Carmel Valley
China and White Oaks Campgrounds: These campgrounds are along the unsurfaced Jamesburg-Tassajara Road. Access is by Cachagua Road off the Carmel Valley Road, approx. 23 miles from the junction of Carmel Valley Road and Highway 1 and approx. 28 miles from Greenfield off U.S. 101. China Campground is a departure point for the Ventana Wilderness. The road is not recommend for trailers or during inclement weather.
Arroyo Seco And Indians Area
Arroyo Seco Campground: Located 20 miles west of Greenfield off U.S. Highway 101. Located in the oaks, there are 46 units. The Arroyo Seco River runs through the campground for fishing and swimming (no lifeguards). There is also fishing and canoeing in nearby Abbott Lakes (no swimming or motorized boating). Nearby is access to the Ventana Wilderness.
Escondido Campground: Located 40 miles west of King City via the Jolon Road through Ft. Hunter Liggett, the last 3 miles are on unsurfaced road. The campground is located in oak and grassland meadow. The Arroyo Seco River is nearby. Escondido serves as a departure point for the Ventana Wilderness. Suitable for equestrian use. Closed during winter months (Nov.- May).
Memorial Park Campground: Located 35 miles west of King City via the Jolon Road through Ft. Hunter Liggett. Good staging area for equestrian users of the Ventana Wilderness.
Nacimiento-Ferguson Road
Ponderosa Campground: Located approx. 35 miles west of King City, via Jolon Road through Ft. Hunter Liggett on the Nacimiento-Ferguson Road and approx. 13 miles east of Nacimiento-Ferguson Rd. and Highway 1 junction. The campground is near the Nacimiento River among oaks and madrone. Only 4 units open all year around, remaining units open as needed.
Nacimiento Campground: Camp is located along Nacimiento-Ferguson Road, approx. 38 miles west of King City through Ft. Hunter Liggett or 11 miles east of Nacimiento-Ferguson Rd. and Highway 1 junction. Campsites are along the Nacimiento River.
For information and Maps:
Monterey Ranger District
406 South Mildred Ave.
King City, California 93930
(408) 385-5434
Camping and Picnicking The Santa Barbara Ranger District
This section will introduce you to the picnicking and camping facilities located throughout the Santa Barbara Ranger District, telling you something about the natural setting of each and where it is located. If you are seeking more privacy, you can, of course, picnic beside any of the roads or trails in the district. Many have fantastic views of the backcountry or the ocean; others follow shady canyons with refreshing streams and waterfalls. For information on camping outside designated campgrounds, call the Los Prietos Ranger Station.
Picnicking
The Santa Ynez Recreation Area is a nice place to spend the day. It is adjacent to the Santa Ynez River, which is the largest stretch of free-flowing river accessible to the public in Southern California. Popular activities in the Canyon are fishing, hiking, horseback-riding, mountain bicycling, and motorcycling (on designated roads). There are four areas in the Canyon adjacent to the river especially designated for picnickers: White Rock, Lower Oso, Falls, and Live Oak. All sites have tables, barbecues, and restrooms. They are open 6:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. daily, and no fee is charged for their use. Although overnight camping is not permitted in these picnic areas, there are four family campgrounds that are available for overnight use.
Other popular picnic areas in the District include: Big and Lower Caliente Hot Springs, in the Upper Sant Ynez Recreation Area and La Cumbre Peak on East Camino Cielo. All sites have tables and restrooms, but none have drinking water.
Camping
The nine developed family campgrounds in the Santa Barbara Ranger District are grouped in three general areas. The full-service campgrounds in the Santa Ynez Recreation Area, the smaller, more rustic, reduced-service campgrounds in the Upper Santa Ynez - Pendola Area, and Cachuma Camp in Happy Canyon.
The four high-service campgrounds in the Santa Ynez Recreation Area have trash bins, piped water, fire pits, toilets, and paved roads. There is a picnic table and a stove at every site, and some sites have extra-long parking spurs to accommodate trailers. The camping fee is $8.00 + $2.00 for a second vehicle per site per night. All the campgrounds are first-come, first-serve. Paradise Campground is on the National Reservation System so any of the 15 sites can be reserved. Upper Oso Campground has 5 sites with corrals available for reservation by equestrians only. Reservations can be made by calling 1-800-280-2267.
The Upper Santa Ynez Recreation Area has four reduced-service campgrounds. All are in shady oak settings along the Santa Ynez River. Each site has a table and a stove, and accessibility to pit toilets. There is no piped water in the campgrounds and no fee is charged for overnight camping.
Cachuma Camp in Happy Canyon, 8 miles east of Figueroa Mountain is also a reduced-service campground with toilets, trash bins, barbecues, fire pits, picnic tables and stoves. This is a pretty oak-wooded camp, located along a stream, near the Figueroa Recreation Area. There is no piped water and no fee for overnight camping.
Group Camping
The District also has a campground available for group use, the Sage Hill Campground in the Lower Santa Ynez Recreation Area. The campground has five loops, each designed to accommodate 25 to 50 people. Each has a centralized cooking and eating area, a group barbecue pit, water hydrants and a flush toilet. Reservations are required. They can be made by calling 1-800-280-CAMP. Reservations can be made up to 360 days in advance.
For more campground information please see Fred Dow's U.S. National Forest Campground Guide
from Away.com
