I turned on Google navigation, but it led me to a completely wrong mountain road. I wandered around…read morein the mountains for about 20 minutes before finally getting out, so I just came back home. If you plan to go, make sure to double-check the route at least once before heading out.

A friend and I came here to hike on a recent visit to Pine Mountain Club. We didn't camp, so this…read morereview is for hiking only. We took the Tumamait trail to the weather station at the Mount Pinos summit and picnicked at the top by the Iwhihinmu plaque. After returning to the first fork in the trail, we then hiked to the meadow and back. Altogether, this was a full day of beautiful hiking. The crisp mountain air, pine trees, high elevation buckwheat and lichen meadows, and views were all fantastic. As other reviewers have said, the hikes aren't intensely strenuous, but they can be long if you want them to be. Both Tumamait and the meadow paths are partially shaded with sunny patches. Going to the meadow, most of the hike is a small downhill slope, so keep in mind it will be mildly strenuous coming back up. For hiking, my friend and I did not have a parking pass nor could we find a place to buy one at the Nordic Station parking lot (the drive up the mountain to the lot is lovely, by the way!) We were slightly concerned, but nothing happened. No ticket, no ranger presence. Our visit was in late April, 2022. Spending time in this powerful Chumash site was wonderful. We stayed on the mountain peak for at least an hour feeling the wind whip our faces, enjoying our picnic and the views, looking at the trees and plants and snow, and enjoying being at the "top of the world." There weren't many people around, and we said hello to everyone we passed. It felt convivial and isolated at the same time. A pretty cool combination.

One of the best campsites Ive had the chance to camp at. We booked site #453 and it was right by…read morethe northeastern part. Its right by the water, which allowed for beautiful views the entire time we were there. Be warned, it can get super windy since most of the campsites that are close to the water are on a bluff, which lead to our campsite being windier than those that were away from the water. The campground itself is mostly dirt and the camp roads need some TLC but the grounds themselves are well maintained. There are a couple of restrooms throughout the campsite and the toilets are flushable. They have a showers that cost $1 for about 3 minutes of very very hot water. We wernt able to change the water temp so that was unfortunate. Now lets get into our campsite. As mentioned, it was by the water and there were some trees nearby but they provide little to no shade. A couple of campsites further south was a campsite that was identical to ours but with lots of shade. I would recommend at least 2 canopies to stay cool in the summer heat. We were able to make both a wood fire and use our propane stove, so i'm glad there were no fire restrictions in place. (Make sure to check local fire restrictions during fire season!) This was mid August and we camped Monday-Thursday and we found the campground to be fairly quite at night. Make sure to secure your food at night as there are LOTS of raccoons. On our second night I was woken up to an entire family looking through our belongings. Thankfully, all other campers were respectful of quite hours and we slept good all three nights. Another thing we were not prepared for was the amount of hornets/wasps. Every time we cooked breakfast our campsite was swarmed by them to the point were we were getting uncomfortable by the amount that had spawned outta nowhere. I would advise taking something to deter them. There's a camp store by the entrance of the campsite, they have all the essentials with a slight upcharge, but thats expected since the other closest stores were 20-30 min away. They also have a gas station there that was fairly priced and had all the essentials(Beer, food and ice). Passing the store and heading towards the campsites, theres also a docking station where you can rent boats, Kayaks, etc. The rangers were all kind and on the last day when we were leaving, my car battery had died and they were kind enough to give us a jump. I cant recommend this spot enough, there's plenty to do within the campground and its perfect for a quick getaway.

Quick stop at Lake Cachuma while on our way we only had about 15 minutes to use the restroom and…read moretake a quick look around. Even in that short time, the lake was stunning. The water was such a beautiful deep blue, and the whole area has a calm, scenic feel. It definitely looks like a great place for camping or spending a full day outdoors. Next time, I'd love to come back and explore more.

Stayed here Late September for a night on our way to Yosemite. We called ahead to reserve our…read morelocation. There are squirrels everywhere but I loved that. If that might be an issue for you and pets be careful. There are holes everywhere and in most campsites. Employees for the most part were nice. Campsites were clean. Trash bins close by at every site. There are fire bins with grate at every campsite. Does smell a little bit like cow. Especially at night. There are plenty of bugs. come prepared! Bring Bug Repellent! Bug repellent scents etc. we were fine. They left us alone. There are 4 ducks that I think were someone's pet then dumped here bcuz they go right up to you. 2 nicely took food out of my hands. Be nice to them! Can fish. Bring everything. All in all 9/10 campsite.

On a short notice, this part was very accommodating and wonderful to visit. Very friendly…read moreaffordable and kept really clean. Was able to get some R&R for the weekend, the only thing I would say is for camp host or recreational facility management to enforce extremely loud stereos after 10.

One of my favorite parks around. From football practices to hooping it up with some buddies, I have…read moresome of my fondest childhood memories at this park. A great park for the local community.

2 different parks, basketball courts, pavilion, walking paths, restrooms and large fields. Very…read moreclean.

Love love love! Easy to spend the day here and I recommend…read moreit. But also fairly easy to get to, so it's perfect for a meditative reset time in the middle of a busy day. This space is so special. Lots to explore. Lots to learn. Lots of care and love here. Don't want to say too much. Just go and see and be surrounded by the trees, flowers, rocks, peace, and magic. Fantastic gift shop too!

