Note: This review was written based on our stay at the end of May 2020. Facilities and services at the resort may have changed since then. We will do our best to keep current on what's open and what's not.
It's the summer of “nearcations” and for those living in Southern California, El Capitan Canyon gives you the best of both worlds—beach and wilderness—without having to rough it too much.
Located in Goleta, just north of Santa Barbara, El Capitan Canyon rests at the base of the Santa Ynez Mountains with the Pacific Ocean just a mile away. Yet you don't even have to bring your camp tents and sleeping bags. Instead, El Capitan has cozy cedar cabins of varying sizes for you to stay in overnight. All cabins have peak ceilings, beds, bathrooms, kitchenettes with microwaves and fridges, and heating. Each cabin also has its own picnic table out back and firepits.
And best of all, these are all stand-alone cabins, perfect for minimizing social distancing.
WHAT ROOM TO BOOK:
Being a family of five, we booked a Canyon Loft cabin which had a king bed in a private room downstairs and a loft with three twin mattress pad for the kids to sleep on. Downstairs was also a small living room area and a table that can expand to seat four people. We even had a bathtub in the bathroom!
However, our cabins were located high up on the property and it was about a 10 minute walk down to the larger grassy area where the rest of the cabins are. This section of the canyon feels a bit like a college campus—in a fun way since everyone is close to one another to hang out—and is near the pool and the playground. Just something to keep in mind when you book.
(Usually, El Capitan has yurts and safari tents for guests to book but because of Covid-19, these are currently unvavailable. Other parts of El Capitan are closed including the pool and the playground, although that may change as the state progresses its reopening plan.)
WHAT TO DO:
Since staying at El Capitan is pretty much a make-your-own-adventure, there's no wrong way or right way to spend your day. Ideally, I hoped to wake up, get coffee and spend some time reading out in the back of the cabin before going on a hike and then taking a picnic lunch to the beach. But with three kids in tow, all of whom stayed up late goofing off in the loft, our mornings were a hurried blur of breakfast, walks, visits to the llama and goat farm (about a 10-minute walk from the market), and then getting ready for the beach.
Later in the afternoon, after a couple of hours at the nearby beach, we did get some quiet time to chill. And in the evening, after making dinner and s'mores, we all managed to relax while looking at the stars and listening to the frogs hanging out in the creek. Most importantly, everyone minimized their screen time drastically.
Speaking of the beach, you can drive or walk to El Capitan Beach. Driving means paying a fee to park while walking means you'll have to be spartan with what you bring. It's a quiet, small beach but there are some natural black tar deposits in the water and in the sand. Don't wear your newest beach gear here.
WHAT TO BRING:
El Capitan has a list on their website of items you may want to bring such as plates and cups, and any food that you want to make, but we would recommend bringing a few other items too. High on my list? Tablecloths, folding chairs, bug spray, balls, grilling utensils, and bikes or scooters. Oh and Calamine lotion. The creek has lots of Poison Oak near it. El Capitan reminds you of this at check-in and there are signs telling you to stay away, but just in case. Of course, if you forget something, the Canyon Market usually stocks it, but save yourself the extra expense and go over your packing list twice.
As for food, there aren't any hot pots or stove plates in the cabin. All your cooking is done on the fire pit so do your grocery shopping accordingly. An easy and fun option is buying one of the barbeque kits that the market sells. These come with a main dish and a few sides. They also sell s'mores kit which come with nifty marshmellow roasting sticks. The Canyon Market is also open for take-out service, which is pretty tasty.
BOTTOM LINE:
Expect to pay about $400 on a weekend for a Corral Loft cabin, but between $200 and $300 for other cabins. Like most places, the cabins are completely booked for the weekends this summer, especially since they are operating at a lower capacity and waiting 72 hours in between guests. But we were told to check back frequently as cancellations are ongoing. And if you can swing a midweek stay, your chances of nabbing a cabin are better.
We are already booked to return to El Capitan with friends in October and we can't wait. Perhaps this is the true mark of a good nearcation: our three-year-old keeps asking, “Can we go back to the cabin?”
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