Destination: Rincon Parkway Campground, Ventura County
With 840 miles of coastline, California has an embarrassment of riches when it comes to Airstream beach destinations. But there are only a few RV parks where you can park right next to the beach. Most RV parks like Morro Strand State Beach Park and Carpinteria State Beach Campground are lots adjacent to the beach which is a short walking distance away. Others like Jalama Beach may be beach adjacent if you are able to snag the right spot. But it’s rare to find a campground where every single spot is beach adjacent, and that’s why Rincon Parkway Campground is such a gem. There are 127 spaces (no hook-ups) alongside the beach where each RV is parallel parked, allowing for views of the ocean from the passenger-side windows of every RV.
Getting There
Since Rincon Parkway is over 5 hours away from our San Jose garage, we advise splitting up the drive over two days (especially for first-time towers). We recommend stopping over at Vines RV (or Wine Country RV) in Paso Robles. There, you can practice your Airstream maneuvering skills, have full hook-ups in preparation for some beach dry-camping, and taste some of the best wines in California (and maybe pick up a bottle or two for the beach). The next morning you can get up bright and early to head to Rincon Parkway, which is another 2.5 hours away. Since there are no reservations at Rincon Parkway, we advise getting there earlier rather than later in the day.
Glamping at Rincon Parkway Campground
As I said, you will need to parallel park your trailer at Rincon Parkway, which might be easy if there are several empty spaces in a row. If the campground is on the full side, we advise using your walkie-talkies to help guide your Airstream into the space. If you have any concerns about this, ask Brian for a mini-tutorial ahead of time on how to parallel park your Airstream. Luckily the street that the campground is adjacent to isn’t a busy street, with mostly bikes traversing the area. There are no hook-ups at this campground so if you plan to run the air conditioner or watch TV at night, we recommend renting on of our generators for a more comfortable stay. The RV fees are $30/ a day and spaces are a first come first serve basis. Pets are an additional $1/ day and leashed dogs are allowed on the beach. Also if you’re a light sleeper I might not recommend this campground because there are train tracks that go right by the site (located on the other side of the road).
What To Do There
Well you came all the way out here for the beach so there’s that. But for those who want a little more variety or for something to do at night, Santa Barbara is only a 25 minute drive north. Here are some city guides to give you ideas of what to do in this charming California coast city: city guide from DesignSponge, city guide from Travel and Leisure, and one from Goop.
Where To Go Next
If you want to keep the beach camping going, Jalama Beach is about 1.5 hours along the coastline or Morro Strand State Beach and Pismo Beach is about 2 hours straight north. If you want to change it up with some National Park camping Joshua Tree is 4 hours east and King’s Canyon/Sequioa National Park is 4 hours north-east.
