Arroyo Seco

Los Padres National Forest — lakeside, fishing, hiking

Location: GREENFIELD, CA, CA

Price: From $35 per night

Price range: $35–$80 per night

Rating: 4 out of 5 (234 reviews)

Season: May through October

Arroyo Seco Campground is a semi-rustic, but developed facility in California’s westernmost national forest. It offers a great escape from bustling city life, into the mountain air and provides access to a variety of outdoor recreation opportunities.The small non-body contact lake near the group campsites gives campers an edge on mountain fishing and small non-motorized boating. Anglers will find mostly bass and catfish in the lakes, and other species on occasion.

Cell coverage (FCC estimate): none signal. Actual signal may vary in remote areas.

Amenities: Fire Rings, Picnic Tables, Vault Toilets, Drinking Water, Showers, Dump Station, Electric Hookups, Fishing

Availability alerts: Set a free cancellation alert at camperwatch.org/campground/arroyo-seco to be notified when sites open up.

Semi-rustic developed facility in California's westernmost national forest offering mountain air and escape from city life. Small non-body contact lake near group campsites provides fishing access for bass, catfish, and other species.

Wildlife alert: Mountain lions present in area — standard wildlife precautions recommended. Also watch for striped skunks, Blainville's horned lizards, and various snake species including Lampropeltis multifasciata.

Insider tips for Arroyo Seco: Book early — this is a federal campground with high demand and only 39 total sites Most sites have no hookups; verify your RV is self-contained or confirm hookup availability before booking Non-motorized boating allowed on the small lake near group campsites for additional recreation beyond fishing

Skip Arroyo Seco if: You need RV hookups — most sites lack them and campground is only suitable for self-contained RVs. You're visiting outside May-October — campground is closed seasonally. You prefer modern shower facilities — campground has vault toilets and showers but is semi-rustic.

Best time to visit Arroyo Seco: May - October — Campground operates seasonally May through October only.

Nearby campgrounds: China Camp Campground (Carmel Valley, CA), Escondido Campground (Big Sur, CA), White Oaks Campground (Carmel Valley, CA), Memorial Campground (Greenfield, CA).

Cell Phone Coverage at Arroyo Seco

Cell signal at Arroyo Seco (GREENFIELD, CA): none overall signal based on FCC broadband data.

Coverage data source: FCC Broadband Data Collection (BDC). Actual signal may vary due to terrain, tree cover, and distance from towers. Camper reports are more reliable than coverage maps in remote areas.

CamperWatch
CamperWatch›CA›Arroyo Seco
Arroyo Seco — photo 1
Arroyo Seco — photo 2
Arroyo Seco — photo 3
See all photos
Los Padres National Forest — lakeside, fishing, hikingLive availability via Recreation.gov· synced every 30 min

Arroyo Seco

Share:
GREENFIELD, CA, CA★ 4 (234 reviews)From $35/nightFederal campground · book on Recreation.gov
On this page ↓OverviewConditionsPlan Your TripCommunity

Arroyo Seco Campground is a semi-rustic, but developed facility in California’s westernmost national forest. It offers a great escape from bustling city life, into the mountain air and provides access to a variety of outdoor recreation opportunities.The small non-body contact lake near the group campsites gives campers an edge on mountain fishing and small non-motorized boating. Anglers will find mostly bass and catfish in the lakes, and other species on occasion.

Best for:AnglersHikersWildlife watchersFamiliesSites:TentRV
LIVE · weather + fire + AQI + availability + wildlife

Verified facts

RIDB / Recreation.gov official database
Check-in2:00 PM
Check-out12:00 PM
SeasonMay through October
Stay limit14 days
Max RV50 ft
HookupsNo hookups. Suitable for self-contained RVs.
ADA sites13 sites
PetsAllowed
CampfiresAllowed
Max/site6 people

Amenities

RIDB /facilities /campsites · owner-verified
Essentials
Fire RingsDrinking WaterElectric Hookups
Recreation
Picnic TablesShowersFishing
Family & Pets
Vault ToiletsDump Station

Straight talk

CamperWatch intel · curated from camper reports

Known issues, each with the workaround. Read before you book.

