From David Sweet,
Your Guide to Camping.
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I found out about this campground driving by, and I tent camped there in January 2008.

Describe your camping trip:

This beautiful campground, located about 15 minutes north of Santa Barbara, provides a million dollar view for only $20/night. The campground is on a bluff overlooking the Pacific Ocean. From our campsite I could hear waves crashing and see dolphins frolicking in the ocean. El Capitan also has plenty of large trees providing shade and a natural jungle gym for the kids. It combines the love of beach camping and a touch of forest camping. The paved bike trails provided plenty of entertainment for everyone. You can ride the trail all the way to Refugio Beach, if you want. The beach has several access areas from the campground via a staircase or a dirt trail. Once at the beach we felt like we were in our own little world. Straight down from our site (#85) was a little cove, which seemed like it was made just for us. During low tide you can walk for miles and basically have the beach to yourself. Be careful when the tide comes up. It may be hard to get back to your staircase, and you may have to climb out of the coves. The parking lot at El Capitan beach also has beach access, and in that part of the beach there are tide pools to explore, and you don't have to worry about being stuck in a cove during high tide. We brought our dogs to the beach. Technically it is not allowed, but I think if you stay north of the lifeguard station it is OK. Everyone had their dogs there. The bathrooms at the campground are clean, and there are coin operated showers and plenty of water spigots.

Pros: Beautiful, clean, safe, store, showers.

Cons: Hard to get reservations, train noise.

Nearby attractions: Santa Barbara

Further comments:

There is also a small convenience store, and the camp host sells firewood for $6.00 a bundle. During the summer, El Capitan Canyon (located on the other side of the highway) offers dinner and entertainment on Saturday nights. It is within walking distance from the campground. In our opinion, the best sites at El Capitan State Campground are 85, 84, 83 and 82 (85 being the best) in the Anza Group loop, and 107, 105, 103 and 101 in the Portola loop. Sites 31, 32 and 33 are nice, but the view is not anything compared to the above mentioned sites. El Capitan also offers several group camping sites. El Capitan fills up fast for the summer months, and reservations should be made seven months ahead of time.