Happy Camper

Trail to the beach at El Capitan 

Luxury cabin

View from the hill behind our campsite!

Luxury Yurt

Market and Coffee shop/cafe

Complimentary bicycles - if you stay in cabin
or yurt...

Usually, campers are put away on dusty campsites while 5-star guests expensively enjoy ocean views, champagne and jacuzzi's.  However, as we traveled through Santa Barbara this weekend looking for an outdoor getaway, we happily stumbled upon a privately owned bastion of egalitarianism, where luxury cabins intermingled with yurts, RV's and tents. Yes my friends, Ocean Mesa at El Capitan is a breath of fresh non-government-owned air where a camper can relax in the jacuzzi and a resorter can go for a long, dusty hike.

It all started with a gorgeous weekend forecast and work off for Thanksgiving - we had to go somewhere! Santa Barbara seemed like the perfect place for a short camping trip, so off we went. Unfortunately a spur of the moment decision for us happened to a be well thought out plan for far too many Californians - all the campgrounds along the coast where we wanted to stay were booked up for the night.

As we dejectedly left the beautiful and full El Capitan State Campground, we aimlessly drove along the frontage road next to the freeway where we noticed signs for camping. We pulled into a driveway and saw tents, so we kept driving into what looked like a really nice campground. The attendants at the charming front office/grocery mart told us that this privately owned campground had plenty of spots for camping. Although tent camping costs $50 a night instead of $35 at state parks, you get hot showers, clean private bathrooms, laundry facilities, wi-fi, a pool, jacuzzi, market and restaurant, as well as horseshoe courts and a playground. It's an easy walk under the bridge to El Capitan and the ocean, and lots of hiking right behind our tent.

Needless to say, we were very excited to have found this little surprise campground. Paying $15 more was worth it to not have to continue driving or sleep in our car - and we got to use the jacuzzi!
We ended up staying for two nights, and although we didn't take full advantage of the luxury camping facilities - such as showers, laundry or wi-fi, we did go in the pool after surfing one day, and we got coffee and breakfast at the cute restaurant on our last morning. But mostly it was nice to have a quiet campground next to the hills when so many campgrounds were too full.
Spending $50 for a campsite might seem like too much, but it's cheaper than a hotel and offers a lot of perks. Although we didn't necessarily need all the amenities, it's ideal for families or groups who are camping for more than just a weekend.
Santa Barbara is an absolutely gorgeous place to camp - either make reservations at state grounds or live it up at Ocean Mesa!

To visit campground website: http://www.oceanmesa.com/
To visit cabin website: http://www.elcapitancanyon.com/