campground near Santa Barbara

  The staff here were very pleasant, and the sites were beautiful paved, level sites with privacy hedges between each (at least where we were). The bath house was very clean and showers were spacious and clean. Kids were having a great time at the pool. I wanted to use the hot tub, but there were 5 little kids in it. There was a big, CLEAN dishwashing sink. The laundry room was small, but everything worked great. The only real negative was the cost which was astronomical, but keeps it nice.

• M

  Manya

  Scout

  

  Jul. 29, 2021

  Ventura Ranch KOA

  Family Oriented Place

  From zipline obstacle courses to tie dye classes, this KOA easily occupies kids and has teepee and cabin rentals available for glampers, but nice showers, clean bathrooms and a roomy pool area really make this campground 5 stars.

• 

  SmallRVLifestyle V.

  Ranger

  

  Apr. 25, 2020

  Flying Flags RV Resort

  Nice RV Resort Near Solvang

  Flying Flags RV Resort& Campground is one of my favorite RV resorts.  It is located in Buellton, CA very near the historic town of Solvang, as well as Lake Cachuma and Los Padres National Forest. The campsite is in a beautiful setting surrounded by green rolling hills. April, May is the perfect time to visit. 

  The resort features a plethora of housing options, including vintage trailers and airstreams, cottages, luxury tents, and RV/tent camping spots. 

  Free WiFi, a full laundry facility, pools, and a hot tub, every aspect of your stay is covered. For a relaxing time, they have poolside cabanas, a communal fire pit, picnic areas, and a communal TV lounge with pool and foosball tables. 

  If you have children there is a playground as well as bocce and horseshoes. There is a full fitness center in case you want to get your workout in without the heat. All of the amenities are very well maintained, including the bathrooms and showers. When you get hungry the campground/resort has a few options. 

  There is a full fitness center in case you want to get your workout in without the heat. I rode my bicycle to Solvang, which is 4 miles away. All of the amenities are very well maintained, including the bathrooms and showers. When you get hungry the campground/resort has a few options. There is a convenience store and snack bar on-site, as well as the Campfire Cafe, an eatery with a full menu that allows you to eat in or even deliver to your site.

  In case you are feeling like an adult beverage, Flying Flags has a fairly extensive wine and beer bar. There are also restaurants, convenience, and grocery stores within walking distance. The location of Flying Flags is perfect if you are looking to venture out for an evening or you are here for the wineries. 

  There are several museums in the area, including the Solvang vintage motorcycle museum. There are also golf courses, breweries, wineries, a casino/resort, and the Solvang farmers market. This resort and campground overall is a very nice spot to stop on a long journey, or just to get away for a while. 

  Well worth the trip. It seems like the RVs in the RV park are newer, the park is pretty upscale. I would assume most of the people are full-timers, retired couples who are spending some time in the park. Although it was beautiful weather, you hardly see people outside, it seems like everyone is keeping to themselves. I am not sure why that is.

• J

  Jess N.

  Traveler

  

  Jul. 14, 2019

  Sun Outdoors Santa Barbara

  Great Central Coast Stop

  Leaving Ocean Mesa and can’t wait to go back. Clean facility. Heated pool and jacuzzi. Concrete pads and lots of trees. Connected to El Cap Canyon that has cabins and yurts. A really great store there with events like wine tasting and concerts. Hiking trails are also connected to the campground. Just a mile from a great beach with lots of parking. No ocean view but the amenities makeup for that.

• 

  Lee D.

  Legend

  

  Oct. 13, 2023

  Cachuma Lake Recreation Area

  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.

• 

  Jeff M.

  Scout

  

  May. 27, 2019

  Sun Outdoors Santa Barbara

  Glamping x10

  Private campground with jacuzzi and pool they keep clean, decent hiking trails off the back and a grassy area to chill. Short walk to beach (10-15 min) but easy place to camp.

• K

  Kristine V.

  Traveler

  

  May. 8, 2023

  Sun Outdoors Santa Barbara

  Would stay here again!

  Lovely place and lovely staff! It’s a bit pricey but you get what you pay for. They also have heated pool and jacuzzi, clean showers, and bathrooms. Trail and dog park available. Just kinda sucks you hear the cars passing at the 101. But I’d still come back.

