Best Tent Camping near New Cuyama, CA

Recent Tent Reviews near New Cuyama, California

633 Reviews of 36 New Cuyama Campgrounds

• L

  Linda S.

  Guide

  

  Nov. 27, 2022

  Lopez Lake Recreation Area

  Something to please everyone

  We’ve camped here many times over the last 15 years. We’ve tent camped on primitive sites and camped with a pop-up with electricity & water. None of the full hookup sites have a view but some of the tent sites do. There isn’t much fishing now, because the water is so low, but there are still pretty hikes to be had and water slides if it’s hot. We’ve been to the ropes course too, which is really fun.

• 

  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!

• 

  Veronica S.

  Legend

  

  Jul. 22, 2022

  Foster Residence Campground

  Conveniently close to Ventura, nicely managed

  We stayed here in June as part of a 3 week camping trip. Foster Residence was the closest to a city that we've stayed in, and that was apparent during the stay (i.e. we had 2 fuel canisters stolen, odd people obviously tweeking coming in the middle of the night and screaming obscenities the next morning, a couple families setting up next to us for the weekend for late night partying, lots of road traffic, etc.).

  There are some reviews for this campground under Foster Park Campground. That is a separate campground right next to this one separated by a little nature trail. The same camp host manages both. Foster Park CG is RIGHT next to the road. But it does have a swing set with like one swing if that sways you. Foster Residence is otherwise the better choice. 

  The tent sites are further back into the trees and there is a lot of shade. When we pulled in, there was an oak branch down on top of our fire pit and picnic table. We tried to get the host, but he was unavailable. The next morning he stopped by and said he'd get maintance. I told him they can leave the wood next to the fire pit and we could burn some of it, and that's what we did. That came in handy because there were tons of biting flies. The smoke helped to control them while we were at the campsite. And on the subject of little flying things, there are also a lot of wasps in the area that LOVE meat. So if you are going to try to cook meat, just be aware that they will consider it theirs lol. 

  The bathroom is separated into male and female and the female has 2 toilet stalls with flushing toilets and stall doors that work and lock. Also a sink with running water, coconut-smelling hand soap, and hand dryers with warm air. I'm assuming the mens is similar.

  The tent sites do not have electricity (normal for a tent site). We stayed for 6 nights and on the last morning we received a notice from a "park ranger" that privacy tents are not allowed due to sanitary concerns? That's like national park-level control-freakness there. There IS full cell service at site 14 and other random places in the campground area. There are no showers, no store, and there is plenty of potable water.

  Overall, it was nice being able to tent camp so close to the beach (the reason we came to the area was for my son to take surf lessons... we live in the Midwest) and also not be IN the city. But the area was definitely not my kinda bag. Still, if I had to go back to the area, I'd probably stay again.

• 

  Amanda M.

  Legend

  

  Oct. 24, 2018

  Santa Cruz Campground — Carpinteria State Beach

  Carpinteria State Beach Campground

  Carpinteria State Beach Campground is a one of our frequently visited “staycation” spots. We live in nearby Santa Barbara, but will use Carp State Beach as a midway meeting point when friends from Southern California and Central California meet up.

  The campground is pretty large, and caters mostly to RVs and trailers. There are loops within the campground that are essentially just asphalt lots with small dirt spaces for fire pits and picnic benches - these are intended for RV campers, but we have tent camped there in a pinch. Since we are tent campers we do prefer to camp in the grassy tent sites, but they are limited in number and tend fill up quickly. Because of the moderate year-round weather, Carpinteria State Beach Campground stays pretty full all year long!

  The campground has full hook ups, clean plumed bathrooms, and coin-operated showers. There are grocery stores and conscience stores within short walking distance for anything you might need. Train tracks run directly behind the campground, so there is some noise pollution from the passing trains.

  The campground is at the very end of downtown Carpinteria, right next to the ocean. There are no “ocean front” sites, but the beach is a quick 1-minute walk from essentially anywhere in the campground. Some small sandy dunes separate the campground from the beach, and there is an accessible paved boardwalk running along the length of the dunes. There are beautiful tide pools just south of Carpinteria State Beach Campground that are a must see. Check the tide charts on the internet to visit the tide pools at low to mid tide.

