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A white Tacoma with a camper shell parked on a rise above a broad, empty basin under building cloud.

Forest Service campground

Paradise Campground

Forest Service campground in Los Padres National Forest, Santa Barbara County, California. 926 feet. 7.8 miles from Goleta.

Reserve on Recreation.gov
Managed by
Forest Service Los Padres National Forest
Elevation
926 ft USGS elevation model, at the mapped point
Sites
14 14 standard non-electric
Longest rig
48 ft The longest vehicle any site is listed for
Hookups
None listed
Reservations
Recreation.gov
County
Santa Barbara County

Overview

Paradise Campground is a beautiful place to enjoy California's westernmost national forest. It provides access to a variety of recreational activities, including hiking, biking, horseback riding and more. Mountain lakes and rivers in the area offer campers plentiful fishing, boating and swimming opportunities.

Recreation

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

Cachuma Lake Recreation Area, a no-body-contact reservoir, is 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 just over a dozen sites for single and double-family tent and RV camping. Each site is equipped with a table, campfire ring with grill and a pedestal grill. Accessible flush toilets and drinking water are provided.

Utility hookups are not provided. Parking spurs are paved and can accommodate most RVs. Firewood can be purchased from the campground host. The nearest fee dump station is about 11 miles away at Cachuma Lake County Park off State Route 154.

Natural Features

The developed campground is located in the Santa Ynez Mountains at an elevation of about 1,000 feet. The Santa Ynez River can be accessed through a tunnel beneath adjacent Paradise Road.

The campground is nestled in an oak tree woodland that provides ample shade in most sites. Lush greenery blankets the campground and an open, level playing field allows for games and exploration.

Nearby Attractions

The city of Santa Barbara and the Pacific Ocean are about 18 miles from the campground.

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

What people do here

  • camping
  • fishing
  • hiking
  • hunting
  • swimming site

The land around Paradise Campground

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

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.

Nearest campgrounds

Camping near

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.

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