Best Glamping near Carpinteria, CA

Recent Glamping Reviews in Carpinteria

312 Reviews of 23 Carpinteria Campgrounds

• 

  ian S.

  Scout

  

  Nov. 11, 2024

  Songdog Ranch

  Politicized campground

  Not a bad campground, but driving in, the owner has large political flags flying. In these highly divisive times, I don't want to stay at places that divide our country, I want to get away from that. Not recommended.

• 

  Spicy N.

  Guide

  

  Nov. 3, 2024

  Santa Cruz Campground — Carpinteria State Beach

  Not Worth staying here

  Facilities are run down. This places needs a major make over! Bathrooms are dirty, showers are gross. Sinks to wash dishes are disgusting & right next to dumpsters. You have no privacy and sites are right on top of each other…you’re basically in a parking lot. Barking dogs right next to you can get pretty annoying pretty fast. NOT WORTH the $70 a night fee. I would only stay here here as a LAST resort

• 

  Michelle M.

  Guide

  

  Sep. 27, 2024

  Lake Casitas Recreation Area

  A beautiful Lake

  This is a nicely maintained municipal water reservoir with a very large lake. No swimming allowed, but boating is. Go figure.

  There are campgrounds with hookups that are only available for RVs. There is one Campground -Indian- that has a mixture of tent and RV sites with hookups available but it was under maintenance when I was here this weekend. So all the rest of the areas that do have hookups do not accommodate my truck and tent rig. And there are no 110V or 30a outlets available for people who are traveling light -with solar and a minimum amount of panels, where you might need to plug in once in awhile- they can't cover you here. Too bad no one thought of that when they were designing this place, because it's an awfully big place with a lot of sites.

  So we're leaving today to find another place to weekend.

  But two nights next to the lake, in the campground called Mallard was lovely as can be. Next time I'll come out with more panels to keep my pair of EcoFlow RiverPro solar generators topped up.

• S

  Susie B.

  Traveler

  

  Aug. 30, 2024

  Cachuma Lake Recreation Area

  Please Don’t Tell Anyone About This — OOPS

  This is tragi-comedy: I was invited to a wedding in Santa Barbara. It was summer and the most fleabitten motel prices were astronomical. I began to look at campsites within driving distance, I was desperate. Booked Catchuma and thought, hoorah, I’ve defeated the tourism trap. 

  Well… from the moment I arrived . . . I really could not care less about the wedding. My god. I think I’ll leave it at that. 

  Bring binos. Boat, bring your canoe/kayak.

• 

  Laura M.

  Legend

  

  Aug. 3, 2024

  Camp Comfort Park

  Nice Little Campground

  This is such a nice and small campground, it's low key and seems to be overlooked because there always seems to be sites available.

  We stayed in site #13, which is a weird "pull in" site, which in all the traveling we've done, we've never stayed in one before. So you pull in forward (not back in), because  all your hookups are to the left of the site, on the driver's side.  Which is fine, except that unless you have a long sewer hose, your hose won't reach from the back of your RV to the sewer connection. Luckily there were vacant spots when we left, so we backed into a vacant spot with a  traditional setup and dumped on our way out.

  The best part of this campground is the creek that runs behind it. It's so nice and refreshing on a hot day, and safe for little kids to splash around in. There's also a park, day use area, playground, and some sort of meeting spot adjacent to this campground. The showers were nice (coin operated) and as a full timer I always love to see laundry machines at campgrounds.

  Pricey, but that's just the norm now.  I think our one night was about $50.  Great little place.

• J

  Jane P.

  Scout

  

  Jul. 28, 2024

  Ventura Beach RV Resort

  Worst place ever

  Crowded sites, horrible check in, rude people, owner is extremely unpleasant

• 

  Julian M.

  Guide

  

  Jul. 24, 2024

  Malibu Creek State Park Campground

  Amazing experience, beautiful sunset

  Great campground, Great spots but unfortunately bit expensive .Very disappointed about the rules regarding fire, but I understood. I left from the campground after the sunset...fire allowed only with courchal...

