Since when is a a beach, a business? Refugio is a beautiful beach! Maybe more beautiful, than I remember it. It's more popular, these days, of course. And it only costs a lot, to camp. I like some of the changes! Wish, I could see inside the two houses. read more

My family and I have a great experience. We planned a last minute Tuesday & Wednesday tent camping trip. The bathrooms and showers a maintain daily and are keep very clean and stocked with paper. The neighbors followed all the rules and keepers noise levels very low after 8 pm. We will definitely camp here again. The beach is walking distance and great for family exploring. The only thing to watch out for is some tar still lingering in the sand it's very difficult to remove read more

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Memorial Weekend was our second time camping at Refugio and just as the first time it was a perfect weekend. The weather was beautiful, the beach was clean and the camp hosts are always so nice. The site was large enough for our 30' trailer and 2 large tents. We love this beach, as it's perfect for little ones. Lots of young families who also make it a yearly tradition and we will be making it one as well. read more

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Meanest kiosk lady ever. The beach looks beautiful from the freeway and I had heard good things about it, as I am a local. Unfortunately I didn't make it to the beach, as I had no money with me and the old kiosk lady didn't let me go check the beach out even for a couple minutes. So, I proceeded to turn around and saw a 20min parking spot right by the kiosk, and parked. I consider myself a very timid and polite person and I figured that I could get out of my car for a quick view of the beach. I was mistaken, as the kiosk lady yelled at me from afar and demanded for me to leave or she would call the rangers so they would give me a $300 fine. I understand they have strict policies but outright yelling at me and threatening me is far from professional or polite. If you're gonna work at a park where you're dealing with people, at least learn proper manners and people skills, even just to encourage people to come back. This wasn't the case, and I imagine this rude kiosk lady will continue to ruin the experience for many. Will not be recommending this place to any one from Santa Barbara or beyond, simply because of my experience at the entrance. First impressions last, and this one will stay with me forever. read more

Didn't have reservations and could only stay one night (unless we wanted to stay surrounded by the rvs in the back middle) we had amazing luck and managed to get (in my opinion) the best site, campsite #61, right on the beach only one neighbor and it was in front of the playground. We stayed on a Monday night so it wasn't too crowded. The next two nights we stayed at El Capitan and I think i prefer it over there more since there seemed to be more space between the neighboring sites and just overall space of campground, but i still stay here again it was a brief but great stay. Oh and yea there is tar but there's tar on almost all southern California beaches so it's really no big deal to me at least. read more

Refugio State Beach - campsite #61 - Parks Near Me - Goleta, California

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We spent a night at Refugio. Very nice, cute place, nice staff, friendly campers. We grilled at the fire, had some drinks, the kids loved the beach and the walking around the camp ground. we'll be coming again. read more

This is a really nice campground. Great location. Very good for trailer or RV camping. Hot showers. Decent bathrooms. Lot's of tall trees...and a million dollar view. If you tent camp bring a tarp to through down and ample bed padding because you might have only gravel and no grass... or very limited grass as I did at my site. The only cons are the freeway traffic noise. It's also kind of pricey at $45 a night plus the $8 online reg fee ($53 for one night). That's a lot when you're camping by yourself. A really nice location though. I already want to go back. If I went back I'd try to get site's 10-12 for nice shade or 23-27 for ocean view. I didn't check out the sites on the other side of the river but 34 looked pretty sweet. read more

Spot # 60 close to the good toilets & showers. A few feet to the water. Bring hand sanitizer for tar removal. Bring kids to learn how to surf & Get Up! read more

Refugio State Beach - 82 degrees & yes the water is actually warmer than Santa Cruz. Perfect place for surfing. Scored the group camping spot - - Parks Near Me - Goleta, California

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Love this campground. We usually just go here to spend a day along the beach and it's a really calm and nice place. There are many tables and spots to chill. read more

