El Capitan Beach State Park

El Capitan Beach State Park might seem like it is fairly nice from the highway, but keep in mind… that highway is right next to beach access as well as all of the camping spots.
The buzzing of tires and engines can be heard all day and all night — even from the semi-​sandy, rocky beach.
PROS
— sunsets… I worship the sun.
— Restrooms are near the stairs down to the beach
— beach was mostly clean (they’ve done a decent job considering this year’s oil spills, etc.)
— camping is available (no full hook-​ups for RV, though)
CONS
— continuous highway noise
— $ 10 per vehicle to enter (but if staff isn’t present they expect the honor system…)
— Kevin O. said it is «pretty run down in general.» Agreed.
— the campgrounds were just okay to me… not very private & nothing particularly special
— it gets windy in this area
Review #421
Unilocal challenge 102

If you like windy, dusty, loud, hot campgrounds you will love this one! Oh not to mention the tar on the beach! It’s quiet possibly one of the worst campgrounds I have ever been to. Nothing like camping next to a freeway.

I’d give really 2.5 stars. Pros– epic ocean views and sunsets and old California feel, waves can be heard at night. Some facilities have been renovated. Pretty clean restrooms but staff was never really seen. Trees are beautiful. Cons– pretty run down in general. Campground has trash here and there. Looks like the California drought is really here! Landscape is hammered. Poison oak everywhere so make sure your kids know before venturing off. I don’t know what the state does with all the money that this camp pulls in. It’s sold out everyday during the summer and most of the winter.

Beautiful but lots of kelp. The beach has been cleaned. I do smell some tar though. Lots of neat things to see though in the tide pools.

Just returned from a quick overnight camping trip at El Capitan! The bathrooms are very clean and the sites are beautiful. We were in spot #107 that overlooks the ocean. It’s a bit smaller than the others, and right on the path but the sound of the ocean crashing was worth it! Seems like mostly long term RVers during the week. Didn’t see a lot of tents. Both the park ranger and the volunteer at the front gate were both very friendly and for that 4 stars becomes 5! Thank you El Cap for a memorable birthday trip! 5÷13÷13

I saw 3 – 4 huuuuge whales both days I came here (May 2015) and I hear dolphin sitings in the bay are common. The beach is small though with just a bit of sand to park your towels and umbrella.

both times we went to the beach we saw grey whales. ONCE IN A LIFETIME OPPORTUNITY!
They were within 200 feet of the shore, absolutely breath-​defying! Makes one want to learn more about whales.
BEWARE: the lifeguard stations were unmanned!!! Kids and dogs can easily drown without proper supervision. Keep an eye on your dogs!
Also there were these weird plasticky white things all over the shore. Jellyfish or plastic? Also know someone who got tar on their foot! BLEGH!

I wish I could give this 0 stars. Tar EVERYWHERE. All over my shoes, feet, bathing suit. Had no idea about the oil rigs out on the coast and can say it definitely is hazardous to be on this beach. AND it costs 10 dollars to get in!!! So disgusting.

A great place to stay or visit. A nice beach that isn’t too populated, some beautiful grassy areas to have a picnic or run around.
There are several different camping options here and I have tried them all. The most rugged, which is still just car camping. There are some bathrooms, a water fill up and wash basin as well as some nice tent sites with a picnic table. If you want a little more luxury then across the freeway from the beach there are more car camping sites with really nice bathrooms and showers you can use. They also have a pool and hot tub that you get access to as part of the fee. Last option is Yurts that are basically hotel rooms made of fabric. They are really nice and good for people who don’t really enjoy all the glory of sleeping outside and being dirty for days, but still want to be in nature.
There are lots of good places to walk around and explore as well. Not much that I would refer to as hiking, but some pretty nice walks. See if you can find the llamas and goats. :)

Not your typical day at the beach. Very few people here on a Sunday which was the first clue. They charge $ 10 to get in too. Rocky beach, no sandy areas, with a view of oil rigs in the water. Good place for a walk but that’s about all.

Gosh, this is one sad State Park. Not sure what happened but I could tell that this park once flourished. The beach is rocky and there was almost no one here on a Sunday. It still has decent views and a lot of open space. The oil rigs are clearly seen in thy he ocean back drop. I can’t speak to any oil slicks that others reported. I’ve got to think that was a bit embellished. Overall it is worth a stop but not worth the $ 10 bucks to get into the park.

Beware: this beach is covered with tar. It’s hard to see because it’s in small little patches and you will unknowingly walk over them but they will build up on your feet. By the time I figured it out it was too late– the bottoms of my feet were covered. I spent about an hour taking the tar off at the nearby drug store using a whole bottle of nail polish remover. Even using that, it’s really hard to get it off.