Known issuesFederal campground — book early. No hookups at most sites. Seasonal operations.
Skip it if:✕ You need RV hookups — most sites lack them and campground is only suitable for self-contained RVs✕ You're visiting outside May-October — campground is closed seasonally✕ You prefer modern shower facilities — campground has vault toilets and showers but is semi-rustic

Insider tips & when to go

CamperWatch intel · hand-curated entry

Book early

this is a federal campground with high demand and only 39 total sites

Most sites have no hookups; verify your RV is self-contained or confirm hookup availability before booking

Non-motorized boating allowed on the small lake near group campsites for additional recreation beyond fishing

Best: May - October

Campground operates seasonally May through October only

Things to do nearby

RIDB /activities /recareas + intel

Conditions today

Live
at campground coordinates

Cell signal

FCC BDC · quarterly dataset
T-Mobile
4G · 0%
Verizon
4G · 0%
AT&T
4G · 0%

FCC maps are theoretical — camper reports confirm signal.

Wildlife nearby

iNaturalist · research-grade · 8 km
Alert: Mountain lions present in area — standard wildlife precautions recommended. Also watch for striped skunks, Blainville's horned lizards, and various snake species including Lampropeltis multifasciata.

Location

Leaflet · OpenStreetMap tiles
Open in OpenStreetMap ↗
805-434-1996· Los Padres National Forest
Getting there →

Coming from the south on Highway 101 to Greenfield, take the first exit (Arroyo Seco) into town. Turn left on Elm Street and go west to Arroyo Seco Road and turn left. Arroyo Seco Road dead-ends at the campground. Coming from the north on Highway 101, just past Soledad, turn west onto Arroyo Seco Road and continue to the campground.

Campground entrance

Google Maps API

Community

#community · posts, photos & Q&A · AI-moderated (Claude Vision)

Pro tips

  • Book on recreation.gov exactly 6 months ahead at 10am ET — Los Padres National Forest fills fast in peak season.
  • Check current road conditions at Los Padres National Forest before arrival — seasonal closures common.

Frequently asked questions

RIDB facts + intel · FAQPage schema, speakable
How much does Arroyo Seco cost per night?+
Arroyo Seco costs $35–$80 per night. Hookup options: No hookups. Suitable for self-contained RVs.
What season is Arroyo Seco open?+
Arroyo Seco is open May through October. Check-in is 2:00 PM, check-out is 12:00 PM.
Does Arroyo Seco have hookups?+
No hookups. Suitable for self-contained RVs.
What is the maximum RV length at Arroyo Seco?+
Arroyo Seco can accommodate RVs up to 50 feet.
How do I make reservations at Arroyo Seco?+
Arroyo Seco is a federal campground — book 6 months ahead at Recreation.gov. Set a free CamperWatch cancellation alert to be notified the moment a site opens.
What is the cell service like at Arroyo Seco?+
According to FCC coverage maps, cell signal at Arroyo Seco is rated none. FCC maps show theoretical coverage — actual signal in remote or heavily forested areas may be weaker.
What season is Arroyo Seco open, and what are check-in times?+
Arroyo Seco is open May through October. Check-in is 2:00 PM, check-out is 12:00 PM.

Official resources

Print Facility Map
Compare campgroundsPlan a multi-stop trip
●Data sources on this page
Recreation.gov — Live site availability — updated every 30 min
recreation.gov · RIDB API
National Weather Service — Live hourly forecast + active alerts
api.weather.gov · open-meteo.com
Google Air Quality API — Live AQI at exact campground coordinates
airquality.googleapis.com
iNaturalist — Research-grade wildlife within 8km
api.inaturalist.org
Google Pollen API — Today’s tree, grass & weed pollen forecast
pollen.googleapis.com
FCC Broadband Map — Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile 4G/5G coverage data
broadbandmap.fcc.gov · quarterly
Sunrise-Sunset.org — Sunrise, sunset & golden hour for today
api.sunrise-sunset.org
Google Street View — Campground entrance & access road imagery
maps.googleapis.com
RIDB — ADA sites, hookups, toilets, pets, campfire rules, bear boxes, max RV, activities, contact, directions
ridb.recreation.gov · /facilities /campsites /activities /links /recareas

CamperWatch never fabricates data. Where data is unavailable, it is not shown.

$35 /night★ 4 (234)
SeasonMay through October
Check-in2:00 PM
Check-out12:00 PM
Reserve on Recreation.gov ↗
Dates full? Get an availability alert
FAQ
How much does Arroyo Seco cost per night?+
What season is Arroyo Seco open?+
Does Arroyo Seco have hookups?+
All 7 questions →

Nearby Campgrounds

China Camp Campground

Carmel Valley, CA

From $30/night

Escondido Campground

Big Sur, CA

From $30/night

White Oaks Campground

Carmel Valley, CA

From $30/night

Memorial Campground

Greenfield, CA

From $30/night

Own a campground nearby?

List free on CamperWatch — we take 5% only on bookings we send. No monthly fee.

List your campground →
$35–80 /nightNo booking fees
+TRIPCheck availability