We spent 4 night at Cachuma Lake in our travel trailer. Our overall experience was good. The park is rather big as there are 400+ sites available however, only 100 have full hookups. As some of the other reviewers have written, the check-in process is over complex (especially checking in after hrs). For after hrs check-in, drive around and find a site, park your rig, and then drop 1 nights payment in the over night slot indicting the # of nights you will be staying. Pay the remaining nights the next day around noon after they collected the drop money from the night before. Discounts offered to several clubs so ask. (Note, no RV parking/setup after 10pm) In terms of the full hookup sites, some of them are pretty beat with big pot holes, we stayed in site 55 which was nice, minus the leaking water value. There is a nicely stocked general store onsite with a gas and propane station (prices were high like everywhere else) but, convenient. There is a nice boat dock and ramp with boat rentals which we did not uses. While the campground is a bit inland, it is still pretty close to Buellton, Solvang, Los Olivos and great wine tasting. We camped here in a Travel Trailer.

I'm really trying to like this park. This was the second time we've stayed there. We like the lake and the hiking. People are surprisingly quiet on a holiday weekend for a county park. The price is right and being first come first served made it a great option for late planners. Here are my gripes: They have a window for checking in, however they don't use it. I was asked to pull ahead so I don't block one of the two lanes entering the park. There were already too many cars parked in the "pull ahead" area, and nobody was beside me or behind me. When I asked where I was supposed to pull ahead to and mentioned all the spots were filled, he told me "it doesn't matter, I just don't want you blocking the lane". My response was "so it's ok to block the lane as long I do it down the road and have to walk all the way back?". I don't think he was getting the concept, but that's ok. This was a minor complaint. My biggest complaint was about all the extra fees they charge. They charged us $10 a day for our car. If it were towed in, it would have been included. It would have been towed if my didn't have to run to the store really quick. I wanted to just disconnect the RV, take it outside the park, connect it up, and drive back through. But they said I'd still have to pay. I also have a well trained golden retriever (which couldn't hurt a fly if he tried) and I had to pay $3 a day for him. Did he really cost the park $3 a day in "maintainance"? Not to mention the constant baggering about being on a leash. So, the extra charges, the constant baggering and lack of firepits in the full hookup area are the reasons this rating is a 7. We camped here in a Motorhome.

Beautiful setting and worth the drive into Santa Barbara. The RV sites have some broken cement but are huge. The lake was busy with a fishing tournament when we were there. We are planning on returning there at some point. We camped here in a Motorhome.

Nice campground. Not much to do here if you don't fish. Take notice that the bait and tackle shop is closed Monday/Tuesday. (I found out the hard way.) Had to drive into Santa Ynez for fishing hooks. The shoreline is not easily accessible from the RV (hookup) areas. Had a great time though. Would recommend. Nice nature center for the kids. We camped here in a Travel Trailer.

We enjoyed getting back to nature at this park. Plenty of room to pull our 40' coach in and didn't feel too close to our neighbors. Many critters in the evening to watch, including raccoons and skunks, which were very used to being watched by vacationers. The lake was beautiful and we enjoyed sitting out and having breakfast at the little restaurant at the lake. The price was right and surroundings were so enjoyable that we hated to leave and continue our trip. We camped here in a Motorhome.

Rustic sites overlooking very large, beautiful lake, high up on a mountain. Quite a climb if coming up from the Santa Barbara side. Bring “IT” with you as there is no Wal-Mart down the street. Everything from tent sites to full hookup pull-thrus. Nicer than the average county park. A great place to spend time with the family or a large group get-together. We camped here in a Motorhome.

Large sites with concrete pads. Pads not very level. Lots of shade trees in the full hookup section. Several trails along lake and campground. Boat ramp at Marina was closed due to construction. Nature center has a nice collection of stuffed birds, animals and a Chumash Indian display. There is even a naturalist at the center. We camped here in a Motorhome.

