Best Equestrian Camping near Carrizo Plain National Monument

Carrizo Plains National Monument is the largest single native grassland remaining in California in SE San Luis Obispo, and my husband and I have been wanting to visit. We found Kern Cattle & Land Ranch which has now been turned into a campground for people to enjoy.

[ PROS ]

• FREE camping is the best camping! It’s first come first serve, but there was only one other camper there the weekend we visited.
• There are about 12 dispersed sites and all of them are under or near eucalyptus trees that offer really lovely shade from the harsh sun.
• Each sites comes with a picnic table, fire ring + grill, 1 parking spot, and gear pole with hook (for hanging lanterns/trash bags/food/etc.)
• There are 2 gender neutral vault toilets that are clean. The restroom is stocked with toilet paper and there is hand sanitizer available. No sink.
• So much nature to see around! We saw kangaroo rats, bats, hawks, rabbits, ground squirrels (that are going extinct), and lots of fun insects. In the evening we heard lots of coyotes in the distance.
• The evenings here are spectacular -- very little light pollution so you get a clear view of the night sky and all of the stars. The Milky Way was so vivid and we saw shooting stars the entire evening.
• I’ve been wanting to see an owl in nature for so long, and I was able to see one in broad daylight. It was so insane and magical. We heard the owls all night (they are very loud) but I love falling asleep to the sound of nature. The owl sighting was the highlight of my trip!
• There are tons of trails and places to explore. We even got to explore the last standing structure of the original ranch. You can visit the San Andreas Fault Line, Soda Lake, and Painted Rock which are all driving distance.

[ CONS ]

• The drive to and from KCL campground is a little rough. At some point you get on a dirt road that is quite bumpy and has potholes.
• It’s super hot in this part of California during the summer so make sure you pack LOTS of water. There is no water available on the campgrounds or for miles.
• No showers, obviously since there isn’t any water available.
• TONS. OF. FLIES. EVERYWHERE. It’s a little unbearable during the day having to spend the majority of your energy swatting flies. It is so arid out there that flies are constantly landing on every part of your body to lick the sweat off of you. The toilets are clean, but TONS OF FLIES. Not little house flies, but super juicy big fat flies. Luckily they go away when the sun sets.
• No fires allowed! They have fire pits, but you’re not allowed to burn wood. I believe you can use the fire pit with coals since there is a grill provided.
• No gas stations, stores, shops around for miles. Make sure you come prepared with everything you need unless you’re prepared for a long drive on the dirt roads.

Note: Pack in. Pack out. Please folks, remember to take your trash with you and leave the place better than you found it. It was sad seeing beer bottles and bullet shells littering the area. We did our  best to pick up what we could and take it with us, but LNT!!

Santa Margarita Lake is a lovely, quiet medium size lake used for drinking water in San Luis Obispo County, Los Padres National Forest. There are 60 campsites; 54 tent/RV, 2 Boat-in and 4 horse camps. There is a playground and a pool available in summer as swimming in the lake is not allowed. Canoe/boat rentals are available as well as a launch ramp and marina store. This lake is popular with smaller fishing and recreational boats. Amenities include flush toilets in main camp, picnic table, fire pits but no hook ups. Reservations are online except for horse camps which require a phone call to County Parks 805-788-2387, fees run 38$-36$ per night.