I was there three weeks ago with two friends (a couple.) It's a special place and we all enjoyed it very much. The campground is clean and the bathrooms are looked after daily. Clean showers for 25 cents a minute. All sites are close to the beach. A few observations: 1) There is traffic noise from cars and trains. Sometimes I noticed it and most times I didn't. I'm a light sleeper and it did not keep me awake. Most beach campgrounds in central & south California are right next to the 1 highway or 101 freeway and some vehicle noise is just part of the deal. It's never been a problem for me & if it were I'd use earplugs at night. 2) The beach is beautiful. It's also rocky with no or very little sand during high tide. During low tide there is plenty of sand and some tidal pools. Just consult a tidal chart on-line before you leave, then enjoy the beach. 3) The hostess was very friendly, easy to get along with and helpful. Just follow the rules even if they don't seem to be relevant at the moment your caught up in. We party and enjoy ourselves and were able to to do so without any problems. Just be cool... your in a very public place. 4) There are resident vermin. Squirrels, raccoons and skunks. The skunks are the most problematic. If one sprays (and one did) it will totally jack-up your vibe. At night you have to lock either enclose your garbage bags or throw them in the dumpster and don't leave any people or dog food out, even if in containers. read more

We stopped off here to shower around 8 in the morning. It was a nice place with a lovely view. Warm water, good water pressure, and clean. Shower was 25¢ per 2 min. I definitely would return! read more

Refugio State Beach - Parks Near Me - Goleta, California

Went to checkout the area to see if it was a possible family friendly venue to host our next camping vacation and the woman ranger at the front checkin station wouldn't even let us veiw the grounds. Appalled that she would charge $10 for a 5 min drive through. Absolutely poor service. We wont be subjecting ourselves to read more

Stay away! The place is way to beautiful and peaceful to recommend it to anyone. The fishing is fantastic, the surfing is fickle but fun in the morning. You can pick red crab from the rocks 7" wide, collect clams and muscle, throw in some corbina and some potatoes and you are in heaven with a feast from the sea. read more

Refugio State Beach - Parks Near Me - Goleta, California

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I don't camp, but my parents come here a couple of times a year in their RV. I bring my daughter and we come visit for a few days. Full disclosure: I stay at a nearby hotel Bacara to sleep. That said, I am usually here from 9 AM until 9 PM for at least four or five days each October. I could not imagine trying to sleep in this place. The noise from the freeway and the trains and semi trucks is insane. Bathrooms are disgusting. Those of the downsides... Here are the upside: showers, for campgrounds showers, are OK. The beach is close, although it's rocky. If you walk north around the cliffs, you can find some tidepools. It's only 10 bucks for a day pass. Bottom line... I wish my parents would find some other place to go that has a beach view but there are worse places to hang for a few days. My best tip is to hang out here during the day and get a hotel at night! Particularly if you like to sleep noise free. read more

We decided to shore dive Refugio since we were unable to make it to the Chanel islands. It turned out to be a good dive. The reef had hundreds of sea urchin ,starfish, anemones and kelp. The visability under water is about 4 feet and the waves aren't as bad as other beaches in central California. The park itself allow visitors a camp site . There is a $6 fee to park but it is a very nice beach and not as occupied on a Tuesday afternoon. read more

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This place is a very small beachside campground. I came here with my family for a cousins' campout (we've done one every year since '04 so we're closing in on almost a decade of this tradition!) and we had a great time tent camping on the beach. Coming from the city, being able to hear the waves crashing is honestly a pretty cool experience. You're only about a 15-30 minute drive from Goleta (which has a Costco in case you need any extra camping supplies) or Downtown Santa Barbara if you want to see the city. I guess in that sense, you're not truly "roughing it" but I'm a very strong proponent of glamping. Just be forewarned - there's a lot of natural tar on the beach, so if you're going into the sand barefoot be careful or you'll end up with plenty of oil stains on your feet that won't go away very easily. read more

