Jalama Beach
 

Jalama Beach, a Santa Barbara County campground, is about a 60 mile drive north of Santa Barbara itself.  It's not well known, and it's hard to get to, but well worth it.  Go north on 101 past where the highway turns inland, through the tunnel, and get off on Highway 1 [sign says to: Lompoc].  Take the Lompoc road 14 miles to the turnoff [left] to Jalama Beach.  Another 14 miles on this small, winding road takes you out to the coast & Jalama Beach.  This road only goes to the campground, there's nothing else out there. 

Jalama Beach campground has about 100 camp spots, including some for full hookups.  It's first come - first serve, so forget it during the summer.  Fall, winter & spring there's no problem, and it's the best time of the year anyway!  There's a small store and "cafe", clean restrooms and showers [25 cents / minute].   Cost is $18 per night [$16 if you're an old fart] and the Santa Barbara County people take really good care of this campground, MUCH better than the Sate Campgrounds!

I come up here at least 6 times a year, relaxing, reading, hiking, contemplating my navel, listening to music [Doors & Roger Waters], gin & tonics and sleeping!

                         
        Sunset on the 20th, fog bank about 10 miles        Looking up the coast from the campground,
        out prevented seeing the sun sink into the           the ranch that I hiked to is about 3 1/2 miles
        ocean.   Rats!                                                                 distant.
      

                         
        Looking down the coast towards the surf spot      Looking back down the coast at Point
        called "Tarantula", waves here at 15' - 18' high      Conception which is about 10 miles distant.
        and "tubular"!

                         
        And north up the coast towards Cape                     The original ranch house from the 1920's
        Argullelo, all this is part of Vandenburg                   and is still in pretty good condition, due
        Air Force Base and "closed" to the                           the lack of access for vandalism.
        public [to hell with signs!]  

                         
        One of several barns on the ranch, also                   Flowering cactus behind one of the
        numerous stock corrals and pens.                            ranch buildings.

       
        Another view of the ranch house.  This was
        about 7 miles roundtrip hike, some along
        the beach [until the tide came up] and the
        rest along the plateaus and the Union Pacific
        railroad tracks.

While the ranch is abandoned, and there's no "keep out" signs, it's so hard to get to it's a great place to explore and to think about how awesome it would be to live here.