• 

  Tammy P.

  Traveler

  

  Jun. 10, 2024

  Flying Flags RV Resort

  A lot of amenities and great for family with kids

  Very tight space, lots of amenities like pools, playgrounds for kids, restaurants, activities, performances on weekends but can get quite busy and crowded. Close by solvang town and many pretty hiking trails

• t

  tryna H.

  Scout

  

  Jun. 5, 2024

  Lake Casitas Recreation Area

  Nice place but dog owners beware

  Just to be clear, I love lake Casitas. I grew up camping here with my family. The reason I’m writing this review is to warn pet owners about the abundance of foxtails and burs. We have 2 poodle mixes with med-long hair and they both ended up with their fur filled with burs and foxtails. So much that it required a vet visit. This was from a weekend camp in our RV that had a large rug and they have raised dog cots.

• O

  Oscar R.

  Scout

  

  May. 31, 2024

  Radl Ranch

  Amazin spot

  Great spot! Been here 2 times already!

• 

  Patrick J.

  Legend

  

  May. 9, 2024

  Flying Flags RV Resort

  Always a good stay

  Having stayed here a few times, it is always fun. Check in was nice and efficient. 

  We had a pull trough site that is on the southern part of the park. This is normally more quiet and has better maneuvering room. Friends joined us in the retro Airstream. Nothing but good reports from them. Wineries and breweries located  very close by, so slaking a thirst is never a problem. I'm sure we will be back.

• 

  Jenny S.

  Scout

  

  Apr. 2, 2024

  Songdog Ranch

  Spacious and beautiful private property. Friendly, accommodating hosts!

  I stayed for a quick stop overnight and found the site as described. Just a table, fire pit, and water spigot.  The hosts are very accommodating and made sure I was able to find my site after dark and were very responsive to my texts!  Cell service was fine and I felt perfectly safe as a solo female!  I really enjoyed the ranch dogs coming to hang out with me! I'll be back to try one of the other sites with more amazing views!

• 

  Julian M.

  Guide

  

  Mar. 7, 2024

  Sycamore Campground

  Birthday party

  Great weekend experience

• 

  Jack J.

  Traveler

  

  Mar. 7, 2024

  Santa Cruz Campground — Carpinteria State Beach

  Family Tradition

  My family camps here everyone year for as long as I can remember. The beaches are always nice. The trail that goes to the end of the campground is always fun bike ride. Carp itself is one of my favorite little towns. When camping, we also stop at Robitaille's Fine Candy shop.

• 

  Khaled A.

  Traveler

  

  Mar. 6, 2024

  Ventura Ranch KOA

  Nice Getaway!

  Quiet and nice 2-day stay. Alexi from reception was super nice and courteous. We couldn’t be more grateful to her! Our lot was secluded, private and close to the entrance/exit. The only thing was the unlevel ground we were on. Our RV was a simple 30’ rental without any leveling. Many peacock’s roam around the premises and they can be very intrusive! Playgrounds, zip lining and a massive bounce pad were all on site. Make sure you hike down to the creek!

• 

  Jake C.

  Legend

  

  Mar. 1, 2024

  Cuyama Oaks Ranch

  New to the Dyrt!

  Jake from the Dyrt here! We're excited to have this campground on the Dyrt and ready for you to book, check them out and make sure to leave a review!

• 

  Patrick J.

  Legend

  

  Feb. 18, 2024

  Sun Outdoors Santa Barbara

  Our go to place

  This was another trip here. We needed a quick getaway, and this is always a good choice for us. Check in was easy, they even changed our site after showing all that were available. The was February, so lots of available sites. We will be back!

• M

  Michael K.

  Scout

  

  Dec. 29, 2023

  Malibu Creek State Park Campground

  Solid campground

  Good campground, convenient location, nice WiFi. Sites are pretty close together, some sites had limited sun in December.

• 

  Kristi D.