I really can't complain too much about this CG. There really wasn't any major problems to speak about. But there were some little annoyances that add up to me ultimately not enjoying our time there. Some of them are under the control of the CG, some weren't. First of all, it was hot. I mean really hot. Every day was over 100 degrees. This is the aspect that isn't under their control. However, not allowing people to enjoy the lake (i.e. swim in the lake) is ridiculous. "No human contact allowed" is well marked all over the place. I don't understand this. I understand it's the primary drinking source for Santa Barbara, but I would hope they would still treat the water regardless before it hits Santa Barbara homes. If a bear can take a dip in the water, why can't I? The second issue I had was with the fees. Sure I got two dollars off my rate being military. But $6 a day to have a car there is ridiculous. If you tow the vehicle in, you don't have to pay anything. But if you drive it in, $6 a day. Then they want $3 a day for my dog. Are you kidding me? What does the dog do that makes the CG spend time, effort, or money on the fact that my dog was there? I picked up his messes, not them. An then there's the pool. I have been to park pools before where you had to pay to swim. I'm good with that. But it's not a flat rate here. It is a dollar per hour of use, per person. If you get a family of 5 that wants to cool off in the pool, your paying $5 an hour. When you do that for two hours a day times 5 days, that's $50 in pool fees. The last bit that annoyed me was when I registered. They gave me a list of open spaces I could choose from. As I went through, there were many open spots that weren't on the list that I would have rather had, but they didn't offer them and they couldn't give me a valid reason why when I asked. I think they were holding them for friends personally. Overall, it was a decent CG with better than average security. Would I go back? Maybe when it's not so hot and we could enjoy the couple of trails they have and do some kayaking on the lake. For the money though, you won't find a nicer CG in this area. We camped here in a Motorhome.

Very nice park with large lake access and a few good hiking trails. Lots of teens in the tent areas but the RV area is great and more quiet. Only 30amp hookups. Each site has a grass area and a good distance from the neighbor. Cons: No Wifi. Concrete pad is not level. No reservations accepted (first come first get). We camped here in a Motorhome.

There are a wide variety of camp sites in this park. The map of the park made it appear that the full hookup sites were jammed together, so we looked at water & electric sites first. The full hookup sites were actually well spaced with concrete pad, and many sites were shaded by large trees so we chose to stay there. There is a store, a laundry, boat rentals, and many optional services. There are 7% grades between Santa Barbara and the campground. We would stay here again. We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.

Wonderful campground between Santa Barbara and Solvang. Large level cement sites in wooded setting with beautiful large lake and BIRDS everywhere. Full service, but only 30 amps. Many wineries in area. We camped here in a Motorhome.

We love it here! Only inexpensive place we could stay near Santa Barbara that could fit us (37' motorhome + 27' car trailer) and weekly rate is only $132/week ($22/night, pay for 6 nights and 7th is free) so ends up $19/night! Plenty of room on our site for the motorhome, trailer, jeep cherokee, and motorcycle, as well as a picnic table and bbq grill. Full hookups. Dogs are supposed to be $3/night extra, but they didn't charge us for ours. Only 17 miles up Hwy 154 from Santa Barbara and 10 miles from Solvang, Los Olivos, and wine country, 8 miles from big Indian Casino. Boat rentals available also. We love it here so much, we are staying for the max 90 days they will allow us! Not crowded either, plenty of space which is good since they don't take reservations. We camped here in a Motorhome.

Santa Barbara County Park system. No body contact with the lake water. Fishing is allowed. Dogs are $2/night. AAA/Senior discounts. Full hook up sites have concrete pads with lawn (watered year round)and large trees. Water & Electric only and dry sites are all lawn or dirt as the season (rain) dictates. Quiet campground, we stay there frequently. Staff is very friendly. Solvang and Santa Ynez close by. We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.

Sites are concrete slabs, and roadways are paved. Growing shrubs provide some modicum of privacy between sites. Lower areas, closer to #101, there is road noise. Higher on the grounds, the view of the ocean is fabulous. Very clean and well maintained. Swimming pool and hot tub were terrific. Very expensive by most standards, most likely related to its proximity to Santa Barbara and LA. Not quite a "ten" but close. Very accommodating and courteous personnel. We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.

An excellent park and service from the staff. Was well worth the price. We camped here in a Motorhome.