• j

  jerry

  Traveler

  

  Jul. 6, 2023

  Cachuma Lake Recreation Area

  Camp ground site 143 partial hook ups

  Stayed at camp site #143 no shade trees very dusty site. Rental boats pontoon type are brand new. Boat rental opens at 7am close at 7pm boat harbor is very nice with new boat docks. If going fishing the K boats are nice but anchor line to short to use I bring my own 50’ of anchor rope and use their anchor. Came hear to get away from all the illegal fire works where I live. Not one fireworks at the park yea the dog had a great nights sleep. Plus the swimming pool was great open from 12 noon to 5:30pm they have plenty of chairs and have life guards

• 

  Andrea R.

  Legend

  

  Apr. 26, 2019

  Cachuma Lake Recreation Area

  It has a pool!

  As with many southern California lakes, there is no human contact with the water due to it being a reclamation center. Unlike many other southern California lakes, this one has a pool!

  The bathrooms are well maintained and there are flush toilets and coin operated showers. Each site has a picnic table and fire ring. I tent camped, like always, but they have cabins, yurts and rv spots. The guys enjoyed the fishing.

  I still have a problem paying $25+ for a place in the dirt, but families love it.

• L

  Linda S.

  Guide

  

  Dec. 27, 2022

  Cachuma Lake Recreation Area

  Lots of different kinds of sites.

  Good experience overall. There are many kinds of sites including full hook up, partial, primitive, cabins & yurts. Many sites have views of the lake.

• C

  Carolyn W.

  Guide

  

  Sep. 10, 2020

  Cachuma Lake Recreation Area

  Camping with Water Views

  This was our first stay at Lake Cachuma. It is well worth it to get a Premium site as they have lovely views of the lake and sunset. We stayed in a larger group site with one other tent couple and the site was huge. There were a few big oaks for shade but otherwise you were on very dry hard packed dirt in the open. Water spigots and Port a Potties as well as bathrooms and showers ( pay showers) were conveniently located throughout the park. There is no real privacy here as sites are all an an open flat and there are not a lot of trees so camping without a shade tarp could be unpleasantly warm. There is no swimming in the lake but there boat rentals and fishing are allowed. Yurts and cabins are also available for reservation. There is a general store at the entrance and a gas station for all your needs. Oh, yes! A word of caution...my daughter put their tent under the Oaks for shade and evidently their were nests of spiders hatching as their tent was literally inundated with hundreds of thousands of spiders! The ranger said he had never seen anything like it. You might want to think twice about being under the trees, or at least know what spider nests look like!

• 

  Wutang P.

  Guide

  

  Dec. 9, 2018

  Flying Flags RV Resort

  Nice place

  Nice place and clean place, but not really a campground as it much as it’s an rv park with cabins. Not much nature. Use to go years ago when they had tent camping. Miss those days. Some good hikes down to the river bed and bike/ running trails

• C

  Carol R.

  Scout

  

  Jun. 7, 2019

  Cachuma Lake Recreation Area

  Pure delight

  It gets very hot in the summer. So we choose spring and fall/winter camping. Less people, quieter. Rv camping is on top of one another. Not really a campng feeling. I would never RV camp here. Tents, yurts and cabin areas are very nice and some are very private. Great fishing.

• R

  Rob L.

  Guide

  

  Apr. 27, 2021

  Ventura Beach RV Resort

  Good Times

  This was our first time here. It is close to the 101 freeway, you can hear the traffic, but that didn’t bother us. Just be aware, it’s not a super quiet place. Campsites are concrete pads, level and have a decent area of grass between sites. Each site also has a fire pit. We went here in March ‘21 and half the resort was still closed to covid restrictions. No pool, jacuzzi, playground, transport vehicle to and from town, and game room. Odd, because most of the state was already open. Beach is 5min bike ride either way out of the resort. Great sunsets!!!!

• J

  Jeff M.

  Guide

  

  Jul. 19, 2021

  Flying Flags RV Resort

  Great RV Park - but expensive

  This RV park is actually a resort in itself as it has three swimming pools, a large soccer field, basketball hoops, bocce ball courts, water splash area for kids, etc. it also has a small outdoor restaurant that serves pizza and chicken wings and a full-service General store. Lots of stylized cabins are also available. Only about 3 miles from Solvang. The only negative is it can be quite expensive but I guess supply and demand takes care of that. 