  While we really enjoy camp cooking, we tend to opt to walk into town to eat when camping in Carpinteria. Linden Avenue is right next to the campground, and is the main street in downtown Carpinteria. There is a wide variety of restaurants, breweries and coffee shops downtown. Island Brewery CO is a local favorite just on the edge of the campground - while I don’t think they have food available (yet), their beer is GREAT! Their avocado beer is a must try - I know it sounds weird, but it’s delicious (and doesn’t taste like avocados)! Rincon Brewery is a few blocks up from the campground, and also has great beer, and TASTY FOOD!

  CAMPSITE SPECS

  Fees: $45/night (normal campsite)

  Plumbed Toilets: Yes

  Drinking Water: Yes

  Showers: Yes (coin-operated)

  Picnic Table: Yes

  Firepit: Yes

  Cooking Grate: Yes

  Shade: No

  Cell Service: Yes

  Animal Bins/Food lockers: No

  Trash: Yes

• 

  Antonio C.

  Guide

  

  Mar. 16, 2020

  Foster Park Campground - TEMPORARILY CLOSED

  Local Favorite

  Located right off highway 33 in Ventura California. This campground sits were the historical town of Foster Park once stood, which was torn down to build the highway. There are actually two campgrounds here separated by an abandoned road, Red Mountain and Foster Park residence campground. We stayed at the residence campground which offers some nice primitive tent sites. With lots of Boulders and old tables and abandoned buildings this campground was perfect. Foster park bowl, an old abandoned amphitheater is just a short walk away. Campground sits in close proximity to either Ventura or Ojai. The campground host was nice and friendly. All the tent sites were unoccupied so we were the only ones there which was great.

• 

  Sierra V.

  Scout

  

  Sep. 1, 2018

  Faria Beach Park

  Sweet beach spot

  Rv and tent camping along with quarter operating showers. fairly close to the fairgrounds as well.

• K

  Kelly E.

  Traveler

  

  Jun. 20, 2018

  Santa Cruz Campground — Carpinteria State Beach

  Nice State Beach Campground

  This is a nice little spot, close to town, but not as close to the train as some of the other Southern California state beaches. The campground hosts went above and beyond to keep the bathrooms clean and even provided nice soap. The tent camping spots were a pretty good size for beach camping.

• e

  emma

  Guide

  

  May. 3, 2021

  El Capitán State Beach Campground

  Awesome beach, too close to freeway

  The beach is amazing. But if you’re tent camping don’t bother going if you can only get a site on the back side by the freeway. Way too loud, especially when the trains go by. Sites by the beach are night and day

• 

  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.

• 

  Darryl L.

  Scout

  

  Feb. 21, 2023

  Dennison Park

  Spent President’s Day here

  Small quiet ,off road but highway noise. Very friendly camp host, Ojai just a few miles away, no full hookup, clean bathroom no showers. Good views from tent sites-not RV sites.

• 

  Steve J.

  Traveler

  

  Jan. 15, 2022

  River Park (City Park) - CLOSED

  Middle of the road

  It is a fine enough campground, the nearby park being its main selling point. There is nothing special in the way of amenities or things to do, but it is peaceful and you are mostly left alone,

  Bathrooms are closed, tent camping is closed.

• 

  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.

• 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.

• 

  April C.

  Guide

  

  Apr. 14, 2023

  KCL Campground

  Great location

  Nice and clean. Vault toilets. There’s water, but not sure if it’s potable, there wasn’t a sign. No trash service, you have to pack it out. There is an area for your horse. Walk in sites, rv/car camp/van/tent sites. It’s first come first serve, no reservations and it’s free.

• J

  JENNIFER F.

  Scout

  

  Sep. 26, 2016

  Lopez Lake Recreation Area

  Squirrel Campsites

  The squirrel campsites for tent camping is great as they have more shade than other spots. Restrooms were clean and always had toilet paper stocked. They have been having bears coming into camp but we kept our food locked up and cleaned up all trash and didn't have any issues with them. The lake is low but they have great hiking trails and the wild turkeys are always fun to see.

