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Lake Cachuma

218 Reviews
#46 of 174 things to do in Santa Barbara
Nature & Parks, Bodies of Water
HC 59 - Highway 154, Santa Barbara, CA 93105
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Review Highlights
“Beautiful lake.”

Lake levels have been really low the past few years, but is it a really scenic place to stop on... read more

Reviewed 7 March 2019
scuba-chuck
,
Moorpark, California
“37% Full”

With the drought in Santa Barbara County our reservoir is not in its best shape. The beautiful... read more

Reviewed 3 February 2019
Denny W
,
Santa Barbara, California
Read all 218 reviews
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Traveller Overview
3.5218 reviews
  • Excellent24%
  • Very good38%
  • Average21%
  • Poor11%
  • Terrible6%
Travellers talk about
“beautiful lake”(12 reviews)
“nature center”(9 reviews)
“boat rentals”(8 reviews)
About
Set amidst acres of wilderness flanked by the picturesque Santa Ynez and San Rafael Mountains, lies glimmering Cachuma Lake. Here you will find practically everything you need for a relaxing getaway in the great outdoors. Mild temperatures...more
Contact
HC 59 - Highway 154, Santa Barbara, CA 93105
Website
+1 805-686-5054
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Reviews (218)
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Reviewed 3 April 2019
Naturalist Guided Cruise

The day was sunny and beautiful, the two cruise guides on the pontoon boat were knowledgeable, and they knew where interesting wildlife was as well as supplying some local history. Plus, this was the middle of the "superbloom" in the Santa Ynez Mountians. A delightful...More

Date of experience: March 2019
1  Thank Elizabeth A
Reviewed 7 March 2019
Beautiful lake.

Lake levels have been really low the past few years, but is it a really scenic place to stop on your trip thru teh Santa Ynez valley.

Date of experience: February 2019
1  Thank scuba-chuck
Reviewed 3 February 2019
37% Full

With the drought in Santa Barbara County our reservoir is not in its best shape. The beautiful lake is filling due to recent storms, only time will tell if it fills.

Date of experience: December 2018
Thank Denny W
Departure65736433077, Manager at Lake Cachuma, responded to this reviewResponded 13 August 2019

Denny - yes, "only time will tell if it fills." That time has come. We are just under 80%! Come on by and recreate.

Reviewed 21 January 2019
Camping close to LA

I loved this place as a child and have been here many times since. I took a group of Girl Scouts as part of a family camping trip and the girls were busy the whole time. If you want to camp, reserve a space about...More

Date of experience: June 2018
1  Thank irsh21
Reviewed 19 December 2018
Quick drive

Did not stay at the campground but had nice drive around it to see the lake from different locations. Very nice camp sites with great views of the lake.

Date of experience: December 2018
1  Thank RudySzymon
Reviewed 17 December 2018
Water cancelled the race, view ...gorgeous

Stopped at the Salt Flats. No one was racing due to flooding. But, watching the caravan of trucks coming from the staging area was amazing. The water on the flats sparkled in the sunlight. Beautiful.

Date of experience: October 2018
1  Thank 196CindyJ196
Reviewed 19 November 2018 via mobile
Can’t wait to take the kids!

My husband and I went here for a solo camping trip while my mother in law was in town 😊. It was the most beautiful sunsets, the campground was so clean, and the stars were so bright we took the rain fly off of our...More

Date of experience: July 2018
Thank Ashley D
Reviewed 6 November 2018
Drought took a toll...

The lake shows the severe effects of the ongoing drought in CA, and it's a bit of a sad sight as a result. But with that aside, our November visit offered excellent weather and much smaller crowds than what I'm sure peak summer looks like....More

Date of experience: November 2018
1  Thank Moti A
Departure65736433077, General Manager at Lake Cachuma, responded to this reviewResponded 13 August 2019

Moti - see you soon. The lake is almost 80% full.

Reviewed 24 October 2018
Quick drive thru

Stopped by real quick on our way back to Santa Brabara from Solvang. Very sad to see the lake as low as it was.

Date of experience: October 2018
Thank bsack2018
Departure65736433077, General Manager at Lake Cachuma, responded to this reviewResponded 13 August 2019

bssack2018 - stop back in. The lake is almost 80% full.

Reviewed 15 October 2018
Lots to Enjoy at Lake Cachuma

I just came to Cachuma Lake to spend the day. I will definitely return for camping! There seemed to be plenty of spaces for RVs and tents. There is a boat dock, a lake cruise, a little store, a really cool nature interpretive center (spotted...More

Date of experience: September 2018
Thank David B
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Questions & Answers
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blanca2916
10 July 2019|
AnswerShow all 2 answers
Response from luvtakinagoodtrip | Reviewed this property |
The yurts are at the lake’s edge. The cabins are off the lake’s edge but you can still have a lake view. The cabins are closer to the pool.
0
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mcleodb2016
19 August 2018|
AnswerShow all 3 answers
Response from CWS55 | Reviewed this property |
Yes. Multiple cabins and yurts. Now with the lake filling many have waterfront views
0
Votes
JackieSoCal
20 June 2018|
Answer
Response from LoveMauiForever | Reviewed this property |
I will be honest with you, we only stayed there for about an hour because we didn't like the place at all. I'm sure there are some trails to hike and I think there is a swimming pool that is open during the summer. I would... More
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