Carpinteria State Beach

We are finishing a 2 month trip across the west and this was the worst campsite of the entire trip. $50 a night for dry camping at a site that is just a dirt patch with a tiny bit of dead grass (and litter). Not sure what they have against sprinklers, but all of our loop was dead grass. The site was so small I had to park our truck in the day-use parking lot. Having a nice beach is no excuse for running such a dilapidated park. Just looking out the window right now depresses me. We didn't even bother putting out our chairs. If all you care about is the beach and the town, then you might be happy here. Of course, the weather was so socked in for both days that we could barely see the water. There are some good restaurants in town which are walking distance--we enjoyed the Rincon Brewery and Rori's Ice Cream.

Internet access on Verizon was barely adequate to load web pages. No streaming was possible and I have a Peplink router with an external antenna. It showed a good signal, but the cell tower must have been overloaded.

I was looking forward to seeing the coast after our tour of the desert, but this park was a huge disappointment.

We were in the Santa Rosa loop 2nd row for "larger" RVs, Thursday through Sunday. Other loops are different; see Google Earth app. We reserved 6 months in advance as family was renting an apartment in town.

Pros: Location has variety - there are beaches for swimming/sunning/tidepooling/beachcombing, seal watching and walking your dog (do each as appropriate/designated for its location). There are also walking trails along the tracks and fields behind the beaches, which pass historic tar pit mines, industrial piers and coastal nature. If you like trains, you'll get them from freights to Amtrak to track inspection trucks; noise was present occasionally but not at all obtrusive or pervasive. If you like quaint dining, going to gift shops or just need to visit the market, you can walk to it if you're a recreational ability walker. Our neighbors -- beside, behind and across from us -- were pleasant to converse with and willing to accommodate by moving or letting you walk through their site to adjust your adjacent hoses. Pedestal was functional/working 100% and the sewer line connection was tidy and clean.

Cons: Showers clean, but token vending machine broken; we showered in the rig. It's tight; backing in is constricted and requires a sharp turn. You can probably have your slide out or your truck in your site, but not both; there is a nearby parking lot for the tow vehicle. Sites are very close together; your neighbor is 1 foot from your rig on one side and 1 foot from your picnic table (which is smack under your awning) on the other. Turning room is constrained. Someone will have to move something (a bike, board, a child or truck) to let you in or out. You will wait to get in or get out (less midweek, more on weekend). Note to self: counter the tension by arriving / leaving before your deadlines. Lots of burrs in the grass adjacent (and along the trails).

Campsite tips: We saw folks using a snow shovel to clear sand from their site before backing in. You'll book 6 months to the day in advance or try to catch a cancellation. Note that while the beach row is supposed to be < 20', it was OK to be longer provided you fit behind the limit line. Trailers like ours and class C 24' rigs hung out over the sand, no problem. If we go again, we'll try to get a front row spot to back our dinette view out over the beach. Dog beach was Rincon County Park 2 mi east; our cocker spaniel loved it.

Route to camp is easy, though I prefer to exit Bailard vs Casitas Pass. Carp is such a great town so we usually arrive very early and park somewhere for a couple hours to enjoy the beach, then walk back and head over to check in. Camp is straight forward enough, absolutely nothing fancy about this place but the beach and town - our favorite of both. Showers take tokens, never used them. We do full hookups in Santa Rosa area (know your rv length!). Very, very tight to access spots when camp is full, so know your rig too, or go off season. This is my winter spot - less full and less energy. Basically at Carp SB, your RV is your hotel right on the beach; no frills beyond those two things. Worth every penny. Bathrooms are clean and flushing.

We used to camp here several times a year and it was a favorite. Beach row in Santa Rosa is preferred but this time we were in the Santa Cruz loop in a dry slot. Slot versus site. Barely enough room for our trailer and we had to dodge our neighbors pop out when exiting our door. We expected a tight spot but we didn’t expect that the grounds would be over run with squirrels/gophers. We sat in our trailer and watched them push up new mounds. The majority of the ground was covered with fox tails. Walking on what should have been a field was a hazard due to the number of holes. The Santa Cruz loop is sorely in need of a total overhaul. The campground pamphlet states that animals are protected but the current conditions qualify as in infestation. Really sad and leaves you wondering where all the campground fees are going. Definitely not to park maintenance. The beach at Carpinteria is beautiful the that doesn’t make up for the sad shape of the campground. We won’t be back.

Ridiculous $76 fee for a parking spot on stained asphalt between a dumpster, the bathrooms, a neighbor's laundry line overhanging our table and the wafting smell of disinfectant over stench. Ranger who greeted us was unmasked and leaned in our van window. Ranger inside kiosk had all the charm of a Stasi officer, rude, imperious and unhelpful. Token showers. Huge rowdy groups in the neighboring campground, at least we didn't have that. Just an assortment of full-time seeming rigs with lots of crap around them and people walking around at all hours and lights in our eyes from any angle all night. The beach might have been nice if I hadn't been so disappointed in the campsite and could have taken our dog down there. Full hook ups but I'd rather have gone without in a peaceful and pretty spot elsewhere. The beach can't make up for everything.

