Want to know what it’s like camping at Cachuma Lake?
Cachuma Lake is a classic camping spot near Santa Barbara and Solvang, California.
It has a ton of tent camping spots available all throughout the property, with all the amenities you need.
You can see our full experience in this short video below.
Tent Camping At Cachuma Lake
Like most campsites, you’ll usually have a picnic table and possibly a fire pit.
The campsites here were much larger than what we were used to at the KOA’s we’ve stayed in.
But that’s not really an important factor when we book campsites.
We unfortunately arrived after sunset, so we had to put up the tent by using the car’s headlights.
It was just around the time of the time change, so it was only like 6 pm or something, so we weren’t disturbing anybody.
Everyone else seemed to be right in the middle of their grilling and drinking for the night.
When you make your reservation you can see a map of all the sites and what they’re close to.
So we chose spot 276, just across the street from the bathrooms!
Since we were just there for one night, we wanted to find a site closer to the entrance and the bathrooms, rather than all the way down by the lake.
In the photo below you can see just how close of a walk it is.
Usually when camping we are sure to have water and some snacks with us.
If we were staying longer we would have brought some food to cook over our single burner stove, but this was just a short overnight stay.
I believe the temperature was in the low 50s, maybe 40s when we were here so we each had an extra sleeping bag and an extra blanket just in case.
It was actually quite comfortable and I never felt too cold.
Making Reservations
Cachuma Lake has tons of camping options!
They have RV/Camper hookups, tent camping sites, group areas, and even cabins and yurts.
If we had planned our trip out a little farther in advance, we would have definitely tried to book a yurt!
Instead, we opted for regular tent camping.
This trip came about because we were going up to Santa Barbara and ALL the hotels were a minimum $350 a night – even the motels!
So I started looking at KOA’s in the area, with no luck, which led me to looking at other ways to camp.
We were looking for either a cabin or tent camping since it was bound to be cheaper than a $350 motel.
Luckily I came across the Santa Barbara County Parks site!
We’ve driven by Cachuma Lake dozens of times when we visited Solvang in the past, so I knew the area.
JP used to go fishing there as a kid.
So when I saw they had tons of availability we were sold!
I believe when we visited it was $25 a night, which is typical for tent camping.
But since it was over a weekend, we had to book for at least 2 nights, so we ended up paying $50 and just staying the first night.
At Cachuma Lake you book up to 6 months out for any site, with a non-refundable reservation fee.
Also, like I said, weekends (Friday and Saturday) have a 2 night minimum, but holiday weekends have a 3 night minimum.
So just keep those things in mind when you’re booking!
Getting To Cachuma Lake
Since Cachuma Lake is up along the mountains, it can be a bit of a tedious drive getting there.
You’ll have to take the 101 from either direction to get to the general vicinity.
Then you’ll take highway 154 into the mountains to get to the Cachuma Lake Recreation Area.
The roads are known to get very foggy at times, with visibility just a few feet in front of you.
The roads are very winding as well, so you really have to pay attention to what you’re doing.
You will probably lose cell phone service during parts of this drive, but you should have service all throughout the campground.
About Cachuma Lake
Back in the 1950s, Cachuma Lake was formed when the Bradbury Dam was built.
The recreation area currently encompasses about 9,000 acres and is managed by Santa Barbara County Parks.
It is located just inland of the Santa Barbara area, up along the mountains.
The beauty of this location is that it can be enjoyed all year long!
Cachuma Lake is known for fishing and camping.
However, you cannot swim in the water here because it is used for domestic water supply.
The camping area has a general store, gas station, coin-operated laundromat, hot showers, playgrounds for kids, lake cruises, a nature center, fishing piers, and hiking trails!
The Marina is open year-round and sells bait and tackle, fuel and fishing licenses.
They also have a full rental fleet!
For those that love to take their pets with them everywhere they go, dogs are allowed in this area (with a fee).
This fee pays for the maintenance and upkeep of the dog park.
As a side note, dogs are required to be on a leash of 6 ft. or less.
It’s also recommended to bring a current copy of proof of rabies vaccination.
You can also take dogs out on boats with you, but the same rules apply – they cannot get in the water at all!
Other than that, it’s pretty normal rules – don’t leave your dog unattended, clean up after your dog, if your dog is too aggressive or noisy you’ll be asked to leave, etc.
Fun Things To Do Near Cachuma Lake
So if you’re staying at Cachuma Lake, you’ll probably do some fishing or boating or hiking while you’re there and just enjoy the scenery.
But if you’re looking to do things nearby, you’ve got a few options:
10 miles / 15 minutes from Solvang and Los Olivos
20 miles / 30 minutes from Santa Barbara
Solvang is a small Danish town in the Santa Ynez Valley with tons of traditional shops, wine tasting rooms, and restaurants.
You have to stop by and try the Aebelskivers (fried dough ball) with the strawberry drizzle and/or powdered sugar.
Next to Solvang is another small historic town named Los Olivos, which has a more Country/Western theme to it since that’s the era it was founded.
Los Olivos also has lots of nice shops, wine tasting rooms, and restaurants.
In-between Solvang and Los Olivos are a handful of wineries where you can enjoy wine tastings as well.
Though Santa Barbara is a little further away, it’s still less than a 30 minute drive and there is tons to do in the area.
Especially if you love food and wine!
State Street is the main downtown area for shops and food and wine tasting.
If you go a little further north, consider staying at San Luis Bay Inn, just above Avila Beach.
Conclusion: Tent Camping At Cachuma Lake Recreation Area
Cachuma Lake Recreation Area is a classic camping area locals and visitors have been visiting for decades.
It’s situated near so many great places, but it also has enough to do where you can stay at the campground all weekend.
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