• 

  Penélope F.

  Ranger

  

  Sep. 5, 2020

  Flying Flags RV Resort

  Nice place for those who are looking to party!

  Nice RV park... It's pretty big and offers several options for staying from small cabins to full RV hook up sites. I personally was a little disappointed that place was packed as most places we have been staying had a 50% capacity restriction. Staff was friendly and helpful and definitely will return after pandemic is gone. Quiet time wasn't enforce which is nice for those wanting to party.

  Our site had a gas grill and fire pit which was nice for some of the chilly nights we had.

• 

  Chanel C.

  Legend

  

  Apr. 19, 2021

  Cachuma Lake Recreation Area

  Great camping for beginners

  + Great amenities— large restrooms with multiple stalls, hand soap, plenty of toilet paper, and clean showers. Each site has a fire pit with grill, picnic table, and parking for 2 cars

  + Beautiful California Oak trees surround the campgrounds and you get the most amazing variety of birds visiting.

  + Some sites have lake views! Our site#290 had a great view but the site itself was not the best. The grounds were every rocky and uneven. It was hard to find ground to set up a tent and most spots had rocks embedded into the floor so you would be sleeping on bumps.

  + FANTASTIC camp store. One of the best I’ve seen. They have everything you could need. It’s a gift store, mini mart, and a liquor store. You can buy eggs, milk, butter, and tons of shelf and can items. You can also buy a variety of beverages including wine and beer. The store carries plenty of snacks and candy, and you can get hot food items like hot dogs. They also carry camp gear in case you need— tents, chairs, sleeping bags, flash lights, cooking gear(stove, camp mugs/plates, fuel. Etc. Firewood is a little pricey at$8/bundle but when you need it, you need it! The store is SO CLUTCH because having to leave to purchase anything would be a longggg drive.

  + Lots if lake activities. You can bring your own boat and they have a small gas station for boat fuel. The camp shop also carry bait and other fishing gear. There are boat, kayak rentals, and you could also sign up for a lake boat tour. Only downside is no swimming or SUP boarding.

  + Lovely lake cafe with good hot food, beer/wine, and even cocktails. There is outdoor dining and even a fire pit for colder months. Careful during hot climate, there are yellow jackets everywhere. It makes sitting at the cafe unbearable. Service is friendly and the food is good. We tried their burger and fries and were not disappointed. Prices are a little high but it’s nice if you want to skip preparing and cleaning up a camp meal.

  + Quiet Time begins at 10pm which is great because I find this campground louder and more rowdy than others. It’s packed and people love running their music speakers super loud. They wait until the park rangers come around at 10pm to tell them to turn off their music. It’s definitely a fun crowd that comes here so heads up if you’re looking for a more serene camping experience.

  + There are yurts and cabins for rental that are a little more removed from the loud crowd. I definitely would love to try renting a yurt with a lake view next time I visit.

  Overall, this is a really fun campground with tons of convenience. Run out of booze? No problem. Head to the cafe or the camp store. Too lazy to cook? No problem, Lake Cachuma has options for you. Bored? Head to the lake or play some air frisbee. It’s also a great place for first time campers. You get a good introduction to nature, run activities, and camping while still having comfort and convenience just a few steps from your tent.

• 

  Sherrie R.

  Ranger

  

  Feb. 17, 2021

  Flying Flags RV Resort

  Full Service resort with close walking or biking distance activities

  The resort offers RV camping, cottages Airtream rentals, canned ham rentals and safari tent glamping. Endless amenities include soccer field, basketball court, bocce ball, pool/spa, playground, store, restaurant, LP refills, self service ice machine, firepit rentals, covered bike parking. Impeccably clean and well maintained. The site staff is very friendly, helpful and quietly accomplishes their tasks with hardly any disturbances to campers. Much appreciated. Was pleased to see roaving security regularly.

• 

  Janet R.

