One of the best campsites Ive had the chance to camp at. We booked site #453 and it was right by…read morethe northeastern part. Its right by the water, which allowed for beautiful views the entire time we were there. Be warned, it can get super windy since most of the campsites that are close to the water are on a bluff, which lead to our campsite being windier than those that were away from the water. The campground itself is mostly dirt and the camp roads need some TLC but the grounds themselves are well maintained. There are a couple of restrooms throughout the campsite and the toilets are flushable. They have a showers that cost $1 for about 3 minutes of very very hot water. We wernt able to change the water temp so that was unfortunate. Now lets get into our campsite. As mentioned, it was by the water and there were some trees nearby but they provide little to no shade. A couple of campsites further south was a campsite that was identical to ours but with lots of shade. I would recommend at least 2 canopies to stay cool in the summer heat. We were able to make both a wood fire and use our propane stove, so i'm glad there were no fire restrictions in place. (Make sure to check local fire restrictions during fire season!) This was mid August and we camped Monday-Thursday and we found the campground to be fairly quite at night. Make sure to secure your food at night as there are LOTS of raccoons. On our second night I was woken up to an entire family looking through our belongings. Thankfully, all other campers were respectful of quite hours and we slept good all three nights. Another thing we were not prepared for was the amount of hornets/wasps. Every time we cooked breakfast our campsite was swarmed by them to the point were we were getting uncomfortable by the amount that had spawned outta nowhere. I would advise taking something to deter them. There's a camp store by the entrance of the campsite, they have all the essentials with a slight upcharge, but thats expected since the other closest stores were 20-30 min away. They also have a gas station there that was fairly priced and had all the essentials(Beer, food and ice). Passing the store and heading towards the campsites, theres also a docking station where you can rent boats, Kayaks, etc. The rangers were all kind and on the last day when we were leaving, my car battery had died and they were kind enough to give us a jump. I cant recommend this spot enough, there's plenty to do within the campground and its perfect for a quick getaway.

Quick stop at Lake Cachuma while on our way we only had about 15 minutes to use the restroom and…read moretake a quick look around. Even in that short time, the lake was stunning. The water was such a beautiful deep blue, and the whole area has a calm, scenic feel. It definitely looks like a great place for camping or spending a full day outdoors. Next time, I'd love to come back and explore more.

Came here weekend of July 24-27 for family reunion and overall was a fun event. They do have water…read moreparks, lazy river, lake fishing, etc so lot to do for most. I gave 4 stars because it seemed more resort than nature setting like Big Sur we did few years ago. Time and place for everything and was still fun seeing family that we haven't seen in awhile.

We have been coming to Lake Casitas every year for the past 10 years, reserving an entire section…read morefor our annual family camping trip. Sadly, this was by far the most disappointing experience we've had. The campground was extremely busy, but that's all the more reason for proper maintenance. The bathrooms were consistently dirty throughout our four-day stay. The Full trash bag (1) sat in the same can for days, the urinals were filthy, the floors were disgusting, and the showers had yellow, mold and spider webs. Based on the condition, it didn't appear they were being cleaned regularly. We also dealt with wasps the entire time. There were at least two active nests on site restroom, making it uncomfortable and concerning for families with children. We frequently saw staff driving around the campground, but on several occasions they simply sat in their vehicles for a while and then drove away without addressing overflowing trash or the condition of the restrooms. Even the rental boats looked poorly maintained, which made them feel unsafe to use. After a decade of making wonderful memories at Lake Casitas, it was heartbreaking to see the campground in such poor condition. We truly hope management invests more attention in cleanliness, maintenance, and guest safety because this campground has so much potential. Unfortunately, this visit left us extremely disappointed.