If you are coming here to play in the sand of get into the water, you will end up with oil spots on your skin (especially your feet), your bathing suit, and your boogie board. We found 6 inch diameter chunks of dried up oil in the water. I am not so sure about whether this oil occurs "naturally" but I did see two always-present oil rigs in the distance. Regardless if it's natural or not, I would never return. Campground wasn't very rustic, spots are close together, and you're surrounded by RVs. I've had a decent time here otherwise. If it wasn't for the oil, this would be 3.5 stars. read more

We stayed at campsite #12 which was well shaded and in close proximity to bathrooms (but not too close). We originally had our reservation for site #11 but there was absolutely no shade so we switched at the last minute. There are a few reasons why this wasn't the most pleasant camping experience. 1. The noise from the freeway is fine during the day, but at night it is deafening and kept me up for a good portion of the night. There is a slight incline of the 101 right above the campsite so you hear a lot of J Brake action from semi-trucks. And the occasional Amtrack and freight trains don't help either. The whole purpose for our trip was to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city... 2. The hostess is unreasonably strict. She came over to our site on 4 separate occasions: the first was because we had 1 vehicle temporarily parked in the neighboring site (my husband and I were sharing our site with another couple and they were unloading) and she came over to tell us to move the car. Keep in mind that it is the end of October so the entire campsite was practically empty. Then she came over later to make sure we moved it. Then she came over again to tell us that we couldn't use the neighboring site table (we had a few things on it). And then lastly she came over again to tell us we couldn't use the neighboring fire pit (ours was rotting away and had large holes in it, very unsafe around dogs). I would totally understand if it was peak season, but why is it such a big deal when no one else is around? 3. The beach isn't much of a beach at all, no room to lay out and hang...it's full of large rocks and decaying seaweed and with that comes a ton of flies...keep your mouth closed! 4. The site is covered in eucalyptus trees which are beautiful but also poisonous to dogs. We had a 5 month old puppy with us who was constantly trying to eat bark...no bueno. There is a nice basketball court and grassy area for frisbee, etc and the bathrooms aren't completely unpleasant all things considered. If you want to catch a beautiful sunset, take the trail to the north of the site and it will take you up a cliff with wonderful views. read more

I always wanted to camp here but trying to get reservations is pretty hard to come by. I was very excited to get a reservation by chance. We stayed for a long weekend. Bathrooms and showers are as clean as they can be considering it being a state run facility. They have a nice park and swing area for the little kids to play on if the beach is to much and or windy. Cant wait to plan out next trip back here. A good time was had by all in our group. read more

Gorgeous - $10 entrance fee, dogs are not allowed on the beach. Weekdays are spectacular and the surf is decent.

This is sad to report. I camped 4 days south on the 101 at El Capitan State Beach and just wanted to do a drive through for future reference. Since I had the camping tag, I was allowed to enter. Refugio, at which I used to camp in the 80s and 90s, has changed drastically, and it was heartbreaking. The other reviews that mention the same are truly accurate. Today's Refugio camping has evolved into what looks like festival concert parking and overcrowded camp sites. It was figurtively a tarp city as it is a sea of pop-up shelters and a massive amount of tents pitched at each site. Some had two massive RVs parked at their sites. Please don't judge, but it looked as crowded and squeezed together as the homeless camps found in Los Angeles and other major cities. Although the beach itself is really unique and cool, it is sad because this used to be a beautiful campgroud filled with California schrubs and coastal trees separating each site. Unfortunatley , much of the vegetation has been removed, and there is no natural boundary between each site. Any privacy that the vegetation provided in the past is gone. I was stunned to see such a great location and beach-close camping turned into what looked like a free-for-all parking lot. read more

Clean campground that has showers, restrooms, basketball court, bike trail, hiking, surf, scuba diving etc.. Good fireplaces, and day area use as well. Train is a bit loud but who has time to listen when youre having fun. Bike path could use a renovation. Thank you to the older camphost lady that found us a campsite, greatly appreciated!! read more

