Steckel Park Camping With 3 Dogs: Our Honest Review of This Oak-Shaded Campground
Steckel Park camping was our first inland trip after a string of beach campgrounds, and it gave us a little bit of everything: huge oak trees, a full hookup site, three very curious dogs, one of the hottest days of the summer, and a night where we drove to a truck stop just to take a shower.
We stayed three nights in late August with our big air tent and all three dogs (our 14-year-old girl and the two 3-year-old boys). This review covers what it costs, what our site was like, how the shade and heat actually felt, the bug situation, the showers, who I think this campground is a good fit for, and the rest of the park beyond our site: the walk to the creek, day use fees, and our watermelon picnic. Fees below are from the Ventura County Parks page as of October 2026.
| Address | 8080 Mistletoe Rd, Santa Paula, CA 93060 (Google Maps) |
| Run by | Ventura County Parks |
| Our stay | 3 nights, late August, full hookup site 14 |
| Full hookup fee | $52 a night peak season, $50 off season (1 RV, 1 vehicle, 1 tent max) |
| Tent or dry RV fee | $29 a night peak season, $27 off season |
| Dogs | $3 per dog, per night, 6-foot leash |
| Full hookup sites | 10 |
| Max people | 6 per site |
| Quiet hours | 10 pm to 7 am, no generators |
| Restrooms | Flush toilets, open 24 hours |
| Showers | On site, but on set hours. Check when you arrive |
| Day use | $2 per vehicle weekdays, $5 weekends and holidays, 7:30 am to dusk |
| Reservations | Online or 805-654-3951 |
Why Steckel Park Camping Felt So Different From the Beach
Before this trip we had mostly camped right on the coast, at places like Hobson Beach and Jalama Beach. Steckel Park is the opposite kind of place. It sits in a valley along Santa Paula Creek, surrounded by rolling hills and citrus and avocado groves, and the whole campground is dotted with old oak trees.
That means no ocean breeze. It also means real shade, which you almost never get at a beach campground. On a hot August day, both of those things matter a lot.
One thing that confused me when I was booking: there is also a private campground right across Santa Paula Creek. The county leases that land to the Ventura Ranch KOA, which is a separate place with its own booking. If you want the county sites in this review, book through Ventura County Parks, not the KOA.
Our Full Hookup Site at Steckel Park
We were in site 14, a full hookup site with electric and water and a concrete pad for the car. We’re tent campers, so we didn’t need the sewer part, but the electric made a huge difference. It ran our box fan all day for the dogs.
Steckel Park Camping Fees for Our 3 Nights
Three nights on a full hookup site in peak season came to $156, plus $27 in dog fees for our three dogs. That’s $183 before the online reservation fee. A tent site without hookups would be $87 for the same three nights, but in August I’d pay the difference for the fan every time.
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| Full hookup site, 3 nights at $52 | $156 |
| Dogs, 3 dogs x 3 nights at $3 | $27 |
| Total before reservation fee | $183 |
| Same trip on a tent site at $29 | $87 + $27 dogs = $114 |
We got there early, which I really recommend. Setting up the air tent, eating a late lunch and then dinner, playing with the dogs, and unpacking took the whole afternoon. If you have never put up an air tent, these are the mistakes we made the first time.
How to Get to Steckel Park
Steckel Park sits a few miles north of downtown Santa Paula, just off Highway 150, the road that winds between Santa Paula and Ojai. The address for your GPS is 8080 Mistletoe Rd, Santa Paula, CA 93060. The campground loop is paved, and our site had a concrete pad for the car.
When we went in late August, there was a construction zone on the road in and out of the park with a temporary traffic light letting one direction through at a time. We hit it every time we came or went, usually for 2 to 3 minutes, which feels long with three panting dogs in the back seat on a 100-degree day. Road work comes and goes, so it may be finished by now, but I’d still add a few minutes to your plan.
Steckel Park Campground Amenities
Here’s what the county lists, plus what we actually used:
| Amenity | What the county lists | Did we use it? |
|---|---|---|
| Full hookups (electric, water, sewer) | 10 sites | Yes, electric for our fan |
| Fire rings and BBQ | Yes | Yes, we cooked over the fire every night |
| Restrooms | Flush toilets | Yes, open 24 hours |
| Showers | Yes, on set hours | Missed them the first night |
| Wi-Fi | Password-protected Wi-Fi for reserved campers | Check your receipt or ask the host |
| Playground, horseshoe pits, clubhouse | Yes | No |
| Aviary with peafowl | Yes | Walked past it |
| Park host on site | Yes | Good person to ask about shower hours |
Shade, Oaks, and How Hot It Gets in Late August
The oaks are the best thing about this campground. Our tent sat right under one, and it stayed shaded for a good chunk of the afternoon.