Man, I really lucked out with this trail. I was on a group camping trip up the road at Lake…read moreCachuma and had this trail scheduled. They told us it was a 6 mile hike and about 30 minutes into the drive over there I was already ready to go home. lol. I am not a hiker and it was really hot so I was nervous about being able to hang, and the fact that I was at the mercy of other people was making me sweat. Luckily, the swimming hole we found at the end of about a half mile of "hiking" was perfect and the group went swimming and after an hour or so they were ready to go back. If I can make it out here again, I will try to hike the rest of the trail and find the other swimming holes. Be prepared for the $10 fee to get into the park. There will be a person there to collect it and give you a tag. This spot is not run by the forest service, so the person is not official looking. There are several river crossings you have to pass just to get to the trail head, which can be driven through in a sedan, but probably better if you have a bigger car. It's about 5 miles in from the point you pay and it is seriously beautiful. Be careful, look for other cars and don't get distracted by the view, but do enjoy it! We stopped in a few places to take pictures because there was no one behind us. Highly recommend!!

Such a beautiful place and fun to take the family. Especially now that there should be more waterread more

We made our annual summer camping trip with three other families, and as always, we had a BLAST and…read morecreated awesome memories. This campground is well maintained except for the blacktop leading to the individual campsites. These roads could definitely use some much-needed TLC Despite this minor issue, there is so much to do here for kids of all ages 1-100 and beyond. Besides camping, there are trails everywhere to bike, walk, or jog. There is a large area where you can rent boats (pontoons), fish, and use a large public swimming pool, plus movie nights sponsored by the campground, showers, a market, a gas station, and much more. Quiet time in the entire campground is from 10 pm - 700 am, which means all music and other loud noise must cease during this period. If you do not abide by this strict rule, park rangers will kindly remind you of this campground rule. Individual campsites are spacious and offer campers room to park their vehicles and set up tents, canopies, and other camping equipment. Campers are very respectful of each other's space This place is safe and conveniently located with mere Miles from the city of Solvang and a twenty-five-minute drive to Santa Barbara. I hope to keep this destination as an annual vacation spot for my family and friends for years to come.

Great place and staff are very friendly. Restrooms/showers are a huge plus and clean. Portal…read moretoilets are available, but such a strong odor, I didn't use them after the first time. Would have been nice to have electricity to the tent sites, but not really an issue. I'll be back.

10/10. Epic Sea Caves. Lives up to its name. Fantastic crew: well organized, well spoken, called…read moreout safety first, and delivered a fun experience for every age/skills. There were kids as young as 6 yo who had an incredible time kayaking + snorkeling. At the end of the day it's about making new friends + adventurous memories + we did just that. We became friends with the sea, ocean creatures, kelp forest, and the beautiful arches + caves. We made new friends with world travelers who chose to prioritize Channel Island National Park during their stay in California. I rarely want to repeat experiences but this is one I'd do again in a heartbeat.

My kids and I did the epic sea cave tours and snorkeling. Everything was great. We saw a megapod of…read moredolphins, seals, tons of birds and fish. They were well organized and made everything easy. I've always wanted to go to the Channel Islands and so glad I chose this tour.

This man made lake sits on 125 acres and is private. It is so pretty and is surrounded by over 1300…read morehuge and bougie homes. It has 8 miles of shoreline and was built in 1969. You can fish, but you must throw them back. There are lots of places to sit and just enjoy the views too. I am not sure if swimming is allowed. There are a couple of upscale restaurants along the shore that one can dine at. The rest of the area is a business plaza. I did not feel like I was still in LA. The neighborhood is so gorgeous!

Who feels like chilling today?! I DO, I DO!!!!! But I don't feel like going far...Hmmmm, where to…read morego? Westlake Lake!!!~ That is where! In 1969, this lake was created as a community development...But wait...there is more...Get this, it was designed to control flooding & to create a scenic focal point for the community. This would replace the town's earlier plan for a concrete flood control channel. Absolutely brilliant plan! But let's not get all "environmentally jacked up" because this review is more about the scene here... As George Costanza's dad Frank would say, "SERENITY NOW!" There are several restaurants and shops along the lake. You can also "catch & throw," along the lake, sit on a bench and enjoy the calmness. *Plenty of parking in the lot *Restaurants are $$$ *FREE ~ Walking around the lake and enjoying the peacefulness

