Blogging in Aluminum

El Capitan State Beach

El Capitan State Beach Campground is AMAZING in January.  If you love cool misty summer days and having an entire campground to yourself (plus the camp hosts of course) then do put this on your list of “have-tos”.  El Capitan is a very beautiful campground with large camp sites, lots of big cypress trees, great walking trails that meander along the bluffs and through the grounds and a rocky beach below that is near empty in the winter.  There are no hookups or dump station so come prepared.  The nearest market is across the street at the Ocean Mesa Campground but it is really a small camp convenience store so do a thorough shopping trip before-hand.

The nice thing about this campground is that you do not need a reservation anymore to get a premium site!  Early bird gets the worm here.  It is a first come first served campground so you just pick an open spot and then use the ATM like machine to check yourself in.  You can use credit card or cash and it’s $35 a night for any site.

We wanted to stay at Refugio State Beach campground but due to the recent storms that have hit California, Refugio was flooded with rain waters, hit with BIG waves and has been closed to campers for maintenance and clean-up.  You can still surf there and park but must camp up the road at El Capitan instead.

The Surf – Right point break with sand bottom, sucks up on the take-off and sometimes hard to read but fun, Good!

This is our first time camping along the Santa Barbara coast and we have heard for years that Carpinteria State Beach campground was a “must-do”.  If you want to park along the beach and feel the spray from the waves as you are drinking your coffee, this is a spot you must experience.

This has got to be one of the most spectacular campgrounds (and the price reflects that) on the central California coastline.  You cannot camp any closer to the beach without having waves wash up to your doorstep.  Situated in the cool little town of Carpinteria you can truly get away from it all without leaving convenience far behind.   The campground is beautiful and very mellow (most campers seem to be retirees) and you can park just 100 feet from the waves at high tide!  If you have slide-outs or awnings be prepared to camp in sites that are not “beachfront”.  The beach side sites are very narrow and the campground is pretty strict about width/length restrictions.

Carpinteria is a wonderful little town that has taken great care to keep over-development at bay and you won’t see over built sky rise apartments or shopping centers blocking your views of the mountains or the sea.  Just a short walk from the campground you can see go view the protected and much loved Harbor Seals that come to the beach to have their babies and teach them to swim.  Bring binoculars though because you view from the bluffs and closer to sunset they blend in with the rocks.

Where to surf when at Carpinteria – It depends on swell size and direction but there is many different places to surf around the area. Click here to find some surf breaks near Carpinteria, California!