Anyone hoping to sleep under the stars at El Capitán State Beach will have to hold off on their plans.
The state park’s campground will be closing within the next month for construction to replace a bridge, build a new entrance kiosk and widen the area’s roads. Work is expected to start in January and last about a year, with the campground reopening in January 2026.
The project was awarded to Newton Construction and is expected to cost about $5.5 million.
Katherine Wilson, chief planner for California State Parks, said visitors can still use the campground until the contractor is ready to begin work. However, the usual online reservation system has been suspended, and the camping spots are on a first-come, first-served basis.
“We’ve moved into first come, first serve since those dates are a bit nebulous at the moment, and so that we didn’t have to cancel anybody’s reservations in the event that it came sooner than we had predicted,” Wilson said.
One of the major changes to the area will be rebuilding a bridge to the beach and replacing the existing culvert. The culvert was too small for the amount of water being let through and was considered an impediment to local fish populations that use the stream to travel.
The project also will include a new kiosk at the entrance that Wilson said will be better suited for the employees’ needs.
The existing kiosk is big enough for only one person, has no restrooms and does not have high-speed internet access — which the employees need to operate the park’s new reservation system.
“We have been kinda limping along for a long time. So, we’re pretty excited to have a modern facility,” Wilson said.
Other renovations will include changes to the area’s roads and paths, which officials say will improve access to the campground and the beach.
All roads leading up to the campground and beach will be widened by at least 4 feet, trail paths will be rehabilitated, and an ADA-compliant path will be constructed.
The first half of the ADA-compliant trail has already been completed, and the second half will be finished after the entrance road and bridge project are done.
Regular visitors can still use the park for day use during the campground closure.
Pamela Bradley is a host who stays at the park and greets visitors during their stay. As part of her duties, she provides campers with information, maintains the park, and opens and closes the campgrounds.
Bradley said she is usually assigned to beaches in Carpinteria but was asked to stay at El Capitán State Beach as it prepares to close for construction.
She said El Capitán is one of the nicest campgrounds she has visited as a host but believes that the changes to widen the roads and improve the trails will improve it.
“I think that it’s a wonderful idea because there is a lot of day use. There are a lot of people coming in and out. A tremendous amount of (visitors), a tremendous amount of camping, people coming in pulling their big rigs,” Bradley said. “The road being repaired and widened will be a blessing for the park.”
Wilson said flaggers will be present at the campground during construction to guide pedestrians, and there will be detours to the beach. The path also will be fenced off and marked so guests do not wander into construction zones.
During the project, Wilson encouraged the public to reach out with comments on the park and how it can be improved. State Parks is doing a general plan update for El Capitán, Refugio State Beach and Gaviota State Park.
“As people show interest in the different capital projects that we have in the parks, we like to let them know that that process is just kicking off and that there is room for public input in that,” Wilson said. “So, any feedback that they have about the future of not just El Cap, but also Refugio or Gaviota, now is the perfect time to make that input known.”