This is truly a place you’d like to come and stay for a while. Too bad we only had 4 days . Proximity ( thought not physically) to US 101 and the RR tracks are an unfortunate feature that must be overlooked if you want to stay anywhere on this magnificent piece of coast line. If you don’t consider train whistle’s romantic you might be disappointed. The views are unobstructed. The facility is first class and they’ve dumped a ton of cost into this park so expect first class pricing. You do get what you pay for, most assuredly. The restaurant and store at the adjacent resort are but a short walk down the hill and the food and merchandise were good and ample. There is no dearth of hiking trails throughout the surround landscape with different lengths and levels of difficulty. There were also some bike trails although a little overgrown. All-in-all a 10 and we’d come back again We camped here in a Travel Trailer.

Excellent care to grounds, beautiful area, nice people in office. But for $70 off season, I would have liked the promised ocean view not blocked by the long side of a Class A on the level below. We camped here in a Motorhome.

You get what you pay for! Ocean Mesa is top notch all the way. The staff are all very friendly, so helpful and just a pleasure to have a conversation with. The grounds & buildings are kept immaculant. I recommend strolling down to the Market & Deli. I will stay here again next time I am in Santa Barbara. We camped here in a Travel Trailer.

This is a beautiful park, but too expensive. There is no internet to speak off--spotty and slow--and a lot of noise from Highway 101. There is a nice pool and hot tub overlooking the ocean. The sites are fairly close together and there are a lot of campers in tents. We camped here in a Motorhome.

Great staff! We came here over MLK weekend and it was packed. We've been here over the years and it's great to see they kept up. Very clean & Very friendly. Will always come back here. We camped here in a Motorhome.

The park was very clean. There were privacy bushes between most sites. The higher sites have a limited ocean view. Not all sites have an ocean view as was stated over the phone. There is some traffic noise since it is close to highway 101. We were there over a holiday weekend so the price was higher. This is a very expensive park but was very nice and only a couple of years old. The people at the desk were very helpful. One good thing is that you can ask for a certain site and they will guarantee it. There is a lot of lighting at night so we felt very safe. The hookups were very convenient. I will stay here again. We camped here in a Travel Trailer.

Really nice park. We camped over labor day weekend and it was packed. Nice pool, jacuzzi and playground. Close to El Capitan. It is beautiful and you can get ocean view sites from the upper level. Definitely expensive and I'm sure we payed a premium because it was a holiday weekend. About 20 minutes back to Santa Barbara. We would stay here again. We camped here in a Travel Trailer.

I am here now for the night. I made reservations for the weekend, but upon arrival could not stay where the real views are. Up above. My rig was too big they said. So, for the money we decided one night would be enough. The park is clean and dog runs very clean. Just too much money for what you get. Employees are somewhat nice. We camped here in a Motorhome.

A very nice park, but I wouldn't stay there again because of the price. Just too expensive for me. The only other negative is that they didn't enforce quiet time, and the kids started making noise very early each morning. The park photo on the Internet suggests, I think, that the sites are on the ocean. In fact, they're across the highway and up the hill. Some have an ocean view, however. We camped here in a Travel Trailer.

Like the other reviewers, I found this to be a wonderful park. It's clean, well kept, the staff is friendly and helpful. The fenced dog run is well kept. I would have rated this park higher but for the nightly rate. I think that $90 per night is excessive. At $20 less it would be a ten. We will probably stay there again as we cannot stay as the state park across the freeway due to rig size. We camped here in a Motorhome.

This park has been reviewed many times so not much to add here except the following. Price is too high for the amenities in the campground. Wifi didn't work, I asked the campground employees about it and they said that it was working. I then thought that it might be my laptop but when returning home I went to the library and it worked fine there. Probably won't return. We camped here in a Travel Trailer.

The view from our site (872) was incredible of the Pacific Ocean. We had a large pull-through site with a fire pit and full-hookups. They had live music on Saturday night (sorry to say, we couldn't make it). Although this was the most expensive campsite we have ever had ($90/night), it was worth every penny! The staff was wonderful, the facilities were clean (including laundry, pool/spa, etc.)and there is even a hiking trail. I would highly recommend Ocean Mesa and am sure we'll be back! We camped here in a Travel Trailer.

