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

Forest Service group campground

Sage Hill

Forest Service group campground in Los Padres National Forest, Santa Barbara County, California. 1,273 feet. 8.1 miles from Goleta.

Managed by
Forest Service Los Padres National Forest
Elevation
1,273 ft USGS elevation model, at the mapped point
Sites
5 4 group standard non-electric, 1 group equestrian
Hookups
None listed
Reservations
Recreation.gov

Overview

Nestled in the Santa Ynez Mountain Range, Sage Hill Campground is a great group camping spot with easy access to the Santa Ynez River. Spend time fishing or take in the epic scenery on one of the trails designed for both hikers and horseback riders.

One of the campsites is designed for group equestrian camping and includes 12 corrals and a hitching post.

Recreation

Fishermen are likely to find carp, catfish, bluegill and the occasional bass that swim up from Cachuma. The Aliso Canyon Trail begins at the rear of the facility and continues to Upper Oso Campground, which is where the Santa Cruz Trail begins.

The nearby Cachuma Lake Recreation Area is perfect for boating, fishing and kayaking.

Facilities

Each campsite accommodates up to 50 people, and the group equestrian site accommodates up to 60.

Flush toilets, drinking water and paved roads are included, in addition to an extra large parking area to accommodate horse trailers.

The closest dump station is at Cachuma Lake.

Natural Features

The campground sits in a flat area with some sites shaded by oak trees. Sage Hill is near the river, which flows into Cachuma Lake about seven miles west. The Santa Ynez Mountains make up part of the Transverse Range along the Pacific Coast of California.

The landscape may become very dry by mid-summer.

Nearby Attractions

The campground is half an hour from the thriving beach city of Santa Barbara.

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
  • horseback riding
  • hunting
  • swimming site

The land around Sage Hill

The ringed pin is this group 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.