Several tent campgrounds are scattered throughout the Los Padres National Forest near Santa Maria, California, offering primitive tent camping with varying levels of accessibility. Colson Canyon Campground, located about 30-45 minutes from Santa Maria, provides basic tent sites with a few fire pits and picnic tables. Other tent-friendly options include Brookshire Campground, Miranda Pine Campground, and Bates Canyon Campground, all situated within the national forest boundaries and offering rustic, back-to-nature experiences.
Most tent campgrounds in the region require high-clearance vehicles, as access roads are typically rough, unpaved, and not well-maintained. Brookshire Campground can take 2-3 hours to reach via rough fire roads, and campers report needing SUVs or pickup trucks to navigate safely. The majority of tent sites lack drinking water, requiring visitors to either filter water from nearby creeks or pack in their own supply. Most campgrounds offer vault toilets, though they are often not stocked with toilet paper. Fire rings are common, but gathering fallen wood is necessary as firewood is not provided. California Adventure Passes ($5/day or $30/year) may be required for some areas.
Tent campers seeking solitude will find these remote sites particularly appealing. Miranda Pine Campground sits atop a mountain with sweeping views that extend all the way to the ocean, making it ideal for sunset and sunrise viewing. The campground's elevated position can make it exceptionally windy, however, particularly in spring. Despite their remote locations, these tent campsites often provide access to hiking trails and opportunities for wildlife observation. According to one visitor, "Every time I have gone I was there by myself or with friends. You can hunt, fish, hike, horse back ride and wake up to the sound of birds." The isolation of these tent campgrounds means campers frequently have entire sites to themselves, especially on weekdays and outside of hunting and summer seasons.
"Few fire pits and tables a couple flat spots for camping, 30-45 minute drive from Santa Maria. Drive slow down the dirt road as to not upset the residents of Colson Canyon."
"Bring water. But 100% recommend."
"There's plenty of tree and shade coverage, nice spread out spots to set up camp, and good nearby hikes. We stayed here during our PCT thru hike after crossing mile 100."
"private road that would be a great way to get to this campground if the gate was not locked talking to the US Forrest firemen across the street they said if that road was open it's about a 15 minute drive"
"Picnic tables at each site. Named for the larged Pine tree at the top of the mountain. Sunset and Sunrise views are incredible. Brought my dogs and they loved it."
"not stay at this site but I did stop on my way back into town it's well taken care of and has a 360° view literally at the top of a mountain so that's the good and that also makes it the bad too if winds"
"The entrance and exit are build for traffic going south, so you have to be comfortable doing a freeway u-turn if you're going north."
"This is a California Highway rest area right off the 101 just north of Goleta/Santa Barbara. As the sign says, one is allowed to park their 8 hours."
"The lake is 1/2 mile away, so very convenient. The park is loaded with really nice hiking trails. We are enjoying our weekend stay."
"Don’t know why people are saying it’s remote when there’s a main highway only a few miles away and ranch houses near by and cell Service."
ScoutFew fire pits and tables a couple flat spots for camping, 30-45 minute drive from Santa Maria. Drive slow down the dirt road as to not upset the residents of Colson Canyon.
TravelerWe attempted to get here based on some GPS coordinates we found online (I later noticed Google has it listed as a campground in the same spot we were were looking at). However, we arrived at a locked gate with a “private property, no trespassing” sign and didn’t see any other way to get to where we thought the campground was. We had passed by the ranger station on the way and it was closed so we had to find a different spot. The official directions do seem different than where we were, so maybe try this way or get directions from the rangers: “From Santa Maria: Highway 166 to Sierra Madre Road. Sierra Madre Road to Miranda Pines Road. Take Miranda Pines Road to Forest Road #11N04 and make a right into Brookshire Campground.” If you can find it, make sure to have a California Adventure Pass ($5/day or $30/year).
LegendNira is a small, primitive campground in the San Rafael wilderness behind the Santa Ynez Valley. The campground is a bit of a haul to get back to, and is often used as a base for backpackers entering the San Rafael wilderness or the Manzana Creek trail. I myself have only tent camped at Nira, just to go somewhere different - my boyfriend and his friends have backpacked out of Nira into the San Rafael Wilderness and to the Manzana Schoolhouse on multiple occasions.
Nira is the second, smaller campground back on Sunset Valley Road - Davy Brown Campground is up the road a little ways. Nira is small, with only 12 sites in a densely wooded live oak grove. The oaks provide a lot of shade and help separate the various camp sites. The Manzana Creek runs behind the campground; the main road leading into Nira is right above the campground, however, you’re pretty far back in the hills, so there isn’t a lot of noise from traffic.
Each site has a fire ring and a picnic table. There are no hook ups and only pit-toilets are available. There is NO DRINKING WATER available at Nira Campground, so be sure to bring plenty of water, especially if you plan to backpack through the area.