I found Mono Campgrounds on GORP and it was listed as a top ten campground for Southern California…read more I was stoked to hear that there was swimming, hot springs, and many more great things to do. However, this campground is not all it is promised to be. First, the hot springs are pretty cool. However, they really are HOT. I mean too hot to go into when I was there. Hotter than a jacuzzi for sure. And they are literally piped into a little pool type concrete thing. Still nice though, but don't expect a natural swimming hole. Second, the area is very beautiful. You are not that far from Santa Barbra, but once you are over the first mountain range, you are into the middle of no where and it is beautiful. However, be prepared that you will have to drive 15+ miles over rough road. I saw some BMWs out at the campground, but man, I do not know how or why these people would take their cars out there. It is rough for a standard SUV and most people out there bring old beat up four wheelers. There are multiple water crossings and steep roads. We went in July (2010) and it was hot, about 95 when it was only 70 by the ocean. But this wasn't a surprise. But the millions of flys were. They were everywhere and unbearable. We left a night early because they were so bad. As for the swimming hole, we didn't find it. We did find an old dam, that was nothing special. I think there is a larger lake downstream a little bit, but it was so dry in July that I would doubt if there is any appreciable water that isn't stagnant and gross. Overall, this is a beautiful campground and the hot springs are something to see. But you really have to plan on taking forever to get there over the roads and be ready to battle the flies, heat, and lack of water. There is also no water at the sites themselves, so be sure to bring in your own water. There are vault toilets. Also do not forget your adventure passes!

I agree with the previous reviews. Our party also got feasted on by flies and ticks. The so called…read more"Hot Spring" is an ugly cement basin. The drive out there is very beautiful but easily 15 miles of rough road not suitable for my poor little sedan. If you're looking for a Santa Barbara Hot Spring check out the Gaviota hot spring. Right off the road, easy to find, good times to be had by all at good ol Gaviota.

Stunning, beautiful, camping area! The small road to get you there makes you wonder where you are…read moreheaded but once you arrive, the view takes your breath away. It's quite the view! Sites are a good size, bathrooms are well maintained, and the little grocery store and restaurant on site are perfect! The playground is also perfectly located for the little ones! We enjoyed our first visit and we can't wait to go back!

Jalama Beach (the name "Jalama" comes from the originial Chumash name for the location) offers a…read morecampground and day access as well (entrance fee $10 as of this writing). It's a beautiful place to walk the beach and relax. I visited as a day visitor only, so I can't speak to the camping accommodations, but the beach itself is lovely and pristine. Stunning place to get some fresh air and watch the waves roll in.

Renting a boat is a great way to explore Lake Cachuma! Cruising around the lake gave us a…read morecompletely different perspective, and it was a relaxing way to spend a couple of hours with family and friends. The boat itself was very easy to operate. Even if you've never driven one before, it's pretty straightforward--just steer and move forward or reverse. Before we left the dock, the staff thoroughly explained how to operate the boat and went over all the safety rules. The guys at the dock were friendly, patient, and very helpful, which made us feel comfortable before heading out. We rented a 12-person pontoon boat for $190 for 2 hours, plus a $15 fuel charge. A $750 credit card deposit is also required at check-in. The only downside was the rental process. We tried to rent a boat on Saturday around 11:00 AM, but were told there were no boats available. The staff simply told us to come back later but couldn't give us any estimate of when a boat might return. We came back again around 3:00 PM, and unfortunately there were still no boats available. Since rentals are by the hour, there should be an approximate return time for the boats so customers don't have to keep making unnecessary trips back to the rental office. Fortunately, we checked again on Sunday morning after checking out of our campsite and were finally able to rent a boat. Once we got on the water, everything went smoothly, and our entire group had an amazing time.

Love the service, pricing, family friendly experience and convenience to our home in sb. Recommend…read morefor a long weekend.