BBQ/picnic Area
Check availability

Reviews of Rancho Oso RV & Camping Resort

2 out of 5
Rancho Oso RV & Camping Resort
3750 Paradise Road, Santa Barbara, CA

Reviews

8.8

Excellent

Rating 10 - Excellent. 39 out of 70 reviews" "
Rating 8 - Good. 23 out of 70 reviews" "
Rating 6 - Okay. 4 out of 70 reviews" "
Rating 4 - Poor. 2 out of 70 reviews" "
Rating 2 - Terrible. 2 out of 70 reviews" "

9.4/10

Cleanliness

8.6/10

Staff & service

8.4/10

Amenities

9.0/10

Property conditions & facilities

Reviews

2/10 Terrible

Eric

Stayed 2 nights in Feb 2023

8/10 Good

Camila

8/10 Good

Denise

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness
wonderful and terrible
The cabin we had was wonderful. Kitchen was stocked so well. It was clean and pleasant. However, if you advertise a restaurant and you are 17 MILES away from everything, that advertised restaurant better be open. We were panicked when the restaurant had not been open for over 1.5 years!!! The thought of going back 17 miles on a country road after driving over 5 hours was a deal breaker. Although staff was super and helped us find some food in the little convenience store (which closed at 4:30!!!) Also, internet service ended about halfway up the mountain. If I had known they did not have cell service, I would not have booked since I was attending my daughters wedding and needed to be accessible.
Stayed 2 nights in Oct 2022

10/10 Excellent

Diana, Long Beach

Liked: Cleanliness, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Stayed 3 nights in Jul 2022

10/10 Excellent

Adriana

Travelled with family and small children
Liked: Cleanliness, amenities, property conditions & facilities
The property is well kept, cabins are clean stocked with kitchen ware and bathroom amenities. We enjoyed horseback riding, however it is very difficult to get a hold of the stable the weeks before going or while on campus to make a reservation. It should be online to book the ride and sign waivers on line before the trip. I know the workers at the stable work very hard and this will simplify the process for them to print the daily schedule of rides and paid upfront.The wiifi is not in the cabins only at end of the road. Overall it is lovely to stay there and walk the campus.
Stayed 2 nights in Apr 2022

10/10 Excellent

Ignacio

Travelled with family and small children
Liked: Cleanliness, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Staffin really friendly great place to stay with family and friends
Stayed 3 nights in Apr 2022

10/10 Excellent

Joshua

Liked: Cleanliness, room comfort
Stayed 2 nights in Mar 2022

10/10 Excellent

Jean

Travelled with family, Travelled with group
Liked: Cleanliness, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Loved the tranquility.
Stayed 3 nights in Jan 2022

10/10 Excellent

Farajoddin

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, amenities, property conditions & facilities
I liked my overall stay a very quiet place surrounded by some beautiful landscape The cabins didn't have either network or wifi
Stayed 2 nights in Dec 2021

10/10 Excellent

Jeanette

Liked: Cleanliness, room comfort
Beautiful peaceful stay.
Beautiful grounds. Really enjoyed the animals to view, including wild turkeys. The pools were beautifully situated and had unbusy times to please us. The lodge and internet access were very much appreciated. We never did figure out how to get the TV to work but it pushed us to just enjoy the beautiful surroundings and disconnect from busy electronic lives.
Stayed 2 nights in Aug 2021

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Stayed 2 nights in Jun 2021

2/10 Terrible

Jacqueline

Travelled with family
Disliked: Room comfort
Not what was expected
At check-in, we were told that the restaurant on-site opened at 4pm. However, we found out that the restaurant had been closed since March. There was no horseback riding due to it having rained the day prior. We were not allowed to pet or feed the horses without staff present, and although there was no horseback riding, you would think staff would have accommodated by being present. The other pets were not available as well. It was a boring trip and the cost was high. We were let down.
Stayed 2 nights in Jan 2021