Even so, we picked one of the hottest days of the summer to be there. We took the dogs down to the creek to cool off, and we turned right back around because it was just too hot to stay out. Most of the afternoon the dogs hung out in the tent with the fan blowing on them, which is exactly why I’d book a site with electric in summer.
Bugs and Ants: What Actually Happened
I’ll be straight with you: there were a lot of bugs. Ants everywhere, mosquitoes, and all kinds of other summer bugs. We had a bug zapper set up at the site, and I’m so glad we did, because without it I think the evenings would have been rough.
For the ants, I sprayed Zevo all around the tent right after we set it up. I went through about a bottle and a half, and I was really thorough. We chose it because it’s marketed as safe to use around pets. About two days later I started seeing ants inside the tent. When I looked into it, I realized that kind of spray just doesn’t last very long, so we ran to the store and grabbed a different product.
My takeaway: if you camp here in summer, bring a backup plan for ants, and expect to reapply whatever you use.
Restrooms and the Night the Showers Were Locked
There are flush restrooms near the sites, and they’re open 24 hours. The showers are a different story, and that’s where we learned a lesson.
On the first night, after setting up, two meals, playing with the dogs, and unpacking, we finally walked over to shower before bed. The showers were locked. It turned out they run on set hours, and we had missed them.
We had been sweating from head to toe all day, and my husband and I looked at each other and agreed there was no way we were sleeping like that. So we drove to a truck stop about 45 minutes away, and there was construction on the way, which made it even longer. It was so worth it. The shower was bigger and cleaner than I expected, and we came back and slept like rocks. I told the whole story, including what it cost and what we did with the dogs, in our truck stop showers post, because it deserves its own.
The tip: when you check in, ask the camp host what time the showers close, and shower before that if it’s a hot day.
Camping With Dogs at Steckel Park
Dogs are allowed in the campground on a 6-foot leash, and the fee is $3 per dog, per night. With three dogs that adds $9 a night, so it’s worth putting into your budget.
There are a lot of birds here, and the park has a big aviary with peafowl. We walked past it but didn’t go up close. Personally I’m not a bird person, and with three dogs I was happy to keep our distance. If your dog gets worked up by birds, keep that in mind when you pick your walking route.
One nice thing: the town of Santa Paula is a short drive away. On our second day we took the dogs to a coffee shop patio in town for a break from the heat. Our dogs also slept in the tent with us every night, the same way we set things up in tent camping with dogs.
Mornings and Nights at the Campground
Mornings were my favorite part. The sun comes up through the oaks, it’s still cool, and the campground is quiet until people start making breakfast. We cooked ours on one cast iron griddle over the fire, and I put all four of those breakfasts in our easy camping breakfast post. Dinners came off the fire ring every night too, and I wrote up the six things my husband cooked over the fire in their own post. Quiet hours are 10 pm to 7 am, with no generators allowed.
Our Summer Packing List for Steckel Park
If you’re going between June and September, this is what I’d pack based on our trip. Every item here is something we either used every day or wished we’d brought more of.
| Bring | Why |
|---|---|
| Box fan + outdoor extension cord | Ran all afternoon on the hookup to keep the dogs cool |
| Bug zapper | Saved our evenings from mosquitoes |
| Two kinds of ant protection | Our first spray stopped working after about two days |
| Big cooler | Our YETI held the food. The nearest real grocery run is in town |
| Lots of dog water and bowls | The creek was too hot to be a cool-off spot for us |
| Shower bag ready by the door | So you can go as soon as you know the shower hours |
| Leashes, 6 feet or shorter | That is the campground rule |
Steckel Park vs the Beach Campgrounds We Have Tried
Since most of our trips so far have been on the coast, here is how Steckel Park felt next to them, from our own stays:
| Steckel Park (inland) | Our beach campgrounds | |
|---|---|---|
| Shade | Big oaks all over | Very little |
| Breeze | Not much in August | Ocean breeze most of the day |
| Heat | Very hot on our trip | Cooler, sometimes chilly at night |
| Best for | Shade, hookups, a quiet county park | Ocean views and sound of waves |
If you want the beach version, start with our Hobson Beach campground review or our Westside Regional Park camping trip.
What I’d Do Differently Next Time
- Book electric in summer. A box fan on a hookup was the only thing that kept the dogs comfortable in the afternoon.
- Ask about shower hours at check-in. Then actually plan around them.
- Bring two kinds of ant protection. One spray wasn’t enough for three nights.
- Bring a bug zapper or something like it for the evenings.
- Arrive early. Setup with three dogs takes longer than you think.
- Don’t count on the creek to cool off on a really hot day. We tried and turned right around.
