RVing through California''s Central Coast
Embark on a California Central Coast road trip with your RV to explore iconic destinations like Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, Big Sur, Salinas, and Santa Cruz. Enjoy breathtaking scenery, unique activities, and stay at recommended campgrounds or Harvest Hosts locations for an unforgettable adventure.
With spring on the horizon, it’s time to plan some warmer weather road trips in your RV. Any snowbirds who chose to enjoy the warm temperatures of Southern California, Southern Arizona, or Southern New Mexico over the winter may consider opting for a California road trip. Likewise, those who spent the winter season somewhere cold may wish to enjoy a trip through sunny California's Central Coast as the weather begins to warm up. Whether you plan on heading up the coast of California to leisurely make your way towards Northern California or the PNW or just simply wish to explore the Central Coast, then don’t miss this article. Harvest Hosts will take you on a tour of some of the most popular cities and places to explore when RV camping in California.
Santa Barbara
Santa Barbara is located just an hour and a half north of Los Angeles, but it boasts completely different scenery. This town is commonly known as the area where the sea meets the mountains, and it is filled with beautiful beaches and breathtaking scenery. Santa Barbara is an awesome city in Southern California.
Things to Do
In Santa Barbara, there are several gorgeous beaches to choose from, each a little different from the next. There, visitors can enjoy a whole slew of exciting activities, including swimming, sunbathing, fishing, surfing, and much more. Santa Barbara also has a vibrant arts culture, with several galleries and theater venues to explore. They also host the annual Santa Barbara International Film Festival. Nearby, travelers can visit Channel Islands National Park. This frequently-missed park is comprised of a stunning chain of five out of the eight total Channel Islands. Due to the sheer isolation of the islands, there are unique animals, plants, and archeological resources found here that cannot be found anywhere else on Earth.
Campgrounds
If you are exploring this beautiful area in your RV, the following campgrounds come highly recommended.
Cachuma Lake Recreation Area
Owned by Santa Barbara County, this beautiful campground offers lakeside full and partial hookups sites.
Jalama Beach
Also owned by the county, this beachfront campground is a surprisingly peaceful place to escape the crowds. They offer partial hookups with water and dump stations available on site.
Flying Flags RV Resort & Campground
This full hookups campground offers a traditional campground-feel with all the amenities that frequent RVers have come to expect. They have a pool, an on-site café and bar, a hot tub, and a playground, all available to resort guests.
Harvest Hosts Locations
Giessinger Winery
Take a break from the bustling crowds to enjoy a glass of wine from Giessinger Winery. Located just under an hour from Santa Barbara, this Harvest Hosts location can make an excellent home base for exploring the city, or can be used as a place to stop when traveling to or from Santa Barbara. They offer over two dozen wines for sampling and six reservable, pet-friendly spaces for RVs under forty-four feet in length.
San Luis Obispo
Nicknamed “SLO Cal” for the slower pace found here, San Luis Obispo is the perfect place to leave the crowds of Los Angeles and Santa Barbara behind. The entire area is dotted with beaches, mountains, shopping, and vineyards, making for an excellent place to relax and vacation.
Things to Do
There are ample hiking and biking opportunities in San Luis Obispo, along with any water activity imaginable. Many beaches are even dog-friendly, and they also have a flourishing nightlife. 
Big Sur
Big Sur is famous for its rugged coastline where the Santa Lucia Mountains dramatically rise from the sea. The area is known as the “longest and most scenic stretch of undeveloped coastline in the contiguous United States." 
Things to Do
Here, there are ample hiking opportunities on the beaches, on the mountains, or within the Los Padres National Forest. Visitors can also enjoy the dining, shopping, and art galleries available in town. Along the coast, travelers can also tour the beautiful and historic lighthouses.
Campgrounds
For those exploring this stunning area in their RV, the following campgrounds are highly recommended.
Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park
This primitive campground offers standard and riverside sites. There are numerous hiking trails within the park. Due to its popularity, RVers should be sure to book as far in advance as possible.
Riverside Campground & Cabins
This partial-hookups campground is situated near a river that allows floating and fishing. There are showers, restrooms, and laundry facilities on-site.
Big Sur Campground
This campground offers partial hookups with a dump station on-site. Each site comes with a picnic table and fire pit. There is also a playground, a camp store with inner tube rentals, and an on-site laundry facility.
Harvest Hosts Locations
At the time this article was written, there are currently no Harvest Hosts locations within the town of Big Sur or the surrounding areas. Some of the closest locations are about two hours away. While not an impossible distance for a base camp, it can be tricky to drive this far while planning all-day activities. Consider using these Harvest Hosts locations as a base camp to not only explore Big Sur but the surrounding areas as well. Alternatively, guests could plan to stop at any of these locations overnight on the way to or from Big Sur. The town of Paso Robles hosts about a dozen Harvest Hosts wineries, and several other beautiful Harvest Hosts locations are located along US-101.
43 Ranch Olive Oil
Located in the town of San Ardo, this world-class olive mill grows four types of olives to produce their small-batch oils. They have olive oils, soap, and honey available for purchase and eight reservable, pet-friendly spaces for RVs of any size.
California Street Winery
What began as a hobby for the Ziemanns eventually turned into a lucrative and award-winning business. California Street Winery currently produce and sell three wines from their winery in the town of Bradley. This Harvest Hosts location offers one reservable, pet-friendly space for RVs under twenty-nine feet in length.
Salinas
Salinas is located nearby Carmel-By-The-Sea and Monterey, and these three cities are all notoriously popular vacation destinations. True to Central Coast California, this area is dotted with gorgeous beaches. 
Things to Do
The area is rich with historical sites, wineries, and working farms. It is also home to the yearly Steinbeck Festival, with Pinnacles National Park also located nearby. The unique landscape is the direct result of multiple volcanoes erupting millions of years ago, making this an excellent place to stay and explore.
Santa Cruz
Our final stop on our Central Coast California road trip brings us to Santa Cruz. Situated between San Francisco and Monterey, this area is filled with stunning beaches, towering mountains, striking redwoods, and beautiful organic farmlands.
Things to Do
In Santa Cruz, surfing is popular among the locals and visitors. There are also several local breweries and wineries to enjoy. Santa Cruz is also known for its year round wildlife-viewing opportunities. 
Visiting Central Coast California is a huge adventure just waiting for you and your RV. Each town on our list brings something exciting and unique to the table. Some towns are so special that you may never want to leave!
Have you ever visited California’s Central Coast? What was your favorite area? Tell us all about your adventures in the comments below, and check out more RV camping in California.