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Stayed 2 nights in Dec 2019

10/10 Excellent

Diana

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
It was perfect to spend time with my two boys some bonding time
Stayed 2 nights in Nov 2019

10/10 Excellent

LoveyDovey, Los Angeles

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
After a slightly narrow windy road, we were pleasantly surprised by this beautiful ranch. Everything was clean and open. We were able to walk up to the horses to pet them. The cabin was very clean and functional. It made these city love birds very comfortable! Our only complaint is that we couldn't stay longer to enjoy eachother and this beautiful ranch.
Stayed 2 nights in Oct 2019

10/10 Excellent

Kelly E

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Great place and facilities. Cleaning our own room was a bit of a surprise but it was not bad. The stars at night were AWESOME - Milky Way was visible!
Stayed 2 nights in Sep 2019

6/10 Okay

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities
Disliked: Amenities
Stayed 2 nights in Jun 2019

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, amenities, property conditions & facilities
We liked the cabin very much, it was very comfortable for the 3 of us.
Stayed 2 nights in May 2019

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
the place is very relaxing. if you are addicted to internet then this is not the place for you since the signal is really bad. the family?adult lodge has wifi and its just basic. the only thing I don't like was that when we check out, we have to take out all linens and towels that we used, just like we were the ones doing housekeeping job in the end
Stayed 3 nights in Apr 2019

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Stayed 3 nights in Apr 2019

10/10 Excellent

Jeanette

Serene anniversary getaway
Loved our little cabin. It was clean and fresh. All the "tools" we needed to cook our meals even barbecuing on the porch were provided. Enjoyed the amenities... swimming, water aerobics, hot tub, walks, playing pool and ping pong. The setting was beautiful and the staff were friendly and helpful. Limited cell phone service would be our only complaint.
Stayed 2 nights in Aug 2018

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
The cottage where we stayed was beautiful and clean. It had two air conditioning units, one in the living room and one in the master room. The problem was that there was no way to cool off the bunk bed room - it was very hot, and the A/C unit in the living room did not reach, so we had to use a small portable fan that we happened to take. The pool deck was slippery - be careful. They provide balls and equipment to play the games for free (miniature golf, volleyball, basketball, horseshoe) in the country store. The equipment for pickleball is kept in the court, in a bench. You can rent movies for $3 per night at the country store, which is next to the pool.They are currently building a dog park next to the pickleball court. The playground is very simple, but it's good enough. I did not know that most of the scheduled activities happen on the weekend, that the restaurant only opens on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, and that the store closes at 4pm during the week; so, plan accordingly. I also didn't know that we have to do some cleaning before leaving (sweeping, trash, dishes, fridge) to avoid paying $50.It was not that difficult, though. My kids loved the heated pool and the horseback riding. A reservation is needed for horseback riding for an additional cost ($45 for adults and $15 for hand-led for people staying over and Thousand Trails members- the most affordable in the area). They're held in the morning to avoid the heat. Overall, a great experience.
Stayed 2 nights in Jul 2018

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Nice place. One of a kind.
Stayed 3 nights in May 2018

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities
Disliked: Staff & service
A fun facility, but not what I booked
We loved the overall facility, but we were given a smaller cabin than the one I booked online. Technically it slept 4 with a queen bed and pullout sofa, but our group wasn't all keen on sharing beds. I had even called ahead to confirm the details of our accomodation, but when we arrived they gave us the little cabin. I went back to the kiosk to say we had the wring booking, but with no cell or internet service on site I had no way to pull up my booking confirmation to argue--not that it would have done much good because on Memorial Day weekend, as the host informed me, all the other cabins were already full. Our group had to cozy up, which made for a much less comfortable experience than we had planned for.
Stayed 2 nights in May 2018

10/10 Excellent

Lena, LA

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Great get away! We'll be back soon !!
Stayed 2 nights in May 2018

8/10 Good

pow yin

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Good experience
Shall spend at least 3-4 days here