WARNING: You ARE in black bear country! While it is unlikely that a black bear will enter the campground, I would suggest locking your food and coolers in your car at night, as there are no food lockers in the campground. When hiking the Manzana Trail be aware of your surroundings: Black bears, coyotes, mountain lions, bob cats, and coyotes have been seen on the trail. CAMPSITE SPECS
Fees: $20/night (+ $10/ extra vehicle)
Plumbed Toilets: No - vault
Drinking Water: No
Showers: No
Picnic Table: Yes
Firepit: Yes
Cooking Grate: Yes
Shade: Yes
Cell Service: No
Animal Bins/Food lockers: No
Trash: Yes
Legend[ LOCATION -5 Stars ]
[ AMENITIES -4.5 Stars ]
[ CLEANLINESS -5 Stars]
GuideThe best part of this campground is access to the beach. We were there in early July and the water was like ice but absolutely beautiful. The campground itself was ok, it was a bit more primitive than I’m used to, but the sites themselves were nice. Each had a picnic table and fire ring. Most of the sites were nice sized as far as I could tell. There are no showers and only vault toilets so I wouldn’t stay here for more than 2 nights. Another perk is how it feels so far removed from civilization, but it’s really not.
GuideIt’s a very simple place but I found it so peaceful being surrounded by the golden plains, the breeze through the big shaded eucalyptus trees, and hearing the owls near sundown. Theres also hummingbirds that’ll get up right in your face. I was also the only one at the site so that was nice. The area is clean, vault toilets kinda gross though. Very small campground, a couple drive in sites and a couple walk in sites but each drive in site had a picnic table, fire ring, and a metal pole hook and theres one drinking water spigot for the whole campground. So not bad!! Road was surprisingly smooth majority of way and has some paved parts but there was some washboard parts too. Road to get here was long though about 13 miles from the blm sign. There was paper maps at the sign area. I got 3 bars at the campground with AT&T but was spotty on the drive over.
GuideSet atop a mountain, Miranda Pine campground gives sweeping views all the way to the ocean. Beware the road is long and unpaved, not suitable for a compact car. I did it with a high clearance 4WD and made it to the top. Only a couple sites at the top, but they are free. Picnic tables at each site. Named for the larged Pine tree at the top of the mountain. Sunset and Sunrise views are incredible. Brought my dogs and they loved it. No real services up here so its especially important to pack out all your trash and follow Leave No Trace ethics.
LegendFigueroa Campground is a 33-35 site campground behind Los Olivos, CA. It is surrounded by live oaks and gorgeous manzanita trees, so there is a lot of shade available.
Each site has a fire ring and a picnic table. There are no hook ups, and only pit-toilets are available. Note that there is NO DRINKING WATER available at Figueroa Campground, so be sure to bring plenty of water, especially if you plan to hike or backpack through the area.
There is a a lot of hiking trails available in the nearby area. Both Figueroa Mountain and nearby Grass Mountain are extremely popular hiking spots, especially in early spring when the wildflowers bloom in late March or early April . During the wildflower bloom, the sides of the hills and mountains can look solid vibrant ORANGE from afar - the wild California poppies grow dense in this area. Purple mountain lupine flowers are also found during the wildflower bloom.
If you or anyone in your party does not want to/cannot hike, the top of Figueroa Mountain is completely assessable by car - all of the big lookout points for optimal wildflower viewing are accessible by car, so the wildflowers are essentially accessible to everyone, hikers or not.
The Davy Brown Creek and Manzana Creek trails are also accessible from the Figueroa Mountain area; the area is popular for cyclists and off-road cyclists.
WARNING: You ARE in black bear country! While it is unlikely that a black bear will enter the campground, I would suggest locking your food and coolers in your car at night, as there are no food lockers in the campground. When hiking be aware of your surroundings: Black bears, coyotes, mountain lions, bob cats, and coyotes have been seen on the trails.
While the campground is fairly remote in the the hills, you are only 20 minutes away from Los Olivos, and 30 minutes away from Santa Ynez. Los Olivos has a great market with groceries, a bakery/coffee shop, a deli, and beer and local wine. There are many local vineyards, wineries, and breweries nearby. The Firestone Walker brewery, taproom, and Resturant is close-by - we highly recommend their food and beers!