We just got back from Ocean Mesa, and it was a lovely experience except for two major faults. I was hoping for a quiet weekend to catch up on some work, and chose this campground since WiFi was advertised. I figured the extra cost was worth it. Much to my chagrin, there was no WiFi available. Walking up to the office I was told that they didn't know what was wrong, and although the office staff told me they had rebooted the system, I was never able to connect. Ergo, no Internet. And while the park is immaculately clean, and the view nice, $70 for one night is too steep given the amenities. I wish I could go back again, but the cost to benefit ratio just isn't there for me. We camped here in a Motorhome.

This is a nice new RV park. There are nice ocean views, and the park is less than a mile to El Capitan State Beach. The spots are paved concrete with bushes that separate each campsite. There is also a picnic table and fire ring at every site. The only negative thing that we found is that there are no close restaurants nearby except for the deli at El Capitan Canyon (resort campground that is walking distance from Ocean Mesa) which was good but expensive. There is also a new play structure and an large grassy area for pets. We did not use any of the other amenities since we were just passing through. Overall, it is nice, but pricey for an RV campsite but we would still like to come back again when we have more time to enjoy it. We camped here in a Motorhome.

This is a beautiful RV Park and we got a great winter rate because of the 20% discount, but doubt we would stay here when the rates are $85.00: ouch. Beautiful ocean views and we lucked out with great weather. As the previous post says, there are no restaurants, et al around here some come fully stocked. Regarding their drive thru spots, you must unhook your tow vehicle first. I thought this quite unusual. Otherwise a very nice park. You cannot beat the view. We camped here in a Motorhome.

Brand new park in beautiful location with good views--but the rate is very high for any park and this one doesn't justify it....and they don't give any discounts. The facilities are very nice, looks like a great pool and spa, clean laundry etc but the place isn't finished yet (e.g. the kids playground structure is installed but roped off because the space around it isn't completed yet). The hookups and pads are concrete and brand new and the internet works great. Backing in our 40 ft motorhome was a challenge--the roads aren't quite wide enough and the 5th wheel across the street was in just the wrong place--I had to use the landscaped area to make the turn to back in. Given all the space they have to work with, the spaces are tighter than they need to be (and they should be much bigger for the price). This was a convenient stopping place on the way back north from Southern CA but it is too expensive and not close enough to Santa Barbara (about 20 miles south) or Solvang (30+ miles north) to make this a destination site. We camped here in a Motorhome.

Nice clean park. We were in a space that backed up to the trees, just below the office. WiFi was good. It was the weekend and there were lots of kids. For the back-in spaces, the street was a little narrow for a big rig, but manageable. The lots are not paved or concrete, but wide. The park has fire rings and sells wood which was great. The pool area was very nice and all amenities were very clean. The staff was friendly and helpful. Nice view of the ocean in the distance and great location to visit Santa Barbara and ElCapitan Beach. We camped here in a Motorhome.

Great park, sites were large, private, level and we had a great view. Excellent set up and worth the money. We camped here in a Motorhome.

This park is definitely a VERY clean park. It is brand new, I was told that they finished it in Oct. of '06. This is by far the nicest park I have stayed in. Everything worked great, the 50 amp service, water, sewage, and evey thing else. The only reason I gave it an 8 out of 10 is because of a few things. First, the walk to the beach is a very long one. I suggest you bring bikes or a tow vehicle. Second, the rules are very tight or at least that's the feeling my wife and I got. It is more than likely because it is so new. Finally, the smell of sewage was pretty strong at times, but not that often. Once again, probably because it is such a new park. There is stuff to do with that kids. The pool was spotless as well as the facilities around it. Also in the sister property next to the CG, (El Capitan Canyon) which is a short walk, they had a band playing on Saturday night which was a lot of fun for my 2.5 year old daughter. The price is a tad on the steep side, but overall it is a nice getaway for a family. We camped here in a Motorhome.

Everything you could want in a campground at 1/2 the price. Perfect location, beautiful views, terrific trails. Each campsite has a nice fire pit, although, the rustic nature of the picnic tables are not very functional. Wifi is free, and good reception, but did not work the first night. Staff was much less then helpful with this. Did I mention how expensive it is. On the other hand, it's Santa Barbara, if the state campgrounds are full, and you want the facilities of an RV resort, you just cannot beat this place. One side benefit to the price is there are many sites available without need of reservation, at least this time of year. We camped here in a Motorhome.

