The Rincon Parkway Campground, Ventura, California

This stretch of camping can been seen from the 101 as you travel north or southbound between Carpenteria and Ventura. We have always heard from fellow campers that this area has several county parks, including The Rincon, that are amazing places to stay, but we had never visited ourselves as we were worried about beach access, patio space, train and highway noise. With a positive recent write-up in Motorhome Magazine and winter weather looking beautiful for the weekend and the itch to head out the rig, we decided to go for it. 

You park your rig here nose to tail, not back in, which we preferred as it gave us more privacy from neighbors and better views of the ocean, which were spectacular. A rocky barrier elevates road and campsites from the beach. Be cautious as you climb down, however most sites we looked at had a man made trail that precariously takes you down to the beach. The sand here is fine and clean and there is quite a bit of beachfront available at each spot. If you're lucky, beachcoming will result in sand dollars and a wide variety of shells. There are no formal fire rings here, so bring your own portable pit for a spectacular sunset fire. There are no amenities here; no park ranger, no hookups, no potable water, and no sanitation dump, only a porta-potty awaits those who need it, and self-contained vehicles are a must.  Every ten sites or so near the porta potties you will find trash dumpsters. Reservations are required here, and a ranger will cruise by each morning and check plates, etc. We also saw service trucks offering water fill and sewage dump for those needing it. Faria County Beach has a small campground towards the south, where a small café, wood and ice can be purchased There are similar concessions just to the north at Hobson County Beach. Both offer delicious breakfast and lunch entrees. 
Our initial concerns with road noise were alleviated for the most part, as the proximity of the ocean muffles the occasional car. The train was more of an issue for us, especially the freight train that rolled past and shook us awake sometime in the dark hours of the night. Our boys, deep sleepers, were waked by this and seemed a bit grouchy and groggy the next day as a result. Overall, we enjoyed the proximity to the clean beach, the short drive from home and the beautiful views that surrounded us. 

Location
Best Sites: 55-69
Poor Sites: None
Hookups: None
Potable Water: None
Dump Within Facility: None