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Gracewood Santa Barbara

89%

· Goleta, Santa Barbara, California

54 acres hosted by Fred D.

1 RV/tent site

Near Channel Islands National Park

Within a 30-minute drive from the Outdoors Santa Barbara Visitor Center.

This is an historic ranch with buildings dating from the 1880's to the mid 1930's and then some newer and spacious structures. See management for tours, history and accessibility to some structures and areas. This is a working ranch with a fascinating heritage going back three owners to an impressive land grant. There are 6 miles of trails and roads on the ranch shared by vehicles, hikers and equestrians. A map can be provided which will insure that neighboring properties are not trespassed on. All visitors to the ranch must have checked in with the office and management. There is an extra charge of $40.00 per person per day coming onto the ranch whether they are spending the night or just visiting. This charge is beyond and in addition to the charge made for the first four individuals on the reservation for each day. We find that many of our regular clients on the ranch are very friendly and helpful. Only 1 site is exclusively available right now Come stay at our rustic campsite under some large oak trees next to a little open area by an ecological pond on our working ranch! With 54 acres for our horses and avocados, we welcome guests to camp on a somewhat private part of the ranch (on occasion, equestrians may ride by). We can accommodate up to 8 more campers depending on the group type. We love welcoming families to the ranch, but like to approve larger groups ahead of time! At the campsite you'll find picnic tables, a fire pit for small fires, and running water. Minimal 110 Volt electrical outlet is at the campsite. There is a fully functional unique bathroom made out of a converted horse trailer with a toilet and sink a few hundred yards from the site. Walking around the property, you'll see an activity barn and a historic 19th century cottage which houses a private library. Permission may be granted for entry if requested. There is an outdoor shower at the campsite with cold water only. Some firewood may be provided at no cost. Campers, making reservations during months when the otherwise beautiful weather becomes cooler, should be aware that because of the proximity of a wind machine which makes a noise like a helicopter about 300 yards away from the campsite, on a neighboring property, may interrupt an otherwise peaceful and quiet experience. The wind machine comes on automatically when the temperature drops to around 37 degrees so that avocados in the orchard do not suffer from a freezing temperature. Please note the trigger temperature for the machines is taken at individual low points on the adjacent property and may reflect as many as 6 degrees lower than what is found on forecast sites. This machine probably might turn on maybe 7 nights in a year and only during the cold winter months. Headlamps are a great idea, otherwise, flashlights for sure. Minimal 110 V. electricity at campsite. The library and restroom are a little ways away from the campsite have lighting but it is very dark between the campsite and those facilities. We are located only two miles to the ocean beaches and about a mile to a major shopping center. UCSB is just minutes away. Bicycling is very easy as all roads and access are flat. Please return all furniture to the place(s) from which it was moved and thank you for putting out your fire(s) and carrying out your trash to the dumpster.

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Goleta, Santa Barbara, California, United StatesTraditional, ancestral territory of Chumash and Barbareño Chumash First Nations according to To respect the Host's privacy, the precise address of this land will be provided after booking

Hosted by Fred D.Joined in April 2016

Response rate: 100%Response time: Within 2 hours

89%

151 ratings · 116 reviews

Joseph A.doesn't recommend

November 20, 2023

Gracewood Santa Barbara

Stay away in the Winter.

We were two dads from LA with our 5 year old sons looking to do a easy 2 night camping getaway. We booked our stay in November and made sure to check the forecast: Sunny with a low temp of 50°. All was going fine until around 11pm we heard a sound like a helicopter was going to land on our campsite. Then it sounded like the helicopter was flying all around back and forth over us. I went outside to see what the fxxx was going on and I saw nothing. I just heard the helicopter sound from the avocados farm next door. Turns out there was an extremely loud wind turbine of some sort on all night at the farm next door. We were told this would turn on if the temperature hit 37 degrees which it did not. Our stay was booked for 2 nights but we couldn’t handle another night of that noise so we left early. We requested a refund and then the owner badmouthed us to Hipcamp in retaliation. Sad. Overall it’s a cute yet slightly dumpy campsite with big overgrown trees that provide nice shade. Cute ducks that come right up to you. They also have a nice bathroom trailer set but it’s a bit of a walk to get there. Plenty of free firewood is nice. It’s pricey but the location is convenient and the fact that it has electricity and running water (cold only) somewhat justifies the price. Our trip was ruined by the noise but if you stay in warmer months this won’t be an issue for you.

Fabian M.

October 23, 2023

Gracewood Santa Barbara

Overpriced, run-down, cute ducks

Overall, it was a decent experience... if it had been priced appropriately. The site is definitely not worth the $160.00 plus tax a night! Even less since it looks like it has seen better days and is now run-down. Check-in instructions are quite complex. They should invest in signs. Hosts are not responsive. They provide you with 4 phone numbers. We called all of them at around 11 am to ask some questions, and none of them answered nor replied text messages. The pictures in the listing are deceiving. The site is not green whatsoever. It has a layer of dry leaves: fire hazard! And piles of ash right where we wanted to camp. My bet is that nobody checks the site during guest turnout. The outdoor furniture and tools are worn, rotten, and full of spiders. There were supposed to be nice areas to walk around, take a seat, etc... but all of them were cluttered, very dirty, spider webs... The bathroom is a 10 minutes hike away and full of black widows. The condition we found it in, was way creepier than in the pictures. I could not imagine having to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night. It is worth no more than $80.00 a night, as long as you are a 4 people party. Best thing? Cute ducks that welcome you upon arrival.

Charlie H.recommends

October 4, 2023

Gracewood Santa Barbara

We had such a wonderful stay! A bit pricey so I’d recommend splitting between 3-4 people. But worth the price and so much fun. Thank you!

Shelby P.recommends

October 2, 2023

Gracewood Santa Barbara

Beautiful Property with Stargazing

Beautiful location and easy check in. Was perfect for our tent and a car although I am sure they could hold more than that. Perfect temps at night during this time of year and amazing views of the stars at night. Cute property with a 5-10 minute drive to everything in SB and Goleta. Definitely reccomend to anyone wanting to camp in the area. LOVED the ducks!

Katt D.recommends

August 21, 2023

Gracewood Santa Barbara

I loved camping on Fred’s land ! I would definitely book in a heart beat.