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Arroyo Seco Campground
Description
Activities
Offered near the campground.
Biking
Ride along the beautiful Santa Barbara coast, the central Monterey coast, or anywhere you want in this huge forest. The recomme...Read more
Fishing
You can fish in the rivers and streams located throughout the forest, and fish in the ocean on the Monterey coast at Sand Dolla...Read more
Hiking
Up by Big Sur, the Ventana wilderness is a popular hiking destination, with 260 miles of hiking trails, making it a unique exp...Read more
Horseback riding
The Saint Lucia Mountains have been taken by horseback many a’ times, and the time you visit should be no exception. To truly f...Read more
Paddling
Lake Cachuma in the Santa Barbara region offers some of the best kayak fishing, especially with its location admist the mountai...Read more
Swimming
You can’t go wrong at Pfeiffer Beach in Big Sur, but it’s no match for the Seven Falls in Santa Barbara. This hike might not be...Read more
Wildlife watching
Whether you are an avid birdwatcher (California Condor...check), or just enjoy seeing what the wilderness has to offer, Los Pad...Read more
Terrain
Natural features you'll find at Arroyo Seco Campground.
11 Reviews
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We camped here over Labor aday 2021. NFS contracted maintenance to a private company more concerned with our dogs being on leash than with our safety! We ran out of water on a long hike, looking tired and red faced, and the host employees we more concerned with us being near the "employee only" area (where the trail deposited us) and our dogs sacked out on the side not being on leash, than with our well being! The Forrest service employee who came by gave us water and Gatorade because he could tell we needed it, but the employees for the host company just reminded us of rules! The campground was also very spread out and we had to drive to the swimming areas. Overall, very disappointing and we won't be back!
This place is great! I visited in March of 2019. With all the rain in recent weeks the creeks were roaring and the foliage was beyond vivid in color. The camp hosts Mike and Holy were super helpful and have firewood for $10 per bundle incase you're running low and need some extended warmth. The campsites in some areas are a bit close to one another, but everyone was friendly and respectful of noise and space. They do offer showers, and I found the bathrooms to very clean. Toilet and sink are provided in the bathrooms and you won't be hit in the face with any foul smells when you walk in. You can either walk or drive to the trailhead of Indians Road and Santa Lucia from the campground, but prepare to pay $10 (day pass) if you drive.
Its apparently known as the "party" campground by the locals and I can see why. People were awake and being very loud well past 3 AM. I was actually honestly surprised that the host didn't say anything. other than that, its a nice area, lots of shade, easy access to some great hiking. The camp site had lots of room and the bathrooms were kept up really well. I would stay again, just might bring some ear plugs next time
Arroyo seco is an awesome hidden gem off of highway 101. It can have a good amount of water after a wet winter. Along the same lines, it can also have very little and stagnant water after a dry winter. Flies can be bad and temps can reach 90+ so I would recommend fall to spring as the best time to check it out.
Very nice campgrounds on an easily accessible road (we have a low clearance vehicle). Lots of trails and hiking in the area, but be careful for poison oak- it's everywhere. The river is a great temperature- feels amazing and cools you right off (especially with the crazy heat around this area)! We saw some larger groups of friends as well as families.
If you're planning on staying at the car camping campground, do not expect solitude. We parked our car here and hiked up/down the river and found a nice secluded spot to pitch our tent.
You can find images here:
http://tbdtraveler.com/arroyo-seco-gorge.html
great campground. you dont need to bring to bring any firewood cause you can buy it for cheap there. there are a couple of small trails you can hike and also long trails so its perfect for anyone.
The hike to last chance falls is fantastic. If you bring rope you can also jump in for a swim and use to rope climb back out (when it's not dried up). Also, you can hike/swim thru the river bed to the canyon, but make sure to bring a floating device.
Such a great site for large groups! We reserved the group site and had a blast hiking and swimming.
- Park
- Los Padres National Forest
- State
- California
- Country
- United States
- Phone Number
- 805-434-1996
- Directions
- View on Google Maps
- Official Website
- View Website
- Coordinates
- 36.24° N, 121.479° W
- Unknown price
- Tent Only - Hike In: 3 Sites (Up to 8 people per site)
- Unknown price
- Tent Only: 12 Sites (Up to 8 people per site)
- Unknown price
- Tent / RV / Trailer - Group: 1 Site (Up to 50 people per site)
- Unknown price
- Tent / RV / Trailer: 22 Sites (Up to 8 people per site)