I drove up the 101 by the coast of Santa Barbara on a Wednesday. It was beautiful, and pretty chilly by the water. Then I made the climb up the mountains to Rancho Oso. I stayed in the 5th level that had full hookups, and it was tiered in 7 levels, with an average of 10 spaces a level. The pool is open by sign up. I played some mini golf, right next to the horseshoe pits, but other amenities you use at your own risk. The store, and kitchen are closed. The lodge is open to use their WiFi, which is wicked slow, but beggars can’t be choosers. They have horse rides, and farm animals for the kids to view, and horses to rent for rides. There’s also there’s also a couple of families of Turkeys wandering around. The closest full grocery store is about 1/2 hour away, in Solvang, but Lake Cachuma has a gas station, and a small convenience store, and gas, at the midway point. I ran out of gas on my Vespa going there one day. No bueno! And forget about that chilly weather on the coast. This is in the mountains, and even though it’s a little over 1,000 feet up, it was quite a bit warmer. Unseasonably warm for the first week, in the mid-90’s. There was also a steady breeze going through. More like a steady wind, as it was pretty strong. I had to take my awning down it was so strong. My second week started out nice, as it cooled down to the upper 70’s, but that wind still swept through the canyon we’re located in. Since I don’t have a truck or car in tow, I had plenty of room to back in, and fully open my awning when I first set up, not realizing the wind in the early afternoon kicks in. Plus there was still room for the picnic table, BBQ at every space. And I also had plenty of room for my Vespa . Most people can’t open their awnings, since they parked their tow vehicle in that area. The ones that could open them had them closed, like I did, because of the wind. All levels are full hookups, and some in another area were just E/W. Pretty much full sun all day, except for a couple of shady spaces. No fires, but charcoal grilling is okay, and probably a portable propane fire pit would be okay, too. The Men’s and Women’s rest rooms/showers were 2 spaces over from me, right where the washers/dryers were. The lI stayed on the 5th tier, right next to the laundry was , whichvery reasonable at $2.00 to wash, $1.50 to dry. If you have a heavy load of clothes to wash, they charge an extra 25 cents to wash., and free hot , No cell service, but I The only was and it was super slow, and that was with my WeBoost. I ran a speedtest, and it wasn’t even 1 Mbps. The upload speed was twice as fast, at a whopping 2Mbps. I was there for an hour for something that should have taken 10 minutes. On one But, beggars can’t be choosers, if you really need it, which I did. Cell service was , surprisingly, one bar, if you’re lucky, but most days it’s none, even with my WeBoost. Next time I’ll put it up higher. No OTA channels with my Winegard antenna. I only watch TV at night anyway, and I have the Dish Playmaker, so no biggie. I mostly listened to my tunes, walked the dog during the day, and take the the occasional scooter ride., and I played a couple rounds of mini. Even got 2 holes in one! ranger I his Took water for both of us. They cater to horse owners, and there were at least 20 horses I saw roaming in their corrals, and I’m sure there’s some nice trails around here, too. I love it in the mountains, heat and all, and the Western feel of Rancho Oso has a nice vibe to it. I’ll be back, as it’s nice and quiet, and you always see the rangers, or employees riding around. Not bad enough to keep me away, as I’m sure I’ll be back this way again. I spent a nice quiet, enjoyable, 2 weeks.

I camped in Mustang during the last weekend of September. It was located right next to the water park but they had already closed for the season. The campsites were pretty close to each other and unfortunately we were stuck between two different groups that did not obey the quiet hours. Not a huge deal at night since they were quiet by midnight or so but one of the groups was also loud with kids early in the morning as well. This didn't make the best camping experience but we tried to make the best of it.

The lake was within walking distance but since the water level is so low, you had to walk quite a way out. There are some decent hiking trails you can go on right from the campground. We took the Escondido trail from camp that took us to the top of a ridge and had numerous switchbacks. Great views from the top.

This rustic campground offers an arid natural beauty with endless walking. It's a popular place for birdwatchers –the resident owls who roost in the eucalyptus trees above the campsites are very vocal and they inspire daily gazers donning binoculars.

During spring there are poppy runs blooming in a couple places close to the campground. Venturing up on the ridges will yield a spare bit more floral variety if you watch the ground.

It's BLM, so amenities are basic – be prepared to bring your own water, the single spigot isn't potable due to agricultural nitrate impact on the water table. Vault toilets are kept clean, but bring your own tp if you arrive after the weekend. Not smelly, the rooms are airy, fairly large and free of flying bugs.

Surprisingly, my TMobile was fairly consistent 90% of the time and I was able to tether my laptop/kindle to my phone on occasion. This allowed me to extend my stay and upload my artwork.

It's an inspiring place for creativity. And I was so happily surprised to hear a group of really excellent blue grass musicians playing from the campsite across from mine during the first few days when I arrived.

Most sites are back-in. There are a few sites that could accommodate RVs-dry camping only, all sites include a gravel tent pad, concrete table, post for hooking up things, and a fire ring. And there is an adjacent lot for the four walk-in sites behind the barn. No fires permitted in the walk-in area.

The 19mile access road from highway 33 can be grueling in places with heavy washboard.

But for the walks, stargazing, creative inspiration and abundant wildlife, the payoff is well worth the driving effort. And there are more remote opportunities in the nearby hills for folks with good tires, who prefer a quieter boondock place to camp.