This is another great preserve in the Thousand Trails system. It is close to Santa Barbara and the "Sideways" wine country. We will stay here again when in the area. We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.

Camped here as an Resort Parks International member. Rancho Oso is a horse ranch, so the cool thing is that there are a lot of horses around as you drive in. They do offer trail rides and a few other ranch activities. The facilities are very nice - there is a well-maintained adult lodge with free, albeit slow, wifi, a pool table, book exchange, tv, common areas, etc. There is a family lodge for the kids to enjoy, 2 pools (one heated year-round), a hot tub, mini-golf, horseshoes, tennis, basketball, etc. There are a lot of activities and meals, and what's nice, is it's year-round (too many campgrounds stop the fun activities off-season). All this being said, however, we were disappointed that the camping spots weren't nicer - it's dusty here - no grass. The campground is row-upon-row of RV sites, and although decent in size, they're just dirt, not even a concrete slab. You are in the middle of nowhere, so whether this is good or bad is up to you - it's about 30 minutes to Santa Barbara. We camped here in a Travel Trailer.

I liked this park. It has two swimming pools and a hot tub. You need to be in sites 1-30 to have a campfire (we were and did). There is a real feel of community here. The flies were bad. I guess it is to be expected because this is a working horse ranch. WiFi in the adult lodge. Mini-golf was fun, and the wives had fun with the crossword puzzle. We will go back. We camped here in a Travel Trailer.

We stayed here for 2 weeks as it was a membership park for Thousand Trail. Its a heck of a narrow road and only one way in part of it, with a stop lite, and 3 mirrors to watch while driving in. Once down the hill you see the beautiful Ranch with lots of horses. Overall it was nicely maintained with lots to do. Would stay again. We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.

Excellent park. Access is via a long narrow one lane road. Facilities were generally excellent. Free WiFi in the vicinity of the Adult Lodge only. This is a Thousand Trails park but we visited as an RPI member so we paid $8 a night. We camped here in a Motorhome.

This is a lovely campground located in the mountains. The views are spectacular. The staff is excellent and security is good. We stayed here for 2 weeks and would return anytime. Located about 15 miles from Solvang, CA. The campground is also a dude ranch so you can go on horse rides. We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.

As Indicated in the other reviews this is the only RV Park in Santa Barbara. It is very tight for a 40' motor home, so I wouldn't consider it big rig friendly. The sites are very small and it is very noisy despite the noise barrier along Route 101. The local residents like loud mufflers and run up and down the street till late at night and start around 7 am in the morning. Very basic park and expensive for what you get, a place to park with hookups. We camped here in a Motorhome.

Had I have known that this campground was literally 20 feet from a very busy freeway, I obviously would have stayed elsewhere. You won't need an alarm clock here, the traffic starts around 4:30 in the morning. We did leave 2 days prior to our original departure date. Campground is very basic and expensive for what there is here. However, this is the only campground in Santa Barbara. It is in an older, lower income area. Do yourself a favor go to another campground further north or south of Santa Barbara. We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.

Space is at a premium in Santa Barbara and this is the only RV park available. Very tight to maneuver within the park. You are right off the 101 highway, vehicle noise is very noticeable and it is very dusty due to the highway traffic. It is a very pleasant, quaint park and the office is very helpful and friendly. I stayed for three months while working and would definitely stay here again. We camped here in a Motorhome.

The park is in the older part of town, and it is right next to Hwy 101. But if you need to stay in Santa Barbara its self, its very covenant. If your looking for a camping experience do not stay here. The staff was pleasant and very helpful. If I had to come to Santa Barbara and had no transportation I would stay here (no toad) bus line close by. If not I would stay north or south of town at one of the state beach camp grounds. We camped here in a Motorhome.

This Park was the Worst. It is located in the worst part of Santa Barbara and my site was about 15 feet away from the freeway barrier wall. When Calling for reservations, the proprietor makes this park sound delightful and high end. I would rather have stayed in the parking lot at Wal-Mart. The problem is that this is the only RV park in the Santa Barbara area. Drive further south and try to stay along the coast at the beach. We camped here in a Motorhome.