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This little unique spot has some very charming appeal, especially in the waterfront spots. We scored a great site the first night, then had to move thereafter since we didn't have a reservation. We heard the waves crashing all night long. There was a stunning full moon over the ocean, too, that made for just breathtaking sights. Campers are very friendly and it's filled with locals and regulars, many of whom know each other. Very family friendly. It seems remote but only a 15 minute drive to the grocery Stire in Goleta, and 25 minutes to downtown Santa Barbara. The second night, we had to move to a more interior site, and were surrounded by motor homes. Not as bad as it sounds, but definitely not the same. The freeway and the train can be LOUD, too. This was a nice break after camping in the desert at Borrego Springs, also delightful. Just be sure to get a reservation WELL in advance. read more

1st time we've ever stopped by at this beach. My family & had a wonderful time discovering around the rocks and the river flow that leads to the ocean. Overall its a well kept Gov. state beach, with a convenient snack shop on the grounds to boot. Cant wait to go back. Oh watch out the tar that hides in the sand. You will be stained! Have your turpentine ready. read more

This is the most amazing place in California. I have been coming here for 25 years and will never stop. This brings me ultimate happiness. I was proposed to here, this beach is a part of my soul. read more

Refugio State Beach - Parks Near Me - Goleta, California

I understand that this campground attracts a certain crowd - perhaps one that doesn't particularly care about quiet and nature. We were sandwiched (literally) between 4 campsites that seemed to keep adding tents and rvs and each insisted on playing their favorite music. We ended up leaving a day early than our reservation because of the constant noise pollution. If a peaceful and spacious campground is what you desire, this is not the one. Pluses: the beach is nice and close, waves are good in the summer for kids to body board. Lifeguards are present through the day. Bathrooms and showers are relatively clean. read more

The beach is nice, though there weren't any waves when we came though there were still 8 people out trying to catch them. I can't imagine how crowded it must get when there's actually waves. Campsites are very close together so there's not much privacy. You can also hear traffic on the 101 and trains, including one in the middle of the night that woke me up and scared the crap out of me. $20 for a site or $30 for a "premium" site, ie one by the beach. read more

We stopped here on our way back home. We just took a walk along the shore and it was lovely. The water was too cold to go swimming in it, but it's not a great swimming beach anyway...lots of kelp/seaweed. The highlight was seeing a sea lion and dolphins in the water. There is also a snack shop. All in all, a really nice place. The day-use fee for this state park is $10. read more

This is a camping review. If you are a real camper then know that this place is a dump and the "ranger/gate keeper" is RUDE. We arrived for our first time and asked how to get to our spot- the response was "drive to your site and look for the number". We arrived at our spot only to find the campers behind us had two pit bulls off leash. We have two small children so that was not a safe environment for us. We went back to the gate and explained our situation. The gate keeper whom proudly said he was not a ranger, said I'm out, my shift is up so I can't help you. He said stay or leave- up to you. I asked for a refund and he said call for that. I asked what number to call and he said I'm off work now (it was 4:59P) and I can't help you. He was rude from start to finish. The campground in dirty and they clearly do not monitor the amount of people or rules for pets. We left a prime oceanfront space it was that bad. Again, if you consider yourself a camper- keep looking. If you like a trashy beach scene- book it. read more

The beach was beautiful and not crowded. My mom enjoyed herself by walking on the sand next to the water. We saw some campers and surfers and it looked like a great place for family picnics and even camping out. Only thing was there's TAR and if you're walking barefoot it'll stick to your feet! And it takes time to come off! Lol read more

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This place is okay. We have been here a number of times to camp in the past,but not in the middle of summer. There are a lot of people here. The sites are pretty open to each other and mostly gravel and dirt. The beach has a ton of seaweed that is in the water close to shore and on the beach. Lots of sand fleas. Also, the ants are terrible. We have to keep everything super clean, and they are still everywhere. Found them even in our clean dishes. I would recommend bringing Terro for the ants and Baby oil for the tar on the beach. read more

