Free camping near Carpinteria, CA
Within 25 straight-line miles of Carpinteria, CA there are 20 camps: 2 free, 17 fee, 1 unpriced. The closest is Middle Santa Ynez, 9.8 miles north-west of town. The closest one our audit calls free is Hidden Potrero Camp, 19 miles out.
Who manages them: 20 on the Forest Service.
| Camp | Miles | Cost | Water | Nearest town | Season today |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Middle Santa Ynez | 9.8 | Fee | — | 6.2 mi to Toro Canyon | — |
| P-Bar Flat | 10 | Fee | — | 6.6 mi to Toro Canyon | — |
| Lower Caliente | 11 | Fee | — | 7.8 mi to Toro Canyon | — |
| Mono | 12 | Fee | — | 7.1 mi to Mission Canyon | — |
| Wheeler Gorge | 16 | Fee | — | 3.9 mi to Meiners Oaks | — |
| Holiday Group | 16 | Fee | — | 4.3 mi to Meiners Oaks | — |
| Hidden Potrero Camp | 19 | Free | — | 5.4 mi to Painted Cave | — |
| Upper Oso | 19 | Fee | — | 7.4 mi to Mission Canyon | — |
| Sage Hill Group | 20 | Fee | — | 7.1 mi to Eastern Goleta Valley | — |
| Pine Mountain | 20 | Fee | — | 13 mi to Meiners Oaks | — |
| Los Prietos | 20 | Fee | — | 6.8 mi to Eastern Goleta Valley | — |
| Reyes Peak | 20 | Fee | — | 13 mi to Meiners Oaks | — |
| Paradise | 21 | Fee | — | 6.9 mi to Eastern Goleta Valley | — |
| Rose Valley | 21 | Fee | — | 6.8 mi to Ojai | — |
| Fremont | 21 | Fee | — | 7.2 mi to Eastern Goleta Valley | — |
| Middle Lion | 22 | Fee | — | 8.3 mi to Ojai | — |
| Upper Reyes Creek Campground | 22 | Unpriced | Reyes Creek (stream) | 10 mi to Wheeler Springs | — |
| Beartrap Campsite | 23 | Free | Beartrap Creek (stream) | 10 mi to Wheeler Springs | — |
| Reyes Creek | 23 | Fee | — | 14 mi to Pine Mountain Club | — |
| Ozena | 23 | Fee | — | 14 mi to Pine Mountain Club | — |
Every distance on this page is a straight line from Carpinteria, CA, not a driving distance — a camp four miles out across a canyon can be an hour of road. Cost is the audited three-state verdict on each camp's own record: free, fee, or unpriced where we could not confirm a price. A blank column is a gap in the record, not a statement that the thing is absent. Camps come from state and federal agency records, not from a visit, except the ones marked. Seasons, permits and fire rules change: confirm with the managing office before you go. Found a fee where we show free? Tell us on the contact page.