Openings · last 7 days
0
01 · Detected Opening History · the openings record · file CS-232500
When Santa Barbara Island reopens
Santa Barbara Island's openings record: every site-date Campsite Sniper detected turning available, logged and time-stamped. Refreshed hourly.
Openings · last 30 days
529
Openings · last 90 days
529
529 openings were recorded here, but they arrived across only 1 day — a burst, not a rhythm, so there is no reliable weekly pattern to show. A free Campsite Sniper alert watches around the clock instead, and pings you the moment one opens.
02 · Availability Outlook · Sep 18 – Dec 31, 2026 · of 10 monitored sites
Of the 1,050 tracked site-nights (Sep 18 – Dec 31, 2026): 1,045 open for online reservation · 5 reserved.
Where the open windows are
0.5% of tracked site-nights are not currently open for online reservation. 1,045 of 1,050 remain open; here is where they are.
Load status
Sep 18 – Dec 31, 2026Not open online0.5%
Open site-nights1,045 / 1,050
Reserved (of online inventory)5 / 1,050
Weekday openings600
Weekend openings445
Of the open site-nights on mapped sites, 600 fall on weekdays and 445 on weekends (Fri–Sun).
Open dates by month
Sep 2026 – Dec 2026December holds the most room. 310 of 310 site-nights are still open there.
Holiday windows
Sites open per night · of 10 sites| Window | Night | Sites open | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Labor Day | SAT Sep 5 | 0 | None open |
| SUN Sep 6 | 0 | None open | |
| MON Sep 7 | 0 | None open | |
| Thanksgiving | THU Nov 26 | 10 | Open |
| FRI Nov 27 | 10 | Open | |
| SAT Nov 28 | 10 | Open | |
| Christmas | THU Dec 24 | 10 | Open |
| FRI Dec 25 | 10 | Open | |
| New Year | THU Dec 31 | 10 | Open |
Labor Day: no online availability on any tracked night. Thanksgiving: 10 sites are available for the complete three-night stay. Christmas: 10 sites are available for the complete two-night stay. New Year: 10 of 10 sites open on Thursday.
Best-availability sites
Most open site-nights · tracked window| Site | Open site-nights |
|---|---|
| 004 | 105 |
| 005A | 105 |
| 005B | 105 |
| 006 | 105 |
| 007 | 105 |
The 5 sites with the most open site-nights in the current snapshot. Pair a bookable date with a free alert to cover everything else.
Next windows
As of Sep 18, 2026 snapshotNext open dateFri · Sep 18
Next open weekendFri · Sep 18
The next bookable night is Sep 18; the first open weekend starts Sep 18. Campsite Sniper can watch later dates for you.
Stays and site detail
1,045 open site-nights across 10 sites at Santa Barbara Island, from the same hourly snapshot as everything above.
Multi-night stays. 14 2-night, 14 3-night, 14 7-night openings where a single site is free for every night, per Campsite Sniper's current snapshot — soonest Sep 18 at site 004.
All 10 sites with current availability
| Site | Max RV | Hookups | Open site-nights | Longest run | Dates |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 004 | Not recorded | None | 105 | 105 nights | Sep 18, Sep 19, Sep 20, Sep 21, Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 24, Sep 25, Sep 26, Sep 27, Sep 28, Sep 29 +93 more |
| 005A | Not recorded | None | 105 | 105 nights | Sep 18, Sep 19, Sep 20, Sep 21, Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 24, Sep 25, Sep 26, Sep 27, Sep 28, Sep 29 +93 more |
| 005B | Not recorded | None | 105 | 105 nights | Sep 18, Sep 19, Sep 20, Sep 21, Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 24, Sep 25, Sep 26, Sep 27, Sep 28, Sep 29 +93 more |
| 006 | Not recorded | None | 105 | 105 nights | Sep 18, Sep 19, Sep 20, Sep 21, Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 24, Sep 25, Sep 26, Sep 27, Sep 28, Sep 29 +93 more |
| 007 | Not recorded | None | 105 | 105 nights | Sep 18, Sep 19, Sep 20, Sep 21, Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 24, Sep 25, Sep 26, Sep 27, Sep 28, Sep 29 +93 more |
| 008 | Not recorded | None | 105 | 105 nights | Sep 18, Sep 19, Sep 20, Sep 21, Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 24, Sep 25, Sep 26, Sep 27, Sep 28, Sep 29 +93 more |
| 009 | Not recorded | None | 105 | 105 nights | Sep 18, Sep 19, Sep 20, Sep 21, Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 24, Sep 25, Sep 26, Sep 27, Sep 28, Sep 29 +93 more |
| 002 | Not recorded | None | 104 | 96 nights | Sep 18, Sep 19, Sep 20, Sep 21, Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 24, Sep 25, Sep 27, Sep 28, Sep 29, Sep 30 +92 more |
| 003 | Not recorded | None | 104 | 89 nights | Sep 18, Sep 19, Sep 20, Sep 21, Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 24, Sep 25, Sep 26, Sep 27, Sep 28, Sep 29 +92 more |
| 001 | Not recorded | None | 102 | 68 nights | Sep 18, Sep 19, Sep 20, Sep 21, Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 24, Sep 25, Sep 27, Sep 28, Sep 29, Sep 30 +90 more |
About Santa Barbara Island
Overview
Once visitors have scaled the rugged cliffs using the steep trail from the Landing Cove, they will be rewarded with a campground perched on the bluffs with magnificent coastal views.