Nice location, but they often close additional areas so you have to be crammed together. We try and camp off season to avoid crowds but they just force it. Disappointed in the $45 fee ... private locations nearby are much less. Proximity to beach is nice, and you can hear hwy 1, which is to be expected. Have stayed here 3 times but disappointed this last time with the staff closing off sections... read more

Unfortunately we didn't know was not open and that the fire was still going... I took my family to the beautiful Valley by there up north and we had a blest with the area so much to do and the ppl are so nice. Camping next time. read more

It's a beautiful beach. Shame what's just happened. http://abc7.com/news/gov-brown-declares-state-of-emergency-over-oil-spill/732157/ read more

We used the day use area and the views of the ocean were beautiful. The cost for day use was $10.00. The facilities seemed really old and run down, although the park was full so I feel the view of the ocean makes up for it. The beach is really rocky so not somewhere that is great for young kids who want to play in the ocean, but overall nice state park. read more

Hubby and I were on our camping vacation going along the 101 so we decided to check it out on the way home.. love the fact that the campground a few steps away from the ocean ..gave it 4 cause the campsite pretty close to each other ..we will be back to check in for a night or two in the near future. read more

This was my very first time being here and I was so pleased about this park. Being so close to the ocean listening to the waves break at night was relaxing. I will definitely return. read more

The beach itself is beautiful and if it wasn't for the tar and pincher bugs we might have actually stayed for more than an hour. We walked up and down to try and find a spot to put our blanket while we did that we didn't notice that our feet got full of tar while walking along the beach. We finally found a table and decided to sit and then the pincher bugs climbed up the side and on the tables and we had to leave. It took up almost 2-3 hours just to get the oil off our feet and our tub is now stained. While the beach is beautiful the bugs and the tar will keep us from visiting again. read more

Camping on the beach at Refugio is a treat. It also has its drawbacks though. If you're a seasoned camper, you know these things. If not, you need to be aware before you camp. Here, you can wake up to the sounds of waves (or trains) every morning. While the waves last forever, the trains are only temporary, every few hours, in the middle of the night. You can stay all day at the beach and not worry about driving home through traffic because you're tent/RV is right there. Of course, it's your tent/RV and not your house/apartment/condo with a nice big screen TV, cushy bed, huge refrigerator and grocery store nearby. It's also likely that you spent some time in traffic on your way to the campground and you will likely spend time in traffic going home. You can build fires and watch the stars, singing camp songs, telling stories, while drinking your favorite beverage with friends or family. That is if you reserved enough spots for them before the campground got fully booked 6 months ago, it's not too windy/dry to have a fire, and you brought your own firewood. You can enjoy long walks on the beach treasuring the view of the ocean and looking for dolphins while trying to ignore the oil platforms and tar everywhere. The campsites here each have picnic tables and fire rings, some with grates. There are numerous bathrooms, dumpsters and water spickets. Pay for play showers are available so bring lots of quarters. There's also free cold showers to rinse off after playing in the sand/surf. The beach was well maintained and had lifeguard towers. The waves weren't that big. There are some swings, a playground area and a basketball court for the kids. The wind can gust all day and all night and the trains will come about every 2-3 hours. The beach was perfect and the bathrooms were decent. The general store was a portable with some essential camping stuff inside like marshmallows and popsicles. If you have an RV, the time you can run your generators is limited to between 10 AM and 8 PM. No real gripes with the campground though. We understand the risk/benefit profile for camping and while myself and the kids could probably camp a lot more than we do, my wife can only tolerate so much. I suspect that's the case for most families. read more

Nice cove beach with plenty to do near by. I grew up in this area and wanted to comment on all the oil / tar posts. Yes you are correct this is from a spill. The spill occured in the late sixties and we all still paying the price today. If you head to the beach at Carpenteria whole cliffs are still covered in the old tar. The best way to get it of your feet is with vegetable oil. While this is an inconvenience I would hope you will not be deterred in visiting such a beautiful spot. read more