• 

  Lauren H.

  Scout

  

  Jun. 8, 2019

  Manzana Campground

  Perfect site for relaxing by the water

  I have been here a few times over the years and it never disappoints! This year the swimming holes were perfect for some post hike cools downs. On the way to the site prepare for about 12 water crossings. There are roughly 6 tent sites all close together. There was a pretty rowdy crew of guys so get there early to pick your spot!

• 

  Dianne S.

  Guide

  

  Aug. 28, 2018

  El Capitán State Beach Campground

  Love it! One of my favs!

  I've camped here a handful of times. Our friends camp here regularly. It's convenient, easy drive-up and set up tent camping. The campground and the bathrooms are well taken care of and clean. It's also nice that the beach is nearby. Down at the beach, there is an area where the wind is also pretty decent and great for kite flying. Central California is a wonderful area to camp. Sometimes we stay at the campground and enjoy the beach or chill at our site. Other times we've driven and gone wine tasting nearby for a couple hours. Either way we always have a great time! Just wish it was easier to get a weekend reservation in the summer.

• L

  Luke L.

  Traveler

  

  May. 17, 2018

  Santa Cruz Campground — Carpinteria State Beach

  Beautiful ocean sunsets at this quaint campground

  Nestled between Ventura and Santa Barbara just north of Los Angeles is this picture perfect State Beach campground. This location has both full hook-ups as well as tent camping right up to the coast This campsite also has showers availa le and restrooms There are plenty of miles of bike trails as well as hiking tails to the Bluffs that overlook a sea lion protected sanctuary But the most glorious reason to come here are the breath taking sunsets viewable from your own campsite

• K

  Kela K.

  Traveler

  

  Nov. 9, 2021

  Wheeler Gorge Campground

  Easily accessible campground in any vehicle

  This campground is a great site to meet up with friends that don't always get out and go exploring as it's a nice campground off a main road through the Ojai area.

  We booked a site here while driving through and spent a weekend catching up with friends that were able to drive up in a small car and join us.

  Beautiful wooded area with a nice stream that passes through. Good flat soft ground to tent camp and a great spot to throw up some hammocks and relax!

• 

  Sasha D.

  Traveler

  

  Mar. 28, 2022

  Buena Vista Aquatic Recreational Area

  Good for fishing and water sports

  Super dusty, muddy and dirty if you’re off the main camp site away from the RV circle. What balances being away from the main campsite though- is the literal waterfront campsites. Weather is all over and there are tons of bugs because you’re on the waters edge- but the symphony of frogs singing you to sleep at night is great! Was there with my two dogs tent camping. Def not worth the cost if it’s a frequent visit place. Water spouts and flushing toilets/showers are only in the main campsite- not in the PKW where we were.

• 

  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.

• 

  Marie K.

  Guide

  

  Apr. 17, 2022

  KCL Campground

  Peaceful retreat in beautiful desolate Carrizo Plains

  Great little spot! I pulled in late at 10pm with my camper van. All the spots were taken except one tent camping spot - but it was super chill so im sure I could have parked in the large pullout just before the designated campground area. Just parked in the parking area of the camp area and slept in van. It was lightly drizzling when I woke up- absolutely beautiful! It was quite and everyone was very respectful. No water on site, people had campfires. Heads up - the road getting there is long and pretty rough, took a star for that - definitely washboard sections- so watch out for that. Happy camping

• 

  Roger W.

  Legend

  

  Dec. 31, 2022

  Dennison Park

  Rainy stop over near Ojai

  Rolling Oak Woodlands. Shade. Solar will be available in some sites. Note: sites near the road are near the highway -road noise.

  Tent site loop appears to be very nice and away from the highway. Trailer/ RV sites:. Our site, #1, looks down on day use parking area. Sites 2,5 and 6 are clustered together. Site 4 is one of the nicer RV sites - farthest RV site from the road and somewhat private.