  Legend

  

  Nov. 11, 2017

  Point Mugu Recreation Facility

  Point Mugu MWR

  The Point Mugu NAS campground is part of the military MWR program, therefore you need to be active duty or retired from one of the uniformed services, or be sponsored by someone who is.

  The campground is located right on the beach overlooking the iconic Point Mugu rock to the south, and a nice quiet estuary to the north that is full of birds, seals, and other wildlife. There is a whole spectrum of camping and lodging options svailable, from simple basic tent camping, to reserving one of their yurts, to car or RV camping with full hookups, to cabins and even a very nice beach motel. All are location by the base MWR outdoor recreation facility which has all kinds of beach and camping gear available to check out, like snorkels and surfboards and more, and staff to advise about local hiking and recreational trips in the area.

  The tent sites are very basic and very close together, but the surroundings are worth it! We didnt stay in one of the yurts but hope to next time, they are beautiful and a nice intermediate option between tenting and motel. The RV area is heavily used but clean and nicely maintained, and in a beautiful location right on the beach!. The beach motel iis adjacent, and the cabins are located in a much more secluded area off on their own to the east.

  The beach is beautiful, clean and well maintained and not as heavily used as the nearby state beaches off base, which is a real treat

  There are a few base eateries and a grocery store on the base just a few minutes drive away so it is easy to restock provisions if needed.

  The hiking opportunities within even half hour drive off base from the campground are amazing, lots of state parks, national forests, state beaches, nature preserves and more with incredible hiking trails. This location is also very convenient to Ventura where you can catch a national park ferry to the Channel Islands for day trips.

  This campground is highly recommnded, and our favorite go-to place to stay whenever we are in the LA area!

• 

  Tracey

  Traveler

  

  Oct. 27, 2020

  Cachuma Lake Recreation Area

  Peaceful retreat from the craziness

  We just spent one night at Cachuma Lake (a Sunday), camping near Chumash Meadows. The tent camping sites were probably only ~30% full, which made for a very peaceful (albeit short) stay! The sites are big with picnic tables and fire pits, and many are shaded by large trees. The nearby toilet block was clean, as were the showers (a little further away). Our tent site had a view out to the lake, and was a bargain! 

  There is a store (with a not-so-great assortment of goods), a restaurant and a fishing/boat hire shop. The roads and paths make for great cycling, and there are trails to explore too.

  We drove through the whole camp ground checking out the various areas (full RV sites, partial RV sites, tent sites, yurts & cabins). The full RV sites were (not surprisingly) still pretty full, even in mid-October, but the rest were not. We loved the campground, and plan to return for longer next time. Its proximity to cute little nearby towns is a bonus!

• 

  Nathaniel S.

  Guide

  

  Aug. 8, 2021

  Flying Flags RV Resort

  Convenient Full Service RV Park in Santa Barbara Area

  There's a lot to like about Flying Flags RV park.  Its clean, has lots of full hookup sites, an onsite restaurant, clean facilities, as well as tents and cabins for rent. Why a 3 star rating then?  Well, per my system, 5 stars are the truly special places (i.e Yosemite, Zion) where one should travel to for multiple days. 4 stars are top-tier spots for locals, and should be part of a larger trip to the region for out-of-staters (examples include Lake Sonoma and Lopez Lake). 3 stars are perfectly fine, but you mostly go there for convenience. Flying Flags in Buellton is such a place. You come here because you can explore Santa Barbara, Solvang, and the surrounding wine region. The RV park itself is big, and the spots are pretty close together, and while it's not necessarily beautiful itself, it is clean and comfortable. If I'm planning a trip to Santa Barbara in my 28' Airstream, this is absolutely a park I'd stay at again. I prefer dry camping (i.e. limited or no hookups) in my trailer, but I certainly appreciate full service as well, and Flying Flags delivers.

  If you own an RV, this is a perfect "home base" for exploring the area.  Solvang is a town in central California that looks like a Scandinavian village. It was featured prominently in the movie Sideways. Buellton and Solvang are both basically right in the heart of Santa Barbara wine country. Many, many wineries are within short driving distance. Santa Barbara is an easy hour-ish trip.  The coast in Santa Barbara and just south in Carpineria is some of the most beautiful in California. The surfing is exquisite (these are well known, popular spots so expect the usual "locals only" aggression in the line up). Paso Robles is about 100 miles up the road from Buellton, so it's entirely possible to do an "up and back" in the same day.

