A gray 4x4 Sprinter with a roof rack on a two-track through a wildflower meadow, cloud sitting on the mountains behind.

Forest Service campground

Los Prietos

Forest Service campground in Los Padres National Forest, Santa Barbara County, California. 930 feet. 7.9 miles from Goleta.

Managed by
Forest Service Los Padres National Forest
Elevation
930 ft USGS elevation model, at the mapped point
Sites
37 29 standard non-electric, 8 tent only non-electric
Longest rig
35 ft The longest vehicle any site is listed for
Hookups
None listed
Reservations
Recreation.gov

Overview

Los Prietos Campground is situated in the Los Padres National Forest and provides access to a variety of outdoor adventures, including water-related recreation and hiking. The family-friendly campground is green and lush and is a great place to camp in the mountains of western California.

Recreation

The Santa Ynez River is popular for a variety of water-related recreation. The river can be accessed at White Rock Day Use Area, less than a half-mile from the campground.

Cachuma Lake Recreation Area is no-body-contact reservoir about 10 miles northwest of the campground. It offers boating, fishing and kayaking. Anglers will find an abundance of annually stocked trout. Carp and bass are also common catches.

Visitors enjoy a variety of hiking, biking and horseback riding trails. The Aliso National Recreation Trail is a popular, 2.5-mile loop that begins near the campground. Also nearby is the 18-mile Santa Cruz Trail, which provides access to a variety of other trails in the area.

The Camuesa OHV Route and its connecting trails are available within 10 miles of the campground.

Facilities

The campground offers dozens of single-family sites for tent or RV camping. No utility hookups are available at the campground.

Each site is equipped with a table, campfire ring with grill and a pedestal grill. Flush toilets and drinking water are provided. Trash collection bins are available throughout the campground.

Natural Features

The campground is nestled on the side of the Santa Ynez Mountains. Beautiful, mature oak trees provide ample shade, and abundant vegetation blankets the ground. The sites are roomy and allow for some privacy and separation.

Nearby Attractions

The campground is located 19 miles from Santa Barbara and the Pacific Ocean.

The description, directions and fees are the Forest Service’s own words, from its record on Recreation.gov.

What people do here

  • biking
  • camping
  • fishing
  • swimming site

The land around Los Prietos

The ringed pin is this campground; the others are its nearest neighbours. Switch on forest roads or BLM routes to see the way in.

Interactive map. Drag to pan, scroll or pinch to zoom, and select any point to see which agency manages the land. Arrow keys pan and the plus and minus keys zoom when the map has focus. A list of every state with its share of federal land is on the Explore page.

Map layers

Layers
Base map
Legend

Federal land, by managing agency

  • Bureau of Land Management (BLM)
  • US Forest Service (USFS)
  • National Park Service (NPS)
  • US Fish and Wildlife (USFW)
  • Bureau of Reclamation (USBR)
  • Department Of Defense (DOD)
  • Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA)
  • Other Federal
  • State
  • Local
  • Alaska Native Lands (Patented or Interim Conveyed)
  • Alaska Native Allotment

Federal campgrounds, by agency

  • Forest Service
  • Bureau of Land Management
  • National Park Service
  • Army Corps of Engineers
  • Reclamation, Fish and Wildlife and others

State and local land (USGS PAD-US)

  • State land
  • County and city land
  • Regional agency or district
  • Land trust or conservancy

Gaps with no tint inside public land are private parcels, often old mining claims and homesteads. They are not open to the public.

Dashed clay lines on the base map are unpaved tracks from OpenStreetMap. They show what exists on the ground, not what is legal to drive.

Select any point to see who manages the land.

Boundaries are approximate and land status changes. This map is a planning aid, not a survey or a statement of access. Confirm routes, closures and camping rules with the managing office.

Source: Recreation Information Database (Recreation.gov), record updated February 25, 2026. Elevation from the USGS 3D Elevation Program. Seasons, fees, water and fire rules change; the managing office has the final word.