  General: Quiet. Bathrooms are fine. There is some road noise during the day, I anticipate little at night.

• 

  Kelly M.

  Ranger

  

  Jul. 31, 2018

  Refugio State Beach Campground

  Beachfront camping

  If you're tent camping, try to get a site far from the RV-dominated area. That will ensure more peace and quiet where you can hear the waves (and not annoying generators). There are some really epic beachfront sites- you just kinda live at the beach. Sadly, this area was seriously impacted by an oil spill a few years back. The water seems to be okay for swimming/surfing, but you'll definitely end up with globs of tar stuck to you. Take some baby oil to help get the tar out and don't wear any swimsuit/trunks you dont want stained. That said, it is still a really beautiful place to spend some quality beach time and seems to have recovered somewhat since the oil spill.

• 

  Brandon C.

  Guide

  

  Jun. 12, 2022

  Foster Park Campground - TEMPORARILY CLOSED

  Worth every penny

  Being that we chose this camp site last minute is a total score. Large sites, full hookup options and 10 minutes from the beach. Camp host were very nice and accommodating. Some sites are close to the 33 highway so you will have road noise but we are used to Rincon. There is tent camping in the higher sites. Covered with plenty of mature trees for nice shade. Clean restrooms but no showers. Campground is very close to the Ojai-Ventura bike trail. Hiking trails all over and did I say 10 minutes from the beach!!! We stayed with our 2 toddlers/teen and had a blast. Only odd thing is that some sites hookups are backwards. No biggie. We just ran our lines under our rig. We would definitely stay here again.

• A

  Ariana F.

  Guide

  

  Sep. 27, 2021

  Cachuma Lake Recreation Area

  Great view but felt unsafe

  We camped here the Thursday before Labor Day weekend. It was empty! Out of 400 sites there were about a dozen campers here.

  When we first arrived to our lake site (453) there was a car in our spot and two guys were sitting at our picnic bench. They quickly left once they saw us pull in. It was very weird because they obviously weren’t campers. Once they left we started setting up camp but it was pretty difficult with the amount of wind so make sure to bring heavy duty stakes if tent camping here. The ground is extremely hard and rocky.

  The views are amazing though and site 453 is right on the lake. Although we were one of the only campers around there was an rv setup close by so we felt better until some random guys decided to have tea or something directly next to our site. They pulled up in a car and parked in the site next to us but didn’t setup anything except a little stove and kept all of the lights off and cooked in complete darkness which was very weird and strange. After about an hour of this they got in their car and left.

  We felt very unsafe at this point knowing that anyone could come into the campground even though they weren’t campers. It was getting really cold and the wind was still pretty strong so we decided to head in for the night. As soon as we laid down inside the tent the rv nearby decided to turn on their generator at 9pm! It ran until 1am when it finally ran out of gas. It kept us up all night and there wasn’t anything we could do. We tried calling the park number which no one answered. There was no patrolling at all of the campground had no camp host. We were completely on our own and just had to deal with the rude neighbors.

  I would not recommend this campground if you are tent camping with a family due to these issues above.

• 

  Robert T.

  Scout

  

  Aug. 10, 2020

  Mt. Figueroa Campground

  Great Tent Camping

  The family went up and enjoyed FigMtn campgrounds. The site is large but has a lot of flies. I would not recommend trailers or fifth wheels. This is mainly tent camping. 

  Cost:$20 

  Size: Good 

  People allowed per site: 6 

  Vehicles allowed per site: 1 

  Hookups: No water, no electric, no dumping 

  Includes: Bonfire pit, Grill, Table 

  Bathrooms: Non-flush toilets(three locations) 

  Camp host: Yes, Amber is great 

  Bugs: Lots of flies. Did not have any issues with mosquitos  

  Cellphone Service: Verizon has spotty service, but works better than most other big name companies. 

  First Come First Serve: Yes, but they fill up fast on weekends during spring, summer and fall. I would recommend getting a reservation.

  *Notes: 

  1. Fires are only allowed in camping grounds. 

  2. Website says you have to stay two nights, but camp host does not require that.