Driving from Portland to San Diego I took a side trip to Pinnacles National Park and then decided to get on Highway 1 for a more scenic drive. The first beach town I drove through was Pismo Beach; I dug Pismo. The small downtown area is well kept with quaint restaurants and hotels plus public beach access. A few blocks away is the very appealing North Beach Campground with large grassy sites. Only $25? Damn! I can live without electricity for a couple of nights. March to October high season rates are $35.
There are RV parks right in town also, but the sites are packed in like sardines (of course) and monthly rates are over $1k. One night at the KOA is a whopping $165. Personally I’d rather enjoy a hotel stay at that price. There is a Thousand Trails park nearby, that’s where I’d stay if I went back for an extended visit.
The Pacific Ocean appears again
Heading south on Highway 1 was a few small farming towns, many stretches of large agricultural areas, the Vandenberg Air Force Base, and a corrections facility. It wasn’t that interesting imho and a bit confusing i.e. you drive into a town then signs disappear, but once I got close to Santa Barbara it was nice to see the Pacific coastline again. And pass by a bunch of CA state parks that if weren’t so pricey would maybe have spent a night or two.
Free RV camping in Santa Barbara, CA?
There really isn’t any Free RV Camping in Santa Barbara that I discovered, but I did park for one night in a residential area with no problems. It was chill. I was off on a side road, not parked in front of anyone’s home, and left by 5 a.m.
Further up the coast there was a parking lot of sorts with angled spots above the beach, no amenities (see sign above). Definitely not free. Was completely empty in November when I drove through but I’m sure is packed during the summer. It’s a popular area for surfing.
Would I travel this stretch of Highway 1 again?
I wouldn’t drive this strech of Highway 1 again unless there was some reason to. Past Santa Barbara I entered the town of Ventura and again, no signs where to go—straight or to the right towards the ocean? It was confusing. I said F’ it, turned around and drove busy Highway 101 with the usual rush hour traffic jams to San Diego.