Santa Barbara Island
Santa Barbara Island is a national park campground in California. Hookups: no hookups.
- Type
- National park campground
- Location
- California
- Coordinates
- 33.47985, -119.02989
- Hookups
- No hookups
- Activities
- Birding, Boating, Camping, Fishing, Guided Interpretive Walks, Hiking, Information Site, Interpretive Programs, Photography, Picnicking, Ranger Station, Sailing
- Map
- Open in OpenStreetMap
- Phone
- 805-658-5730
Amenities
- Reservable sites
Only amenities a source confirms are listed; an amenity missing here is unknown, not absent.
About Santa Barbara Island
Overview Once visitors have scaled the rugged cliffs using the steep trail from the Landing Cove, they will be rewarded with a campground perched on the bluffs with magnificent coastal views. Santa Barbara lies much further south than the other four northern Channel Islands and is the smallest, measuring just one square mile. The islands' native vegetation is recovering slowly with the help of the National Park Service's restoration efforts. This recovery, along with the removal of nonnative predators, has aided in the reestablishment of nesting land birds and seabirds. The island is one of the most important seabird nesting sites within the Channel Islands, with 11 nesting species, including western gulls, California brown pelicans, three species of cormorants, three species of storm-petrels, and one of the world's largest colonies of Scripps's murrelets. The rocky shores of Santa Barbara Island also provide resting and breeding areas for California sea lions, harbor seals and northern elephant seals. Recreation With five miles of hiking trails, ocean access nearby the campground and generally good weather, Santa Barbara Island offers a variety of recreational activities, including hiking, swimming, snorkeling, diving, kayaking and wildlife/wildflower viewing. Since Santa Barbara Island is a cliff island, access to the water is only at the Landing Cove via a dock. There are no other accessible beaches unless you have a watercraft. There are no services on the island, so
Cell coverage
No coverage data for this location yet.
Nearby RV services
- Dump station
- None mapped within 50 mi
- Water fill
- None mapped within 50 mi
- Propane
- Lava Propane · 47 mi
- Low clearances
- None mapped within 10 mi
Other places to stay nearby
| Name | Type | Distance | Fee | Hookups |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Santa Barbara Island Campground | National park campground | under 0.1 mi | $15 | — |
| Santa Barbara Island Campground | Private campground | under 0.1 mi | — | — |
| Parsons Landing | Private campground | 28 mi | — | — |
| Camp Cherry Valley | Private campground | 30 mi | — | — |
| Bahia Azul Group Campsite | Private campground | 31 mi | — | — |
| Two Harbors Campground | Private campground | 31 mi | — | — |
Open Santa Barbara Island in DryRig
Save it offline, check your rig's clearance on the drive in, and see what's nearby on the map.
Sources. Recreation.gov (RIDB). Updated June 2026. Facility facts only; DryRig does not publish ratings or reviews on this page.