Best Cabin Camping near Taft, CA

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.

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.

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.

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!

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.

+ 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.

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!!!

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.

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.

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

I have been coming to this campground annually since around 2009, and I've loved every trip. The campground is on the larger side, filled with grassy and shaded sites all throughout it. There is a general store, clean bathrooms, and showers.

The campground is based on a peninsula that juts into the lake, therefore it has waterfront campsites on both sides, and all the sites in the middle are only a matter of 2-3 campsites from a water's edge. When you first enter the campground, there are a few day use only spots near the general store. All campsites at the base of the peninsula are the ones that families tend to stick to, as there is a pool, its close to the store, and that is the only area on the campground with full and partial hookups. As you travel up the peninsula, limited Yurts and Cabins are along the waterfront. Most yurts have a foot trail down to the water. The Yurt I stayed in (we camped 3 nights and had a yurt the last two) slept 4-6 people, 6 if you have kids. Yurts do not have bathrooms. It has electricity and heat, two bunk beds, a view of the lake, a wrap- around patio with chairs, picnic table, fire pit, water source, grill, and ample parking space. I have never stayed in a cabin here before but they look really nice.

The general store is filled with pretty much anything you could ask for. About 3 rows of dry grocery goods, 1 refrigerated section including a very impressive selection of local craft beers, ice machine, firewood, smores stuff, fishing poles/ odd's and end's, candy, trinkets and gifts, propane, camping supplies, cooking supplies, stationary, etc. The wine selection, on the other hand, is sub-par; so a stop in SB on the way up is a must if you need wine! Keep in mind the store closes week days at 4 and weekends at 5 if i'm not mistaken.

I think the main thing that keeps this campground so peaceful (other than their strictly enforced quiet hour from 10pm-7am) is the fact that NO SWIMMING, speedboats, wake boarding or waterskiing is allowed in the lake because is is a source of drinking water in the area. That being said, you are more than welcome to rent a 4 or 6 person fishing boat or 6-10 person pontoon boat for the day or hourly at the marina fishing store. The lake is open to fish until 6pm if you have a vehicle or are on a boat- a park ranger will come around at 6 and let everyone with a car know its time to go. However, if you walk to the marina, you could fish all night for all they care. You can also purchase fishing licenses for the day, 2 days, or year, at a reasonable price (I got a year pass it was $53.74) along with endless fishing lures, bait (including live), hooks, line, and poles. In regards to actually catching fish- In the past years I always rented a boat and i caught a lot of bass and carp, an occasional rainbow trout. This time I had plenty luck from certain parts of shore! Tons of beautiful 3 lb rainbow trout and 2 lb crappie! The limit was 10 per person, and people around us definitely caught their limit, but we were conservative and only caught what we needed for the day. Some fish bite more in certain areas of the lake than others, if you don't mind to hike a mellow/ moderate journey you'll find plenty of little coves within a reasonable distance of the campground. If you're looking for a bit more strenuous of a journey word has it there is a trail that goes all the way around the perimeter of the lake- I, however, have not hiked the trail, as my husband and I were backpacking into the campsite and that was an adventure in its self and I was exhausted!

Like I mentioned before, the bathrooms and showers are very clean. No mirrors in the bathroom, there are multiple bathroom buildings throughout the campground along with the showers. Showers are individual rooms that have a locking door. Showers are pay showers, so bring a lot of quarters if you plan to stink pretty. I think it was $1.50 for 3 minutes.

Another note: This campground is near the water (the lake and the ocean) and you're in the mountains; which means it will be generally pretty windy (bring chapstick!). The wind dies down midday and at night. If you're trying to light a fire when the sun is setting- good luck. 20 minutes later- you're golden. It also gets very cold at night! I'm form Southern California, so by cold I mean mid to low 40's, then add wind- yikes. On the contrary, bring sun screen for the day- cause it gets pretty warm! I'm still suffering the repercussions of not wearing any after fishing all day lol.

Overall the campground is aesthetically pleasing on many levels. From the abundance of grass (no dirt sites), trees, rolling hills of knee high grass, blooming flowers, wildlife (ground squirrels, birds including california condors, blue jays, hawks, etc.), and, of course, the gorgeous cascading mountains plummeting straight into the lake, there's not a thing about this campsite I couldn't love.

Camped out July 21 -22 2019 at Reyes creek campground. We got the last available spot as we showed up late that afternoon. Plenty of fish in the creek. Temp was well in the mid 90s ... it was super hot. We still managed to do a small hike up the piedra Blanca trail to upper Reyes. Trail is brushy in some areas with some washouts in others. Some beautiful shaded areas where we took a few breaks to get away from the heat.

This Campground belongs to the Thousand Trails network. We use it quite often as it is only 2 hours from our house. The campground is nice. There are wild turkeys that wander thru the campground and you will see an occassional deer or 2. Good & bad is that your wifi, cell service is very limited here. If you want to get away from that hectic "connected 24/7" life this is a place you can do it. If you need that constant connection you won't like it.

This was our first time at this site. There are several areas to choose from and we were in the 500s. Though this is a non-hook up area and mostly Tenters, this is a nice out-of-the-way, spaciously spaced, quiet, right on the water, great spot for boondocking!

Not too far from restrooms and showers and closer Andy gumps over here, too.

Great place to ride your bike - paved and non paved routes. Hiking? I’d say more like walking and certainly beautiful sights to see! Egrets, heron, hawks, maybe turkey vultures, too?

Not sure about WiFi but tmobile cell signal was strong enough over in the 500s.

Come here and relax, enjoy, get away and feel peace.

We stayed during the recent storm of the century in Central California so weren’t able to take advantage of what the park has to offer. The sites are very long and not too jammed together. Immaculate bathrooms and showers. Close to Los Olivos (great wine tasting) and Solvang. Disc gold course.

Such a lovely place off the beaten path. The staff go out of their way to find solutions to help make your stay the best ever! I feel very lucky to have stayed there. And look see there’s Bambi!!

Facilities kept really clean and lots of tp in the loos!!

Truly a Great place where the staff really go above and beyond to make your stay an amazing one.

Down the road is the very cool and quite eccentric town of Solvang which looks like a little bit of Holland transplanted into the middle of California desert! With Windmills and cheese shops galore! Great place to visit for the Christmas shop that is open all year round (Plus the amazing pancakes) Loads of microbreweries around here too really so much to see and do you need at least a week. 👍👍👍

Lots of campsite choices along the ridge with beautiful expansive views of the plain. During springtime, the wildflowers are beautiful. Site also has unique glamping options. Booked on Hipcamp. Owner is accommodating and sells firewood. Would recommend visiting during the cooler months as it's an open plain, but there are nice hand built pergolas at the picnic benches for some shade.

This is one of our favorite places to camp. The sites are spacious with potable water and the chemical toilets are actually clean. The host is friendly and sells wood, if you don’t bring enough.

Ashley here with The Dyrt. This little house is just that, little and so sweet! This host has really thought of it all. Fun lawn games, a projector to watch a movie, and a little bathroom. Give them a try and leave some love for them here!

This site is highly accessible but still felt local and gives a great mixture of relaxation and creature comforts. There is a bar at the campground entrance if that is your speed, but we took advantage of the winding creek side path behind site 18. Our fellow campers were very respectful and the grounds were tidy.