  Legend

  

  Oct. 29, 2023

  Lake Casitas Recreation Area

  Seems like a popular place

  Economical for California and the area. Off the beaten path from all the craziness by the beach.

  We are just passing through CA or it would not be my top spot. They nickel and dime a lot of things, showers pets. We paid online and we pull up and all of a sudden getting charged $5 a day extra for pets including a cat that doesn't leave the camper. Was not thrilled about that.

  Otherwise, it was scenic, had a camp store, was close to restaurants, had a gate to drive into, so the place was pretty secure. Seemed like a lot of people gathered on the weekends.

  We had the dirt campground which wasn't my favorite but all that was left, while the other campgrounds had cement pads. It was still pretty level.We did have cell reception, nice views and they had a water park for kids during summer months, though wasn't open while we were there.

• 

  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.

• 

  Bryan S.

  Guide

  

  Oct. 14, 2023

  Santa Cruz Campground — Carpinteria State Beach

  Snug

  Great location, spots are so close to the beach with no bluff and stairs. Spots are very snug. You can get stuck waiting for a while if your neighbors don’t know how to park their unit. Only downside is the neighbors sewer is in your site. Also we had some grumpy neighbors which sucks with the smaller sites. Seals and dolphins all around while you swim or surf

• 

  Bryan S.

  Guide

  

  Oct. 14, 2023

  Ventura Ranch KOA

  Fun stuff to do

  Nice campground. Plenty of things to do. Jump pad, pool, zip line, playground, creek. Front desk staff was exceptional. Few cons. Park was a bit dirty lots of trash around and generally not very clean. Bathrooms were really gross. Facilities were a little run down. Our spot was tiny but most others seem descent sized

• 

  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.

• E

  Ellen G.

  Scout

  

  Aug. 12, 2023

  Radl Ranch

  Little hidden gem

  We loved the atmosphere. Small well maintained and cute, outdoor shower was a highlight!

• 

  Jenneffer V.

  Scout

  

  Aug. 7, 2023

  Santa Cruz Campground — Carpinteria State Beach

  Hike & Bike

  $10 per night per person, max 2 nights and 48 hour wait before you can come back. Max 5 times per year.

  Took my son here for a weekend to explore Santa Barbara. There is no overnight parking in the park unless you have a previously reserved car camping campsite. We walking in with our belongings and there was three other campers on their bikes. Short walk to the Amtrak Surfliner, restaurants, dogs are allowed on a leash on the campsite. There is a dog beach a few minutes walk away.

  There’s 3 fire pits for H&B campers, a Food box and a bike rack.

• 

  Jenn-X •.

  Traveler

  

  Jul. 28, 2023

  Cachuma Lake Recreation Area

  Cachuma Lake

  Sprawling campgrounds.

• 

  Emily S.

  Traveler

  

  Jul. 19, 2023

  Santa Cruz Campground — Carpinteria State Beach

  Santa Cruz dry camping

  Snagged a cancellation at Carp Santa Cruz site C233 to celebrate our new trailer and our Labrador’s first birthday!!! Doors opened to the west (that’s a good thing!), and it was easy to back into. Site was flat, but in the back. Heavy foot traffic on sidewalk that connects the different campgrounds gave us little privacy. Still, any time we get to spend in Carp is time well-spent!

  Pros:

  • Location—next to beach, great restaurants, excellent ice cream (Rori’s), solid beer scene, great bluffside running trails!
  • Large site—not the parking lot like San Miguel and Santa Rosa tend to be. 
  • Camp host was friendly. 
  • Clean bathrooms and showers. 
  • Easy to fill water tank at dump station before parking. 
  • Easy to dump at dump station. 
  • Close to town—easy bike/walk. 

  Cons: 

  • Tar on beach. 
  • Next to railroad tracks. 
  • Site backs up to sidewalk, offering little privacy. 
  • Dogs not allowed on beach (I know… but my labs don’t get it!)
  • Smoking neighbors. 
  • Lots of fox tails on site.