The Santa Barbara Botanic Garden is a neat activity to check out if you're ever in the area. You…read morecan kill 2 hours here depending how long you take to observe all the different plants and trees. Before you enter, I recommend taking a map with you. If you visit in the summer, I recommend dressing cool, wearing a hat, comfortable shoes, and some sunscreen. There are areas where there is limited shade so the sun can feel rough in those areas. There is some incline in certain areas, but nothing crazy. The red woods were beautiful, and I loved that there were some areas where they provided some seating areas near cool view spots. There were even some hammocks and some areas that were kid friendly. There's even a small nursery where you can purchase pots and plants near the entrance.

We made our annual summer camping trip with three other families, and as always, we had a BLAST and…read morecreated awesome memories. This campground is well maintained except for the blacktop leading to the individual campsites. These roads could definitely use some much-needed TLC Despite this minor issue, there is so much to do here for kids of all ages 1-100 and beyond. Besides camping, there are trails everywhere to bike, walk, or jog. There is a large area where you can rent boats (pontoons), fish, and use a large public swimming pool, plus movie nights sponsored by the campground, showers, a market, a gas station, and much more. Quiet time in the entire campground is from 10 pm - 700 am, which means all music and other loud noise must cease during this period. If you do not abide by this strict rule, park rangers will kindly remind you of this campground rule. Individual campsites are spacious and offer campers room to park their vehicles and set up tents, canopies, and other camping equipment. Campers are very respectful of each other's space This place is safe and conveniently located with mere Miles from the city of Solvang and a twenty-five-minute drive to Santa Barbara. I hope to keep this destination as an annual vacation spot for my family and friends for years to come.

Great place and staff are very friendly. Restrooms/showers are a huge plus and clean. Portal…read moretoilets are available, but such a strong odor, I didn't use them after the first time. Would have been nice to have electricity to the tent sites, but not really an issue. I'll be back.

Nice place, very peaceful. We have Some homeless sleeping but harmless. Great view and a great…read moreplace to enjoy a book. Or chill.

This park for me has a feeling of nostalgia. My grandma used to take me here when I was a toddler…read moreto play and visit the ducks. Going back as an adult it's definitely changed , some for the better and some just unfortunate. I love the addition of the fountains and I love how it was relaxing and quiet for park . I love how you can see the museum's garden and I love how the play-area isn't very close to the street so kiddos don't get hurt . I had no idea it was a historic landmark so that was fun to read about . Ill be honest , the unfortunate I spoke of is all the litter in the water and around the park. I enjoyed my time here, I'll visit again .

This park is a place you must stop by if you are ever in the area and looking to relax or take a…read morenice stroll. It is located right across from the historic mission and has a beautiful rose garden with a variety of flowers.

One of my fav places in town. If we have guests, we always suggest grabbing a blanket and packing…read moresome wine and snacks or food to go and enjoy at sunset at the Rose Garden. The kids love rolling down the hill, climbing on the trees, or wandering the little paths on the side. Plus, you learn all the fantastic rose names when you simply take a walk around the pattern of colors.

My 10 year old came home from camp crying…read more She cried off and on for a few days. She was crying because she didn't want to leave. She was changed. She was empowered. She fell in love with the space, the people and the way of life. She now wants wooden bunk beds in her room... "like the ones at camp". She wants to call helping get ready for dinner OTRS. She is talking about food waste after our meals. She is singing all the camp songs. She is telling us all the stories. She wanted to stay there and "get ready in the morning with other girls and talk about their day, have fun choices of how she wanted to spend her afternoon, be brave and try new things, make friends, and learn about God." She grew up this week...she knows it and we know it. I am grateful for sacred spaces, like El Camino Pines, that provide space and community for us to get away, grow up and be changed. My 10 year old came home crying from camp. The same way I did when I was her age. After I went to camp, I was never the same again.

My family and I have been going to this camp since I was a little kid. The hey staff is always…read moregreat the facilities have been recently upgraded and tons of hiking and exploring for the kids to do. Highly recommend if you're looking for a good adventure. There is camping up top and cabins down below.

My husband surprised me for my 48th bday! So much fun. We had never used ATVs before but our guide…read moreKevin made us feel so comfortable so quickly! We were rollin'!!! Man it was great! I loved the steep inclines and then trusting you won't fall back lol. Kevin took amazing pics of us and we got them really fast. Ask for Kevin! Thanks for a wonderful adventure! We will be back!

Booked an ATV adventure for my boyfriends birthday. We originally booked Santa Monica but due last…read moremon to construction in the area , we then got relocated to the Angeles Forest area . Then the brush fire happened and got relocated to Hungry Valley. Understandable . Both times that they relocated us , Kelly was very accommodating and communicative through text. She made sure that we keep the same day , same time slot no matter what or offer a full refund. When we got to the location in the day of , Silvia and girl (I forgot her name ) who checked us in were very helpful and nice and wanted to make sure we were prepared . During these COVID times , they took our temperature , made sure we sanitized our hands , and put a sanitary head and mouth covering on before putting the sanitized helmet on . We got there an hour early because we had to commute from an hour away and wanted to be on time . They let us ride early as soon as we got there and Sylvia was a fantastic guide . She took amazing pictures of us and made sure we were okay throughout the ride The trail was beautiful and the scenery was captivating . My boyfriend and I are already looking to book the lake arrowhead location next month . 10/10 would recommend We also received our pics the same day