Ocean Mesa RV and Campground

You need to get away, but not quite get AWAY? This is the place. We’ve been coming here since 2005 and it’s still got the same magical spell cast over us to this day. All the sites overlook the ocean and are equipped with full hookups and the beach is accessible via a short hike down the road. The RV park adjoins another property they own that’s got high end yurt accommodations and you can hike back into an amazing canyon to see hawks cruising and lots of other wildlife. Get adventurous and walk over to the llama farm! However, our favorite part is the pool and jacuzzi area, along with the really CLEAN bathrooms. We usually visit Ocean Mesa during the off-​season and on weekdays, and are rewarded with an almost empty park. Imagine sipping cocktails in the jacuzzi with a gentle rain falling and the ocean view and you’ll understand our attraction to this great spot.

Ocean Mesa RV park is a nice place, clean and fairly new. On our list for high quality RV parks on central coast.
Not cheap, as it is 75 $ for a RV spot/​hookup in ‘ocean view’ spot (more on this below), but facilities are really above average, including pool, dog parks, nice hiking trails, laundry, a few stores with a lot of things to purchase, and fire pits.
Secluded enough, but close (if you have a car) to shopping/​supply needs, about a 20−30min drive.
Very safe and friendly peeps!
I would recommend this place if you are OK to spend the money.
My pro tips are, in no particular order:
— RV spots seem rather noisy when close to the front of property near highway. We were up the hill, on a deluxe ocean view spot, and it wasn’t noisy at all
— This place doesn’t have super ocean views, just to be up front, but you can see some water ;)
— some sites have more bushes/​trees in between to increase privacy
— you can charge any purchases from the stores directly to your RV spot, this make it easy
— go for a hike up the bill Wallace trail above the RV sites, wicked views of water and surrounding areas
— make a fire and roast some marshmallows, if you want to kick it up another notch buy a smore kit from the store down the hill
— WiFi was ok, better than average.
— LTE 2 bars coverage, AT&T, sometimes slipping to 3G but no issues.

Stayed here for Thanksgiving… Sites are nice and spacious with concrete pads… Pool was heated which was great because it’s pretty chilly in the area… Only complaint I had were the people (other campers) complaining about my music at 7 pm … It wasn’t loud but I feel the people that stay there are the senior crowd probably in bed much earlier than some of us … Bring your drinks and all your food, the store has some stuff but it’s very pricey … I saw a man pay 32 for 12 beers and a small bag of chips … They charge by the bottle of beer … I purchased an hour massage for my wife and she loved it!

The staff will not cooperate with complaints. The jacuzzi is now a kiddie pool 12 to 15 kids throwing orange peels and diving under water with goggles and splashing around. The oldest child was about 7 years old! Dad (or some adult drinking a beer not even caring that others would like to use the tub) was oblivious. No chance of even getting a toe in there. I reported this to the staff and the woman replied“yea that’s a problem” but refused to do anything. In fact she turned her back on me and the other 2 employees acted as if I wasn’t there. My wife tried and got the same treatment. The mens showers were overrun only 2 of 4 were working and very dirty. We have stayed here before and enjoyed it but this time it was a real bummer. The staff they had in the office for Thanksgiving weekend were terrible. One girl cruising around in the golf cart while bicycles and scooters RACING at top speed and nothing said (someone is going to get hurt). It was clear that this park has gone down hill.

My husband, two daughters, and I stayed at Ocean Mesa RV and Campground in Goleta for one night (9÷22÷15).
Sadly one night only but had we known we’d enjoy this place so much I would have extended the stay since there are quite a few things we could have done in Santa Barbara.
This place felt more like a retirement center (haha) once we settled in & were poolside with our 2 children. But no one bothered us. And everyone was nice. We liked that.
Don’t come here with a tent. Just my opinion. But if you have an RV or even a pop-​up trailer, you’ll enjoy this place quite a bit.
Check-​in is 2 p.m. & check-​out is noon.
DISLIKES:
— pricey (but so worth it)
— highway noise (but that didn’t bother me inside the RV)
Now for the LIKES as there are too many:
— friendly, helpful staff
— full hook-​ups
— fire rings & picnic tables
— clean showers & restrooms
— laundry available with change machine inside
— clean swimming pool along side a clean, well-​maintained jacuzzi (open 9 am-​10 pm)
— clean, mostly level RV spots (see one of my pix for a quick leveling trick)
— pull-​throughs & back-​ins w/​50 & 30 amp service
— store (open 7 am-​10 pm with gift shop items & things like milk, etc.)
— playground with swings for babies
— area for horseshoes
— 2 separate dog runs
— a meeting yurt
— free WI-​FI
— & much more… plus several attractions are nearby
FYI
— smoking is prohibited
— tent rates are available
— beware of poison oak & wildlife (skunks, snakes, mountain lions, etc.)
— adult hour in the pool is 9 pm-​10 pm
— there are several other rules & regulations so just ask where to find them
— it can get fairly windy up there!
— fires were allowed when we were there, but if it’s too windy they will be disallowed
Review #401
Unilocal challenge ⁸²⁄₁₀₀

So this is my first trip in my RV. I admit I was a bit sketchy about this place because I was able to get a site on two days notice. Not very common with beach close camping but the reviews were good so I booked.
Staff is more than nice and friendly. I was greeted with a welcome smile and she went over the particulars. My site was easy to back in and hook up to utilities. Friendly campers nearby to help me with rookie mistakes.
Not much of a view from my site but the beach is fabulous. Probably a 15 minute walk but when we got there we were the only ones on the point and it was a beautiful warm Saturday morning.
Well worth the money and the place is exactly as billed. Very happy with our weekend!