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Great spot tucked away in the mountains
The cottage was new, and very well cleaned. The rangers were really helpful, despite our late check-in time. Children enjoyed visits to the stables. Beautiful mountain scenery.
Stayed 1 night in Feb 2018

10/10 Excellent

Noella

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
It was beautiful and amazing!! The only problem we had was no internet and very little cell service. Some people would however call that a blessing. It really depends on your lifestyle.
Stayed 1 night in Feb 2018

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Nice resort 30 min from Santa Barbara
This is not an hotel per se, but a cabin in a camping/RV resort. The cabin was very nice and clean with all the kitchenware necessary to cook. There was also a gas BBQ.
Stayed 2 nights in Nov 2017

10/10 Excellent

Ken

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Friendly service, clean accommodations!
Had a wonderful stay. I called the front gate about my late check-in situation and they had everything ready for me to arrive. They upgraded me to a unit that was closer to the main road, so I wouldn't have a hard time finding my original cottage which was a lot further up the road. Things like that really showed me they cared about my experience coming into their property late at night. Will definitely be returning! Cell phone service in the area is almost non-existent. Can only connect to WiFi in their Adult Lodge so be aware that this is 100% a getaway!
Stayed 2 nights in Oct 2017

10/10 Excellent

deborah

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Weekend in the mountains
We stayed at Rancho Oso because all local hotels/motels near UCSB were booked up for "move in" weekend and I waited to long to reserve a room. It was all there was available on Hotels.com. I knew it said it was 20 miles away from campus. This road is windy and it takes about 30 minutes to get there. We rented a cottage, which was very nice and had everything in it including the flyswatter. Very organized and clean. We just weren't prepared for a weekend in the mountains- just a place to sleep and head back to the campus. This would be a nice for a quiet camp weekend. The breakfast was very good-
Stayed 2 nights in Sep 2017

8/10 Good

Andrew

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 2 nights in Aug 2017

10/10 Excellent

Neni, Mission Viejo, CA

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Relaxing and fun last minute getaway
Came across this place simply by googling cabins near Santa Barbara. Since it has been a few years my husband and I didn't travel to SB, and this time with our two little sons, we wanted to make sure we enjoyed nature walks in a relaxing atmosphere. It was the perfect last minute getaway. No cell phone/Internet made us truly enjoy our time and disconnect from the daily, busy life. The cottage was very clean and comfortable. We enjoyed it was fairly close to SB and to Solvang. This is a perfect place to unwind and enjoy time free from city life and stress. They have a mini golf, playground, well-stocked and fairly priced store, as well as two swimming pools. It is a gun place, we will definitely go back some day. The only con at times ( but made our trip fun &interesting) were small flies buzzing in your ears. Lots of small flies. Not sure if because it was summer time or because they have animals in the ranch. Take some repellent or if you don't mind the buzzing since you're out in nature, then you'll truly enjoy...our family did!
Stayed 2 nights in Jul 2017

8/10 Good

Heidi , UK

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Beautiful views of the mountains
We had a lovely stay at Rancho Oso, it is set in the mountains with fantastic views. We stayed in one of the cabins which was nice and a reasonable size - the upstairs room isn't full height, so better for children. You can loan DVDs from the shop on site which is a nice touch. The pools are really nice with sun loungers for those who want them. One pool is heated, the other is a bit chilly, but still nice. We went horse riding for an hour and the horses were well behaved and well looked after. One thing it is worth knowing is that there are two slots of an hour each during the day where kids aren't allowed in the pool area - 10-11am and 3-4pm. So everyone has to leave the one or two adults who are in there on their own and then return an hour later - we didn't realise this which was a shame as we'd planned a day by the pool relaxing. There is a small shop with essentials on site and a restaurant that serves nice, simple food on Friday and Saturday nights at 6pm.
Stayed 2 nights in Aug 2017

10/10 Excellent

Lupinette, Montreal Quebec Canada

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Nice cabin experience in the mountains
We were very pleased with our experience at this ranch. The views are awsome, very clean and the people are very helpful. About 30 minutes drive to Santa Barbara. We will come back for a longer stay.
Stayed 2 nights in Jul 2017

