Santa Barbara Island Campground
33.4800, -119.0295 · Park boundary: National Park Service
Primitive camping is available (seven sites; $15 per night per site; reservations required). Picnic table, food storage box, and pit toilet are provided. No water is available. Distance from landing to campground is one-quarter mile and includes a steep climb.
- Every day
- All Day
Santa Barbara Island campground is open year round.
Per the National Park Service, as of 2026-08-04
Advanced camping reservations are required for all of the park's campgrounds. There are no entrance fees to visit the park. However, a reservation fee of $15.00 per site-per night is charged for camping on the islands. For Santa Barbara Island, this fee covers up to four people. Reservations can be made by calling (877) 444-6777 or through http://www.recreation.gov/
Per the National Park Service, as of 2026-08-04
Advanced camping reservations are required for all of the park's campgrounds. There are no entrance fees to visit the park. However, a reservation fee of $15.00 per site-per night is charged for camping on the islands. For Santa Barbara Island, this fee covers up to four people.Reservations can be made by calling (877) 444-6777 or through http://www.recreation.gov/.
- Food storage lockers
- Yes - year round
- Host on site
- Yes - year round
- Toilets
- Vault Toilets - year round
- Amphitheater
- No
- Camp store
- No
- Cell reception
- No
- Drinking water
- No water
- Dump station
- No
- Firewood for sale
- No
- Ice for sale
- No
- Internet
- No
- Laundry
- No
- Showers
- None
- Trash & recycling
- No
Per the National Park Service, as of 2026-08-04
- RVs
- Not allowed
- Trailers
- Not allowed
- Access roads
- No Roads
- Classification
- Designated Primitive Campsites
Due to Santa Barbara Island's isolation, steep cliffs, and boat transportation requirements, the Santa Barbara Island Campground is not accessible for individuals in wheelchairs or those with limited mobility.
Due to Santa Barbara Island's isolation, steep cliffs, and boat transportation requirements, the Santa Barbara Island Campground is not accessible for individuals in wheelchairs or those with limited mobility.
No fires are permitted. Use only enclosed, gas camp stoves.
Per the National Park Service, as of 2026-08-04
Santa Barbara Island Campground is only accessible by boat. Visit our island transportation webpage for more information: http://www.nps.gov/chis/planyourvisit/island-transportation.htm The hike to the campground is .25 miles (steep, uphill) from the boat landing.
Campers should be prepared for a variety of weather conditions. Sturdy, low-profile tents, stakes, and line for securing tents to ground or table. Fog can occur during any season producing cool, damp conditions. There are no trees or shade on Santa Barbara Island. Overexposure to the wind and sun can be a serious problem. Visitors are advised to bring supplies for an extra day in case boats are unable to pick up campers due to sea conditions. Current weather: http://channelislands.noaa.gov/news/kiosk.html
http://www.nps.gov/chis/learn/management/lawsandpolicies.htm
A trail from the Santa Barbara Visitor Center leads out onto a flat area perched on a plateau, overlooking the ocean. This campground is in a field with a mix of grass, scrub brush and coreopsis, which looks like a stunted tree. In the spring and early summer, the grass is green, the shrub brushes are generally grey-green in color, and the thick branches of the coreopsis are topped with tufts of feathery bright green leaves and yellow daisy-like flowers. In late summer and fall, the grass is brown, the brush looks brown and brittle, and the branches of the coreopsis are brown with shaggy dark brown tufts at the tips. A dirt and gravel trail through the camping area connects ten sites, each with a picnic table and a metal food storage box. If you stand at the edge of the campsite at the cliff facing the ocean, the Landing Cove is visible in the distance to the left or north, cut into the base of a steep cliff.
Drive to Santa Barbara Island Campground
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