CAMPSITE SPECS
Fees: $20/night (+ $10/ extra vehicle)
Plumbed Toilets: No - vault
Drinking Water: No
Showers: No
Picnic Table: Yes
Firepit: Yes
Cooking Grate: Yes
Shade: Yes
Cell Service: No
Animal Bins/Food lockers: No
Trash: Yes
GuideA small remote site on a BLM land, so it is free but it is a first come first serve site. Not many facilities or gas stations nearby so it may be a good idea to bring extra gas if you plan to explore Carrizo Plains. It is right off of Soda Lake Road, about half a mile from the road at a shady little grove. Went on a windy weekend, but campground was nestled under eucalyptus trees so it helped. There are owls in those trees, so they were hooting loud into the night. Some may like it, but it was pretty loud. There are two restrooms (vault toilets - no water), fire pits and picnic tables. Bring your own water. No trash service so pack in and pack out. Views are nice especially if you get sites facing the open plains. Went in June so it was already fire season so no camp fire was allowed. It was a non-busy weekend, but campers arrived late throughout the evening and it was almost full. Weekdays may be pretty deserted out there. Weather can get very hot so make sure to check weather forecast before heading out.
Los Padres National Forest hosts numerous primitive tent campsites near Santa Maria, California, offering solitude and backcountry camping experiences at elevations between 2,500 and 5,000 feet. These sites feature varying road conditions, with many dirt access roads requiring 2-3 hours of driving time from Santa Maria. The region's Mediterranean climate creates seasonal extremes, with summer temperatures reaching 90°F and winter temperatures dropping below freezing at higher elevations.
Hiking trails exploration: At Bates Canyon Campground, campers can access nearby trails leading to creek areas. One visitor notes, "Theres a nice trail that leads to the creek but unfortunately wasn't flowing right next to camp but it was just upstream."
Astronomy and stargazing: The Santa Margarita area offers excellent night sky viewing opportunities. According to a camper at KOA Campground Santa Margarita, "I enjoyed the fact that they had an astronomer one of the evenings to star gaze," making it perfect for amateur astronomers.
Wildlife observation: Wagon Flat provides opportunities for various outdoor activities including wildlife viewing. A camper reports, "I have seen bears and mountain lions so be prepared for that. Never been attacked by them," highlighting the importance of wildlife awareness.
Secluded camping spots: Many primitive tent campsites near Santa Maria allow campers to enjoy complete solitude. A visitor to Wagon Flat Campground shares, "Every time I have gone I was there by myself or with friends. You can hunt fish hike horse back riding and wake up to the sound of birds."
Panoramic mountain views: Miranda Pine Campground offers exceptional vistas from its mountain location. A camper describes, "Set atop a mountain, Miranda Pine campground gives sweeping views all the way to the ocean," making it worth the difficult drive.
Basic tent camping experience: Colson Canyon provides a straightforward camping experience for those seeking simplicity. A reviewer mentions, "Colson is basic, fun, old school camping. This place has been here forever. I'm sure in its day it was packed but now it's always quiet."
Road condition challenges: Many campgrounds require high-clearance vehicles and significant driving time. For Brookshire Campground, a visitor warns, "You will need a vehicle with clearance I did not put my 4runner into 4wd but I would not try this without an SUV or pickup truck."
Bathroom facilities: Vault toilets at these sites typically lack supplies. A Bates Canyon camper reports, "One of the bathrooms is destroyed and the other was absolutely disgusting, plus no toilet paper," reminding visitors to bring their own supplies.
Seasonal considerations: Spring can bring challenging weather conditions to higher elevation sites. A Miranda Pine visitor cautions, "Went on a Saturday night in the spring, and it was incredibly windy all day/night. Like... too windy to cook, hang out, relax."
Identify family-friendly sites: Some locations offer amenities better suited for children. At Arroyo Hondo Vista Point, families can "take a short 15 minute walk over the Amtrak bridge that passes through a special trout canal," providing educational opportunities.
Bring essential supplies: With limited facilities, family camping requires additional preparation. A Colson Canyon camper advises, "No bathrooms. Bring water. But 100% recommend," emphasizing the need to pack all necessities.
Consider noise levels: Highway proximity affects some campsites. An Arroyo Hondo visitor suggests, "If you park so that the large berm is between you and the freeway it muffles the sound," helping families get better rest.
Size restrictions: Many dispersed camping areas near Santa Maria have limited space for larger vehicles. A Bates Canyon visitor notes the campground is "Wayy off the main road on a non-maintained dirt road, only 4x4 accessible," making it unsuitable for most RVs.
Site selection: Finding level areas for RVs can be challenging. A camper observed at Bates Canyon, "All of the sites are not flat, some are so slanted that I can't believe someone made a campsite there," highlighting the importance of scouting locations in advance.
Alternative RV locations: Consider established campgrounds for better RV accommodation. KOA Santa Margarita offers "RV spots on flat, dusty parking areas and are easy to navigate," providing a more accessible option for larger vehicles than forest service sites.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular tent campsite near Santa Maria, CA?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Santa Maria, CA is Colson Canyon Campground with a 3-star rating from 6 reviews.
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TheDyrt.com has all 15 tent camping locations near Santa Maria, CA, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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