Best Time of Year for Steckel Park Camping
We went in late August and hit one of the hottest days of the summer, with tons of ants and mosquitoes. If you can choose, I’d aim for spring or fall when it’s cooler. If summer is your only option like it was for us, book a site with electric and bring everything on the packing list above.
Who Steckel Park Camping Is Best For
I’d recommend it for people who want shade and hookups, families and RVers who like a quiet county park, and dog owners who are fine with leash rules and a small per-dog fee. It’s not the place if you want ocean views or a breeze. In the hottest part of summer, come with a fan and a plan for bugs.
If you’re new to this, our car camping with 3 dogs post has the basics we wish we’d known before our very first trip.
Walking to Santa Paula Creek From Our Campsite
Santa Paula Creek runs right through Steckel Park, so if you have time beyond your campsite, it’s worth the walk. From our site it took about 15 minutes on foot to get down to the creek. The path starts as packed dirt with some gravel and wood chips, then turns rocky as you get closer to the water. It’s an easy walk, and all three dogs did it on leash, including our 14-year-old girl.
My mistake was my shoes. I wore slide sandals because we were “just going to the creek,” and I regretted it pretty quickly. It wasn’t dangerous and I could still walk fine, but on the rocky part every step was uncomfortable. Wear sneakers or sandals with a back strap, and if you have a senior dog, slow down on that rocky stretch and let them pick their footing.
Here’s the part I wish someone had told me. The spot we walked to had a beautiful view of the creek, with clear, shallow water running over white rocks, and there was still water flowing in late August. But to actually get down into the water, you have to go back, take a different path, and come in from another entrance. It was over 100 degrees that day, so we took our photos right there and headed back.
If playing in the creek is your plan, ask the park host which path gets you down to the water before you start walking. It’ll save you a sweaty round trip like ours. And even for a 15-minute walk in that heat, bring water and a bowl for each dog.
Steckel Park Day Use Fees, Hours and Picnic Areas
You don’t have to camp to spend a day here. Day use runs from 7:30 a.m. to dusk, and the fee is per vehicle, not per person. The county also notes that Steckel Park often closes to new cars once it’s full on busy summer weekends, so get there early with your fee ready. Prices checked October 2026 on the Ventura County Parks page.
| Day use, weekdays | $2 per vehicle |
| Day use, weekends and holidays | $5 per vehicle |
| Day use hours | 7:30 a.m. to dusk |
| Steckel Pavilion | $200 per day |
| Steckel Area 1 | $200 per day |
| Steckel Stone Cabin | $155 per day |
| Group picnic areas | By reservation, 805-654-3951 |
| Also in the park | Playground, horseshoe pits, BBQ grills, aviary with peafowl |
The day use side is full of big shade trees with wood chips underneath, and that’s where our dogs kept stopping to sniff. The aviary is a big one with peafowl and other common birds, and we walked past it on our dog walks. For bird watchers, the county lists woodpeckers, raptors, warblers, kinglets and vireos.
Our Watermelon Hwachae Picnic
I had the whole scene planned. We’d float a watermelon in the creek to keep it cold, then sit on the rocks and eat watermelon hwachae right by the water. Hwachae is a Korean fruit punch, and the watermelon version is my favorite summer snack.
So we hauled everything down there. I carried a container full of ice, and my husband carried the whole watermelon to the creek. Then the heat won. Sitting on sun-baked rocks was not happening, so we gave up on the creek idea and ate it at a picnic area nearby instead.
It was still perfect. Ours was simple: watermelon scooped out of the rind, its own juice, and a lot of ice, served right in the rind. All five of us shared it, my husband, me, and the three dogs. If you make the kind with soda or sweetened milk, set aside a few plain pieces for your dogs before you mix anything in. Plain watermelon with no seeds and no rind is the only version I’d share with mine.
Steckel Park vs the Ventura Ranch KOA
Don’t mix these two up when you book. The private campground on the north side of Santa Paula Creek is leased by the county to Ventura Ranch KOA, and it’s run separately. Everything in this review is the Steckel Park county campground, which you book through Ventura County Parks online or at 805-654-3951. If you’re reading other reviews before you go, double check which one people are talking about.
More Steckel Park Photos
A few more photos from around the park, beyond our campsite.
The Steckel Park sign on the way in, tucked under big shade trees.
The temporary construction light we waited at every time we drove in or out in late August, usually for 2 to 3 minutes.
Walking the campground loop once the sun got lower, which was so much easier on the dogs than our midday creek walk.
Frequently Asked Questions
If you only remember two things from this review: book a site with electric if you’re going in summer, and ask the camp host about shower hours the moment you check in. Those two things would have changed our first night completely.
Next I’m sharing the full truck stop shower story, including what it cost and what it was really like. Have you camped at Steckel Park, or somewhere inland like it in summer? Tell me how you dealt with the heat in the comments.