SKUNKS!
reserved a spot online about a month in advance. arrived about 6pm and found our spot posted on the check in shack with ease. set up camp and walked down to the beach. it was high tide but I could already tell that I wouldnt be taking my small kids back. just a ton of rocks and lightly littered. on the way up we saw a snake (cool, but freaked my wife out). then we saw a skunk climbing up the rocks towards the camp grounds (my kids loved that). then we ran into scattered patches of poison oak (I hate that stuff). we finished our dinner at the site as the sun was going down and spotted our skunk buddy nearby. I had read a review that skunks take over at night. that could not be more accurate. from 8 to 11pm my wife and I spotted about 6 unique skunks terrorizing our whole section of sites. not sure we were in a bad spot but it really made hanging out by the fire after hours with my wife not so enjoyable. at times raccoons would set in and climb on our table (we had everything put away in the car) scavenging for crumbs. then we saw a coyote before we went to bed.
in hindsight, it was fun to have some wildlife presence but the skunk population is clearly out of control. they would come within 10 ft without hesitation. we had to be on our toes and when being too aggressive shooing the skunks away they would turn around and take aim. I am actually surprised that we didnt get sprayed! it made heading to the bathrooms for my wife and daughter very difficult. they ran into a skunk vs raccoon fight on their way back.
if you are even remotely wary of skunks I would look for other camping options. the beach nearby did not justify all the stress from the critters!

I wish that we had been able to explore the beach a little more but we arrived just as they were closing the gates and came in for a quick pit stop.
State beach restrooms at the end of the weekend are not pretty places and that’s all I will say about that!

Decided on a weekend getaway. I had planned on camping, selected four destinations, but did not make any reservations. Well, El Capitan was the first spot I stopped at. I drove through the park to see the available campsites. I had found a site with a beautiful ocean view. The Park Ranger at the front gate can only take Cash or Check for payment.
There are four campsite loops. Most campsites have tree shade, a picnic table and a fire ring. There are flush toilets, sinks and showers. Showers use quarters to operate; and each quarter is good for a two minute shower. Be warn that any item placed on the floor will get wet, so place them on the seat.
The short walk down to the beach was nice with spots to take pictures of the coastline. Once at the beach, it was not sandy, but rocky. Talked to another camper and they said that this condition was unusual; as last year was all sand. I had been warned by posts of tar /​oil on the beach. If you plan on walking on the beach, most likely you will have tar on your feet like I had, so bring some kind of cleaner (Alcohol, nail polish remover, gasoline, lighter fluid, etc…).
There are picnic tables with BBQ grills along the beach. Also, there is a large grass area which could hold a large gathering. I’ve seen people catching Barred Perch at this beach. There is a camp host that sells firewood and exchange dollars for quarters for the shower.
Try to stay /​reserve a site closest to the beach /​bluff as the 101 freeway and train track are on the east side which is noisy. Overall, a good weekend getaway spot.

The view was absolutely beautiful from our camp site. It was a very clean place with bathrooms accessible.
It was $ 45 a night which is pricey for a college student. There were RACOONS and SKUNKS everywhere at night coming up to our campsite leaving me feel extremely on edge and paranoid.
There is no sandy beach here… Just beaches with rocks. It was gorgeous but not the kind of beach you could lay out on. There’s fun trails and a bike path.

This review is only for the beach as this was my only stop there. Unknowingly, my boyfriend and I strolled down the beach just like any other…
Unfortunately, this is not like any other beach. This beach is covered with tar washing up in the water from the oil rigs. There are no warnings, so if you simply pop in randomly, you can leave like we did. Absolutely covered in tar. After leaving, we spent a good forty five minutes cleaning it off with nail polish remover (yes, it works). My boyfriend couldn’t get it all off, and I still have a little residue. I know this isn’t the fault of the parks, but it still affected my experience there.
I did not see any signs, warnings, or anyone actively cleaning it up.
My only other issue with his beach is that it’s very rocky both at the beginning and when you go in up to your knees. I guess it’s good I couldn’t go in any farther because I totally would’ve gone full on swimming. I can only imagine how covered in tar I would’ve been after that.
It’s really sad that our beaches are being destroyed by oil. I’ve never seen anything like this before, and I hope to never experience it again. The tar was absolutely disgusting.

Came here to see if the butterflies were migrating, but we missed out.
The guy at the gate was cool and gave us a free pass, since we only wanted to see if the butterflies were present.
This is a nice little beach with a store, which is very convenient, because many times there is no store or he shops are all closed.
there are hills, so if you are lazy, be aware of that.

Camping here is fun, and covered in other reviews, but I enjoy day visits as well. On a 70 degree day in February I checked out the tide pools, took a long beach walk, and wandered through sycamore woodlands and along creeks on the nature trail.
Lots of picnic tables line the beach, and there are new restrooms in the large day use parking area above the beach. I saw birds, lizards, and a harbor seal, and I actually spotted a spouting grey whale on a previous visit. It’s a great place to enjoy the ocean and the unpopulated coast, and the day use is free if you have an annual state park pass, which pays for itself if you visit state parks as often as I do. Otherwise, there is a day use fee.

I LOVE EL CAPITAN!
that being said:
it is SUPER difficult to get a good spot unless you’re hovering over the site on January 1^st and are ready to reserve a spot for all the way out in September…
the bathrooms are RARELY cleaned – once a week I think– and people tend to get drunk and throw up in the stalls… so that is nice.
there is tar in the water from the oil rigs and it gets into your hair, onto your skin and mixes with the fibers in your bathing suit… which is annoying and gross.
BUT it is super relaxing
dogs are allowed (on leash at all times)
it is really close to Santa Barbara and Solvang
and that is it.
GORGEOUS campground– support our state beaches and parks!!!