This was our first trip in our travel trailer and it was a great one. The campground is clean and located near Santa Barbara/​Isla Vista, Solvang and the beach. I never saw any bugs, other than ants
Some thoughts:
–pool is great to have onsite when you are not interested in trekking to the beach
–they have a «sister» property across the freeway, closer to the beach, but I preferred this one as it sat higher to view the ocean and tent camping and RV/​trailer camping was separated
–breakfast at El Capital Canyon Market is only so-​so, definitely skip if you are on the fence
–a trip to Solvang is a must (and I wasn’t looking forward to it)
–it would be nicer if the campground was further away from the highway as you CAN hear the cars from the front, ocean viewing spots, but it’s not a deal breaker
–space 882 is GREAT
–the bathrooms were always spotless and it was great to have hot showers available AND there was body wash/​shampoo available for use (in a dispenser on the wall) at no charge
–we had minimal interaction with the staff but each encounter we did have was very friendly
Above all, we will definitely be back and would absolutely recommend it to our friends.

The facilities are nice, pool, market etc. The campsite itself was rather small and they are very close together. Price was high for the quality of the site ($ 95 per night). It’s the only RV hook up site in El Capitan so they can get the higher prices.
We had noisy neighbors and had to repeatedly ask for them to quiet down, which is one of my pet peeves when camping. Also the showers are dangerously slick floored and they really need some rubber mats or something in there. The showers are an accident waiting to happen IMHO.
I would consider staying there again, but it was not as nice as I expected from the website, so we were a bit let down for the price.

Camped here for two nights with my BF and his daughter. I am NOT a camping person but I agreed to come to Ocean Mesa due to all the amenities and location. They have free hot showers, pool, spa, and a store that carries anything you could possibly need. They also do wine tasting and massages, although we didn’t partake in those. The campground is clean and well-​maintained. Only complaint is you can hear the fwy noise at night and beware of the MANY ground squirrels who WILL eat your food and anything else left out, so make sure to put away your stuff when away from the site.

I loved it here! It was full but no one was wild. Nice and clean and great free hot showers and private bath rooms. There was literally not one bug! Trash picked up very often. Perfect weather. Our site felt very private. We were at the end of the last row by the path that goes to the beach. The walk to the beach is fun down a woody trail and El Capitan beach is gorgeous! Nice stores to walk to and good food to order at one market. The best thing was the location. We walked to the beach one day, went to Solvang with friends the next, and drove to Santa Barbara pier area the following day! We will be back!

We stayed here for 3 nights on our 2 week vacation in a 43 ft 5^th wheel. The sites are TIGHT!!! We had a pull through and it was work getting in the site. Driving up and down the hills with your rig is difficult at best and with all of the parked cars it is cringe worthy! Once in your site I like that they separate the sites with bushes! The internet is spotty at best! It is pretty pricey for what you get in my opinion. We were supposed to have an ocean view– if you bent your head in the right direction you might get a little bit of blue!
I got a very good massage while here!
We did enjoy the pool; however I had pulled a hangnail on my finger earlier in the day and by the next day my finger was very sore/​red. By the 2^nd day my finger was GREEN!!! Need more chemicals and better filtration in this pool.
There were loud parties all around us and no one to enforce the «quiet time».
We will not be back!

This is our second trip to Ocean Mesa. It is one of the nicest RV campgrounds you will find.
Nice size spaces with a small hedge in between RV’s to give you a feeling of privacy. It is wonderfully relaxing. Nice pool, Thursday night movie on the lawn and the opportunity to get a massage! Yes– a massage! I just had a 85 min. Massage with Kira who was wonderful! Worked put the stress in my shoulders and neck. I probably should have done this as soon as I arrived. It was a bonus to find such a beautiful campground.
My kids have been riding bikes, swimming and reading! Wish they would do that at home
The folks in the office are very helpful. We had a hiccup with our reservations (our fault not OM’s) and they worked to accommodate us.
This is our go to campground when we want to get away.

Clean. Friendly staff. Nice salt water pool. Good convince store on site. Centrally located to wineries and SB. Downside a bit pricey I think and when I called front desk to complain about sewer smell wafting from RV next door nobody came out to fix it. Even though I was assured they would. That was sad because nobody wants to smell that when they’re suppose to be enjoying the FRESH AIR.

