Nestled in the serene surroundings of Santa Barbara, CA, Upper Oso Campground offers a unique blend of seclusion and outdoor adventure. Perfect for campers seeking a peaceful retreat, this campground provides a variety of amenities and services designed to make your stay comfortable and memorable.
In addition to its natural beauty and outdoor activities, Upper Oso Campground offers a welcoming atmosphere with friendly camp hosts who are always ready to assist. The campground's facilities, while simple, meet the needs of most campers, making it an ideal choice for both families and solo adventurers.
If you're looking for an authentic camping experience in Santa Barbara, Upper Oso Campground is the perfect choice. Whether you're here for hiking, ATV riding, or simply enjoying nature, this campground offers something for everyone.
Hiking
Picnic tables
Public restroom
Restroom
Good for kids
Kid-friendly hikes
On-site parking
It is much more isolated than other campgrounds in the area and not along the side of the road. They also have an ATV road at the back of the campsite and a trail. Not sure if you are supposed to walk on the ATV trail but it has really pretty views of the mountains. The toilets were fine, for a campground they were pretty good! It got COLD at night, my car said it was 37 degrees! the stars were INCREDIBLE and I highly recommend going on a night with a new moon!
Great secluded spot, not many trees on sites but excellent camp hosts. There are many horse, hiking, and ATV trails nearby.
Great camping. Great hiking trails. Very courteous staff and host. Enjoyable scenery all around. Only reason for 4 stars is the bathrooms were a bit gross. 1 of them being locked, meaning almost always having to wait. If you go here, make sure to note there are no showers. We brought a Ozark trail two room shower tent with a portable shower and portable toilet so wasn't as inconvenient for us. Also, lots of ants all over. But hey, that's camping :)
Gorgeous canyon and campground. There are two trails out from there, both of which are dog friendly! Only downside is that one of the trails allows motor vehicles so it got loud in the morning.
Good: The mountain landscape, flush toilets (not too grimy), drinking water, hiking trails BAD: Experience with camp host Bob! He pointed us twice in the wrong direction to set up our tent- the first time he came around AFTER we set up and said that area's reserved (ok we should have known, it had a grill and it's own parking spot). The second time, I asked him where was NOT reserved, and he pointed downhill to a patch of grass without amenities, so we walked down there and set up, he passed by and it seemed fine. The next morning, I went to ask him if we could use a grill to boil water and he said we were lucky not to have gotten a fee overnight- WHAT? He told us the area we camped in was for day use only, and if the ranger had seen, we'd have gotten a ticket... So he chose not to tell us that until the next day? So I asked him where did he want us to go, and he SHRUGGED. I explained that we had gotten two day passes, and he said oh okay, that's fine then... Except that 15 minutes later he came by and yelled "You people are illegally camping, I won't tell you again!"- so I have no idea what his problem was, and why he couldn't be clear with us as to where to go/what he wanted from us. He was so abrupt and talking with him was so frustrating we left immediately rather than struggle to get any kind of help! Ensure you have a reservation so you don't have to deal with Bob!