This campground is nestled into the hillside, having lots of shrubbery
and many large oak trees. Its elevation is 900 ft. in the Los Padres
Forest.
You will see many species of wild life; deer, wild turkey, foxes,
raccoons and squirrels. There are many wild birds in the area such as
humming birds, quail, doves, blue jays, woodpeckers, roadrunners plus
butterflies and lots more.
At the entrance gate, a splash of color greets you with lilies and
petunias when you arrive. In the spring and fall, the leaves change to
all the beautiful shades of green, red, yellow, and orange making a
pictorial scene. In the spring, Lupines bloom all around - quite a pretty
site.
The day-use area has a river with rocky beaches, a picnic area with
grills and fire rings, flush toilets, and water hydrants throughout. The
parking lot is paved with many designated parking spaces and some
being handicap accessible. There is a lot of large old oak trees and shade
covers where there are no trees.
The Ventana wilderness, which we also call the "Gorge", is available
for hiking, backpacking, bicycling, hunting and horse back
riding. No motorized vehicles are allowed beyond the gated road and
parking lot. There are no designated camping areas up the trails, but the
trails are maintained by the forest service. Bring lots of water and be
sure to pack out what you take in.
Arroyo Seco offers both modern and primitive sites, and both single
and double sites. There are water hydrants throughout the
grounds close to all sites, but there are no water, sewer or electrical
hookups. RVs are welcome and the sites are level and large enough to
accommodate all sizes of RVs. There is no dump station. All roads are
paved and each site has a picnic table, fire ring, and pedestal BBQ. In
the modern camping area there are very nice modern coin operated
showers and flush toilets, that are handicap accessible.
The primitive campground has pit toilets, water hydrants, shade trees
and a lot of vegetation. These campgrounds also have picnic tables, fire
rings, and pedestal grills at every site (double sites have 2 tables and 2
pedestal grills). The sites are not as level, but the roads are paved.
There is
a group site that can be reserved that will accommodate 50 people
maximum and 10 vehicles, all extra vehicles above 10 are $5.00 each
to be paid on arrival. This area has pit toilets, and a water hydrant to
fill buckets with for use at site. There are tables, fire ring, and grills
to accommodate family and group gatherings.
There is fishing in the lake for bass and catfish. A fishing license is
required if you are over 16 years of age.