This is definitely one of our favorite spots to RV at, but be aware of how each camping loop can affect your experience. We have a 30’ Class A rig. San Miguel and Santa Rosa loops are VERY tight and the back rows in each resemble an upgraded homeless encampment. Best for smaller trailers and vans. Both basically parking lots. Some hookups.

Santa Cruz loop is more ample and where the bigger Class As and 5th wheels are stacked up. Not bad if you can get in, but the RV sites looked pretty close to one another. This loop is fairly busy.

Anacapa loop is about 75 yards from the beach separated by a day use and overflow parking lot, but an easy walk from the campground. This, I believe, is the best and most ample area for campers if you can support dry camp ops and not be right on the beach. We were fine in early June ‘21 with solar & a 30 gal tote to ferry our waste water to the nearby dump station. There are “non-threaded” potable water spigots within this loop. Have a plan to fill your rig if needed without breaking camp. I.E., Water Bandit attachment with cinching clamps (for spigots) & 75’ of hose to reach a nearby spigot location or drill pump setup with 5 gal jugs...we used both.

Just be aware that during our stay, the Anacapa shower & restroom facility building had construction going on so only porta-potties available. So you’ll be going to the Santa Cruz loop to use showers unless you have one on board. Believe they’ll be done by July ‘21. Anacapa is also bordered by a huge recreation field and the closest loop to Linden Ave which has all the DT eateries within walking distance.

The cons are as follows: (1) ground squirrels galore and most areas look like dirt Swiss cheese. Lock your stuff up & check your engine compartments. (2) the upkeep has deteriorated over the years. 15-20 yrs ago this campground was pristine, now it’s starting to look a bit like a dirt swap meet in places. (3) Park rangers mostly cool, but one possessed Hispanic guy making sure all 4 tires of tow on site pavement & not on any dry grassed/dirt areas. Really? It’s barren dirt, not manicured lawn. He should be lecturing the ground squirrels & landscapers for abuse & neglect, not campers. (4) next to active train tracks so be prepared for that (5) no dogs on the beach (6) little or no park ranger activity after dark. Never saw one after dark (guess Gavin cut that out of the budget) (7) early morning construction at a few places so bring earplugs - yes, they were jack hammering at 0700 hrs until the Ranger was called...but it continued later in the AM.

Overall, a good campsite depending on your expectations. Be aware that it’s not in the best shape like in years past, but the weather, beach, and nearby town will be hard to match.

We ended up here as they were the only campground in the Ventura area that had any open sites. Our first choice was Emma Woods SB but it was completely full, as were the others in Ventura.

At Carpenteria we got a space in the San Marcos loop. The sites are very small, stacked four deep from the beach. If you are on the beach row it might be better otherwise this is not what camping is about. It is basically a place to park your rig and spend the night so you can go to the beach.

If you have a TT you will have to unhitch. There is room to park along side your trailer but you won’t be able to put out you slides or awning. You could park in the handful of spaces they have away from the sites but those fill up quickly. If you have a motorhome it might be better.

They do have electrical and water hook ups and there is a dump station.

If you can get a site in the other areas they might be OK but the Santa Rosa and San Marcos loops suck.

The beach is nice, but I wouldn’t bother camping here again.
The sites are stacked very close to one another and the constant noise of music, generators in big RV’s and general mayhem was unnerving.
Campground staff were fairly unknowledgeable about basic questions regarding the local area— one laughed at me when I asked where the nearest laundromat is located. They seem very stressed.
Dogs are strongly discouraged. The campground host gave me a hard time about my dog barking a short while— but he totally ignored the blasting music from my neighbors next door, which was the cause of my dog’s barking.
Overall, very disappointing experience, I wouldn’t come back.
The beach... is very pretty.

I wanted to edit my earlier review but couldn’t... so I’m adding. It’s fair to say it got a lot better Sunday afternoon after the crowds went away. Not terrible. I’d go back but only on a weekday.

Exactly how I remembered it from when I was a boy. The smell of eucalyptus and the ocean. The sounds of seagulls, laughing kids, the train horn and the clackety-clack of the cars going by. We stopped here on our way up the coast on a Friday night, the weekend before Easter, so some schools were on Spring break I imagine. It was certainly busy with kids on bikes and scooters pretty much all day. We were on the inside row of the Santa Cruz loop, near a beach access walkway. Pretty level spot, sparse “grass”, a decent picnic table and a fire pit.

Short, flat walk in the evening for restaurants and breweries. Daytime shopping at the surf shops, antique stores, Starbucks and Robitaille’s fine candy. Beach and hiking path strolls and of course the tar pits.

Wish they would allow dogs to walk on the beach. Seems to me, the same 6’ leash and curbing rules could be apply on the beach just like it is in the campground - but I digress...