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Will come again
Great staff and fully stocked cottage with all that we needed. Our second time here. Will return again. Best value in SB area.
Stayed 2 nights in Jun 2017

8/10 Good

Jungchun

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Very friendly and helpful staff, but the size of the room was a little small, and keep it in mind that it's far away from downtown, however we had a good stay.
Stayed 2 nights in Jun 2017

10/10 Excellent

Nicole , palm springs ca

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Beautiful cabin
We stayed in a beautiful cottage at Rancho Oso with two adults and two children. We absolutely loved it. My daughter wanted a glamping experience instead of our usual tent camping and she loved it. The kitchen was stocked with everything we needed from a wine bottle opener to can opener. We cooked breakfast and dinner everyday and had a perfect sized gas grill outside. I loved that the bunk bed "room" had a door in which the girls could laugh all night long. There wasn't any weird decorations and everything looked new.

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Amazing
Everything was awesome... not relevant to my stay only an observation and advice. Helpers for camp activities should not participate just so it's fair. The Easter egg hung for the older kids was unfair since the kid that hid the eggs found all 3 golden eggs and kept the prizes for himself with the exception of one.. he gave the third egg to his friend...other then that.. this place is AMAZING!

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Disliked: Room comfort
Great outdoorsy getaway for the whole family!
I wanted to get my kids away from screens for a few days and Rancho Oso was PERFECT! We stayed in a little cottage so we weren't exactly "roughing it" but the kids played outside nonstop, met new friends, and we had a great time. Our dogs were more than welcome and loved it too. This is just a wonderful place and we will be back!

8/10 Good

Rosa

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, room comfort
Family getaway to Rancho Oso
We enjoyed the campground for the Peace and quiet. The cabin was well equipped though a tight fit for 4. Plenty of rain meant no animal activities but we kept busy. All the staff was extremely friendly and helpful with plenty of kids stuff to keep them occupied. Needless to say candy bar bingo was a smashing success.

4/10 Poor

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Do NOT bring your children here
We visited in January, specifically because the ranch has a heated outdoor pool and a lounge with games and puzzles. The listing specifically states there is one unheated pool and one heated pool, but that's not true. The heated pool is seasonal, and January apparently isn't part of the heated season. There is a hot tub, but kids are NOT allowed in it. And there's a lounge, but kids are NOT allowed there, either. We had a beautiful cabin, but it was basically our prison since there was nothing else to do here after 5 p.m. sunset. We paid double for the amenities, but those amenities are all adults-only. If you had kids, just stay in a hotel. You may be stuck in the room watching TV in the evenings, but that's exactly the same as what you'll do here.

6/10 Okay

Ares

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort

10/10 Excellent

Reggie, Montrose, CA

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Loved the horseback riding

6/10 Okay

clive

Liked: Cleanliness, room comfort
Basic but enjoyable
Facilities were quite dated as there was no net for the tennis court and the swimming pool was quite dirty. We were upgraded to a nice cabin when we asked which was a good gesture. Overall we enjoyed our stay.

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Nice small very clean cottage.
Love the little cottage. Rancho oso has so much to see and do.

8/10 Good

sarah

Disliked: Staff & service

8/10 Good

Janice, Tracy, CA

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Really getting away from it all...
Rancho Oso is really secluded. The roads to get there are narrow, steep and often have RVs trying to navigate them. But the destination is a fun one when you get there. Horse back riding, pools, and a hot tub are all pluses. The cabin had everything we needed but living without cell phone or internet was "roughing it".

8/10 Good

Brian l, Costa Mesa

Liked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
For 175 a night you would figure they could clean the room, we had to clean before we left. Also the web site said the hotel was 9.2 miles from Santa Barbara, it was 22 miles on winding roads.

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Great cottage and wonderful people at Rancho Oso
Stayed 3 days so that we can visit UC Santa Barbara and Cal Poly (campus tours) with teenage son.