Santa Barbara lies much further south than the other four northern Channel Islands and is the smallest, measuring just one square mile. The islands' native vegetation is recovering slowly with the help of the National Park Service's restoration efforts. This recovery, along with the removal of nonnative predators, has aided in the reestablishment of nesting land birds and seabirds. The island is one of the most important seabird nesting sites within the Channel Islands, with 11 nesting species, including western gulls, California brown pelicans, three species of cormorants, three species of storm-petrels, and one of the world's largest colonies of Scripps's murrelets. The rocky shores of Santa Barbara Island also provide resting and breeding areas for California sea lions, harbor seals and northern elephant seals.
Recreation
With five miles of hiking trails, ocean access nearby the campground and generally good weather, Santa Barbara Island offers a variety of recreational activities, including hiking, swimming, snorkeling, diving, kayaking and wildlife/wildflower viewing. Since Santa Barbara Island is a cliff island, access to the water is only at the Landing Cove via a dock. There are no other accessible beaches unless you have a watercraft. There are no services on the island, so all gear has to be brought to the island. For more information about recreational activities in the park, visit https://www.nps.gov/chis/planyourvisit/index.htm .
Facilities
Santa Barbara Island Campground offers 10 campsites (4 persons per site). Camping is primitive and campers must bring their own food, equipment and water. Picnic table, food storage box and pit toilet are provided. Distance from landing to campground is a quarter-mile and includes a 200-foot climb. Access to the island is by Island Packers Cruises or by private boat. Due to the Island Packer boat schedule, minimum stay is generally three days.
Natural Features
Steep cliffs on this small island rise above rocky shores and give way to a grassy mesa flanked with twin peaks. The highest point, Signal Peak, is 635 feet in elevation.
Nearby Attractions
The Landing Cove near the campground is an ideal place for swimming, diving, snorkeling and kayaking, but there are no lifeguards on the island.
The island is also home to just over five miles of trails that meander over gentle slopes and low mountain tops to dramatic overlooks and magnificent coastal views. All hikers must stay on the trails for visitor safety and to protect fragile vegetation and nesting seabirds. No off-trail hiking is allowed. Portions of trails are subject to closure when pelicans are nesting from January through August.
10 monitored sitesNo hookupsIslandMax party 4
Getting there
Boat transportation can be arranged with Island Packers from Ventura Harbor. To park headquarters in Ventura, California: Highway 101, exit Victoria or Seaward to Ventura Harbor.
1901 Spinnaker Drive, Ventura, CA 93001805-658-5730
BirdingBoatingCampingFishingGuided Interpretive WalksHikingInformation SiteInterpretive ProgramsPhotographyPicnickingRanger StationSailingScuba DivingSea KayakingSnorkelingSwimmingVisitor CenterWater AccessWater SportsWhale WatchingWildernessWildlife Viewing
View on Recreation.gov ↗ Get directions ↗
03 · Field Photos · roll CS-232500 · facility + sites
Photo gallery
Roll CS-232500 · Santa Barbara Island · Ventura CA12 frames · facility + sites
FAQ
How do I get a reservation at Santa Barbara Island?
Reservations for Santa Barbara Island are made through Recreation.gov. The current snapshot shows substantial availability: 1,045 of 1,050 tracked site-nights are open (99.5%), though availability can change. Campsite Sniper has also detected 529 site openings here in the last 90 days, so further dates may appear. Pick a site on the map to see its calendar, or set a free Campsite Sniper alert. You complete the reservation yourself on Recreation.gov.
Does Campsite Sniper book this campground for me?
No. Campsite Sniper sends alerts and direct Recreation.gov links. It never books, pays for, holds, hoards, or resells reservations.
How current is this availability data?
Campsite Sniper re-checks public Recreation.gov availability for this facility every hour and republishes whenever anything changes. This facility's data last changed at Sep 18, 2026 16:19 UTC; an older timestamp means nothing has changed since that time, not that checking stopped. Always confirm final availability on Recreation.gov when you book.
How often do new openings appear at Santa Barbara Island?
Campsite Sniper detected 529 site-date openings here over the last 90 days, none in the last 7. A free alert watches around the clock and pings you the moment one appears.
Can I get a multi-night stay at Santa Barbara Island?
14 three-night openings are showing, counting only runs where the SAME site is free for all three nights. The soonest starts Sep 18 at site 004. Confirm and book on Recreation.gov.
Which month has the most availability at Santa Barbara Island?
December 2026, with 310 open site-nights in the current snapshot of 310.
When is the next open date at Santa Barbara Island?
As of the Sep 18, 2026 snapshot: the next open date is Fri, Sep 18 and the next open weekend starts Fri, Sep 18. Detected openings can add earlier dates at any time; a free Campsite Sniper alert catches those the moment they appear.
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