We came camping here with the family… We had two spots right next to each other. The campground is quite big. It was definitely a family campground, which was perfect for us. It’s got beautiful scenery of the ocean and hills. The campground was very modernized, with bathrooms, showers, laundry, and a pool. We had a great time here.

Great RV Campsite. The only reason it’s not a 5 Star is because the Internet speed is terrible. They need Time Warner Cable or something.

We stayed there over Easter holiday this year. They put on a free Easter egg hunt on their «sister» campground down the street.
So about the place. Great place. close to the beach (you could ride your bikes there or walk or just drive down and be there in 3 minutes, but You have to pay for the parking at the beach ($ 10)). This place was busy and crowded but that’s normal for spring break + Easter. People was nice. No loud groups around us.
They also have a hiking trail next to the camp ground.
We stayed 3 nights, with 3 kids (6 and under) and 3 adults. Everyone was happy with the stay. They have a small store with lots of things in it. and they have a small playground. They have a pool, it was packed most of the time. and they have great bathrooms with free hot showers.
I recommend this for everyone. We even had an ocean view :) that was pretty cool :)

I have been to a lot of campgrounds all over California, and yes some are better than Ocean Mesa, and have been to a lot that are far worse.
With campgrounds like this, you will get a lot of campers and even some noise. However, Ocean Mesa’s camp sites are privatized by trees that go a good job creating walls in between each camp space. Comparing this to say, some KOA sites that are comparable in price and overall vibe, it’s pretty much on the same level.
The prices for most of these family-​oriented campsites will all be pricey, and they are mostly suggested for families. If you are into primitive camping, or not willing to pay for than $ 25 for a site, this place is not for you. The cost for the camp site is $ 50 a night, and this includes access to the pool, jacuzzi, and the site amenities. There’s WiFi — hardly any signal, but there’s a chance you can connect if you go near the office/​store.
For families, it is great. There’s plenty of things to do for the children ranging from swimming, to short walks, horseshoes, ice cream, and even the beach is a short walk (notice short walk — it’s not ON the beach). There’s also plenty of kids for the young ones to mingle with.
A short walk away is El Capitan Canyon Market and Deli, just a short walk down the canyon (.2 miles?) that also has a souvenir shop.
We had a lot of fun with the family, and the staff pretty much lets you be. I have been to some camp grounds where the staff are up your ass all the time. Then again, maybe the staff at Ocean Mesa need to step it up because no children are allowed in the jacuzzi and we had to wait because it was always packed with kids! One of them even left a nice big, brown present floating around.
Another thing is to protect your food! Those damn prairie dogs will raid your food in the middle of the night. They ate all of our bread, hotdog and hamburger buns! And there’s hundreds of them!
With all of this being said, we had a good time and would be back!

We spent a couple nights here over the kids’ spring break last week and we couldn’t be more happy with our choice to camp there! We pitched up a tent in one of their 20 or so tent camp sites and just relaxed and enjoyed the ride. Yes, you’re close to the freeway, but it’s ambient noise and it’s really not too bad. I live in a condo that’s closer to the freeway than these spots are, you get used to it. It was a great first time camping trip with the kids and my dad and his wife. They had nice showers and bathrooms, a pool, a little market and a connecting path down to the El Capitan Resort. Best perk about this place? The El Cap/​Ocean Mesa coffee mugs with unlimited refills. Best. thing. ever!!! I’m not a camper, so this being my first time, having a small little luxury from the normal world was a definite plus in my book! ;) Loved waking up early each morning and making my walk to the Ocean Mesa shop or El Cap shop and grabbing a cup of coffee… none of that campfire coffee, no thank you! lol. My fiancé and father decided to go that route… I think they were a little jealous I got the good stuff ;).
The grounds were really well kept. You could tell they care about this place. Everything was really great and it really made our stay memorable.
We opted for the Bill Wallace trail hike and the pool instead of the beach. We just didn’t have time or we would have went. But the hike was great. It overlooks the ocean and once you make it over the top, you get a gorgeous view of the valley and the El Capitan Resort.
All in all, a great time was had and we’ll definitely be back!

We have stayed in many RV parks and this is by far the best. The grounds have well manicured landscaping, super clean facilities, and a nice playground area for kids. It is pricey to stay here, but it is well worth it.

Ok, here’s the deal… If you appreciate an amazing RV Park and its facilities then this place is for you. If you want to be on the beach and could care less about anything the RV Park has to offer then this place isn’t for you. You can tell that the ownership really cares about its facilities, landscaping and family orientated amenities. This is our 53^rd stop on our RV tour and this is the only place that we have stayed twice. We have been to some real dumps and it is really nice to come back to a place that you know is nice. Great level paved sites, easy hookups, awesome laundry and restrooms, and a nice pool/​hot tub to boot. Yes it is certainly one of the more expensive parks we’ve stayed in but it has been such a welcomed stop especially for doing laundry and getting the rig back in order. That’s the scoop. It is really just what you’re after for your stay in the area.