Jalama Beach, California

[westernviews]

Went to a beautiful California beach this past week Jalama Beach County Park, Santa Barbara County, California
Jalama Beach is just south of Lompoc and Vandenberg AFB, I guess about half way between San Francisco and San Diego. After driving through the non-stop urban sprawl from San Diego to Santa Barbara, it was such a pleasant surprise to come upon this beach. It is 15 miles from Highway 1, through ranch land and groves of oak trees. Not a strip mall in sight. If you are familiar with San Luis Obispo or San Simeon, CA, it is the same type of landscape.

The sites are on a first come basis, $22 with a Good Sams card. I had a hard time backing into a site on the top level, but when I saw the view I was determined to do so. You would pay a fortune for the view elsewhere. They say full hookups, but in reality, it is just electricity. The camp host said he had enough hose to get water to anyone who needed it.

There must be good fishing in the area. The pelicans would take less than 30 seconds to lock onto and dive for a fish. There were dolphins swimming close to shore and I guess whales are also frequently seen.

Hope if any of the surrounding ranch land ever goes on sale, that the state or national park system buys it up.

[dudebb]

Beautiful! Thanks for sharing.

[TinShack]

You are extremely lucky for getting a space at Jalama. It's usually a waiting list to get in. Nice pics!

[fonseca]

I've always wanted to camp at Jalama. That first come first serve thing scares me though. What if you get there and there's no where to stay? What then? With two kids and car full of camping gear I don't want to have to find out. Of course if you have a trailer that question is much easier to answer. My husband and I are still looking for one.

I don't think there's any worries about the area being built up. It's right near Vandenburg air force base. When they send up a rocket the beach and campground can be hit with debris. You have to vacate the area when a launch is planned. So the beach and area will stay pristine for as long as the base is there.

Have you ever been to Montana De Oro State Park? It's incredible. If you like prestine beaches and sand dunes, you'll probably like Montana de Oro, especially if you like taking some easy hikes.

Heather

[westernviews]

When I went to the beach it was mid-day and mid-week and there were a number of empty spaces. The ranger at the entrance later told me he expected it to fill up on Friday for the weekend. If you can get there pretty early in the day on a weekday (other than Friday) there is probably a good chance of getting a site. Just have a plan B just in case.