  Flying Flags RV park won't take your breath away with natural beauty, but it's close to a lot of places that will.  It's convenient, clean, and a great place to park an RV for a couple of nights as you explore the surrounding areas.

• 

  Shari G.

  Legend

  

  Oct. 19, 2023

  Cachuma Lake Recreation Area

  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.

• 

  Christopher B.

  Traveler

  

  Sep. 8, 2020

  Cachuma Lake Recreation Area

  Awesome Camping

  Bummer that we had to camp in an RV spot! Amazing views of the lake! Awesome boat rental to cruise around on the beautiful water! Close to Solvang! Easy drive in. Scopes out the best campsites for next time! Definitely recommended!!!

• 

  Jen G.

  Ranger

  

  May. 24, 2017

  Cachuma Lake Recreation Area

  Ranger Review: Optic Nerve Sunglasses at Cachuma Lake Recreation Area, CA

  Campground Review:

  This would be the most epic campground ever for a huge family reunion! There is something for everyone here- RV sites, tent sites, cabins, yurts, even big group sites. There are tent sites overlooking Lake Cachuma, and tent sites in the shady grass, and almost everything in between. There's a dog park, and playgrounds, and a pool (since you can't swim in the lake because it's drinking water... which was strange to us as Utahns when all reservoirs are drinking water and we still swim in them), and a general store! There are close to 200 sites here, which is mind-boggling to me. It was an awesome campground, and we were cooking up plans for a someday party (be it friends or family) there.

  The restrooms are plentiful and clean, the quiet hours are well observed (though that may have had more to do with the fact that the campground was pretty empty while we were there), and the facilities are reasonably easy to navigate. Every employee we interacted with was helpful and professional. We rented kayaks for several hours while we were there and it was a blast! This place is a perfect little getaway a super reasonable distance from Santa Barbara and the surrounding areas.

  My only complaints were mostly about the tent sites. Some of them are a little too smashed together with unclear boundaries, and the footing consisted of kind of icky weeds. I know, it's me being absurdly nitpicky. But I can't give EVERY campground 5 stars... right..?

  Product Review:

  As Rangers for The Dyrt, we get products to test from time to time, and at Lake Cachuma we tested out some Optic Nerve sunglasses. We used them throughout our trip, but they came in especially handy while kayaking! The morning started out a little cloudy so we were worried that we wouldn't get a real opportunity to use them, but the sun eventually came out and the sunglasses were PERFECT. The pairs we got were polarized, which was great for cutting glare from the water (as well as driving throughout our whole road trip. The sunglasses were comfortable and seemed high quality, which was great considering they're nowhere near as spendy as some of the high-end brands of sunglasses. I'll admit I was too much of a wuss to see if they'd float in the lake, but they were awesome for keeping our eyes safe and protected (from the sun and from splashes)! If I had to have any gripe it would be that the wood grain print on the sunglasses I got (which I love) is pretty pixelated up close- completely a non-issue that only affects aesthetics, but might look better with a higher resolution for future printings.

  Pro Tip for Hungry Adventurers: DO NOT MISS Cold Spring Tavern just up the highway from Lake Cachuma. Delicious food, atmosphere that is simply out of this world, and a gorgeous setting. Seriously. Don't miss it. And if you live in Santa Barbara and you've never been... GO. NOW. You won't regret it.

• C

  Casey B.

  Scout

  

  Jun. 27, 2021

  Cachuma Lake Recreation Area

  Great County Campground

  Nice spot, sites are well spaced, FHU spots have concrete pads.

  Lots of tent/group sites available, tent sites are roomy many with great shade.

  Large disc golf course, well stocked general store, gas station (no diesel) boat rentals.

  No body contact is allowed with the lake.

• 

  Mia H.

  Scout

  

  Jul. 30, 2021

  Cachuma Lake Recreation Area

  Close Easy and Clean!

  We love going to lake cachuma! It’s most fun early spring when it’s not too hot since you can’t swim in the lake but boat rentals are cheap and fun. Bathrooms and showers are always very clean! Weekdays are best as I hear weekends can be crazy