Cachuma Lake Recreation Area

First of all, the pictures on the website do not show the slope, uneven ground nor all the dozens of ground squirrel holes that might be there. At first we were in site 144 which is just a space in a giant dust patch—we called it The Dust Bowl. That entire area from sites 133-157 are in dust up to several inches deep.

Fortunately the campground had lots of empty spaces so we moved to site 175 which was SO MUCH better! Same price but it had an asphalt pad (cracked and in rough condition but level and no squirrel holes). We even had a little view of the lake.

There was a big wind storm during our stay and I felt so bad for all those people on dust sites. In general I would not camp here except on a asphalt or concrete pad.

Bathrooms we’re not very clean but good enough.

If you approach the campground from the south (Santa Barbara), just be aware that most of that stretch is a windy climb up into the hills, so it’s perhaps not the best route if your RV or tow vehicle struggles with inclines.

The park has several camping areas. We stayed in the first section, which is the first left turn after the check-in kiosk. This section has wide paved roads with concrete back-in sites with full hook-ups. Our pad was cracked and a bit warped in some places, but we had no problem leveling (and the patio area of the concrete with the picnic table was in good shape). Some sites had shade-producing trees; others did not. The sites in this section are fairly close together.

There is another large section of back-in sites on the opposite side of the main road with gravel pads: four of those sites have full-hookups, while the rest of them just have water and electric. The rest of the camping areas are labeled as tent sites with no hookups, but I did see a number of RVs parked in some of those sites, which do have the advantage of being more spread out. Each camping section/loop has at least one dumpster and one bathhouse with bathrooms and showers. I did check out the shower stalls before we left: looks like the ones in our bathhouse were coin-operated. Our section also had a recycling dumpster. There are also a number of cabins available, as well as some large yurts with patio decks overlooking the lake.

There are a ton of amenities at this campground. There is a large camp store with convenience store items and souvenirs that doubles as a gas station (no diesel, though) and provides propane refills. Just down the road from the store is a parking area with three or four dump stations. There is a pair of fenced-in dog areas next to the laundry facilities and two swimming pools (which were closed during our visit). There are two playground areas, one public cornhole setup, an outdoor theatre that seats at least 100 (probably for showing movies), and a large disc golf course that winds through the campground. There is also a clubhouse and a small nature center next to the full hook-up section of sites, and a restaurant with outdoor seating next to the main boat launch.

Except for the occasional road noise from route 145, the campground feels remote. Early mornings are quiet except for the occasional gobbles of the wild turkeys that roam the campground during the day. There is an abundance of moles and pocket squirrels, so much so that there are holes in the ground everywhere and enclosed rodent poison traps located around the park. You may also see an occasional snake. There are a few short hiking trails around the edges of the campground, and access to one long trail (the Sweetwater Trail) that exits the campground and leads to the nearby dam. There are street lights in the full hook-up section, but they are capped to only shine downward, so on a clear moonless night you can look up and see a lot of stars.

In terms of cell service, the best speed I got on my Verizon Jetpack with MIMO antenna during our stay was about 50Mbps down and 20Mbps up, so I had no trouble working or streaming video. The best speed I got with my AT&T phone showed 9.5Mbps down and 5.5 up.

We would definitely stay here again.

Big sites, campground is clean and quiet. The lake is low but lovely. Plenty of wildlife (deer, quail, turkeys) and it’s a short drive to Solvang, Santa Ynez, and Santa Barbara. I had full hookups, no complaints. My site was over by the cabins, it was really quite nice- the gate guys are also very helpful (changed my reservation from 1 to 2 nights)- and accommodating.

This is an above average campground with good amenities, proximity to Solvang, and access to a nice lake/reservoir. The RV sites are ample & have full hook-ups. Tow vehicles are not counted as a 2nd car so you can actually have a 3rd vehicle for $10 per night extra. Make sure the rangers designate your tow vehicle as a tow vehicle with the window permit on check-in.

You can have a tent buddy-camp next to an RV on the RV sites, but tenting only at RV sites is not permitted; our neighbors in spot 85 were re-located for only having a tent. Wish they had stayed because the couple that moved in (at 10 PM) were only mildly friendly.

Notable Pros: (1) Proximity to lake via various marked hiking trails from most camp areas (2) Fairly well-stocked General Store with firewood, ice, liquor, RV accessories, etc. (3) Rangers were very helpful, present & courteous throughout - unlike the CA State Parks/Beaches (4) boat rentals available & being on the lake with a motorized boat was GREAT!

Cons: (1) Dog run was horrible, dry, foxtail & burr infested and simply not suitable for pets. Our neighbor stated she would take her dog to Solvang for morning walks. Keep the pooches on the pavement at all times. (2) Disc Golf course was a mixture of dirt, dry grass, and back trails...not inviting in the least & scenery was dismal. (3) General Store, restaurant & most camp amenities closed on Mondays (4) fishing is advertised, but it is clear the lake is lacking in fish stock - prepare for an all-day fishing excursion with little or nothing to show for it (from shore, in boat, etc.) - this based on inquiring with other fishermen & trying various spots (5) Aggressive racoons ransacking campsites looking for food - we had 4 little burglars in our campsite moving stuff around at 3 AM.

So this camp ground is about a 3.5 star which can easily be a 5 star with some noted fixes. Very dry and dusty and not environmentally pet friendly, but a great location & lake area.

This is a lovely, expansive campground boarding Lake Cachuma. The lake allows boats and fishing but no swimming, as it is a reservoir. There are boat rentals, a small restaurant, a general store and gas (no diesel). There are also lots of amenities like pool (closed for COVID) two dog parks, playgrounds and small hiking trails.The tent sites are the closets to the water and many would support a RV. Partial hookups are close with some water views while the full hookups are closest to the road and typical of RV parks. If you can dry camp take a tent site. They’re much better! There are three boat wash/ dump stations so if you need them there shouldn’t be much of a line, if any. Only draw back is that non tent sites are a bit packed and everything is dirt. Lovely spot, definitely would come back.

Really nice park in a beautiful area. Seems more remote than you are with Santa Barbara close by. Sites were pretty spacious and the facilities were good. Much busier on the weekends but certainly not a problem due to the park being quite big. Check in was easy and the staff was very accommodating. Many activities available as well, boating, fishing, disc golf, etc.