La Panza Campground

La Panza Campground is a small, primitive campground tucked into a canyon of Los Padres National Forest's Santa Lucia Ranger District, set among a large grove of oaks. It has seven sites, each with a fire ring and picnic table, and a single vault toilet; there is no potable water on site, so campers must be self-sufficient. Access requires a high-clearance vehicle over unpaved forest roads, with cars and trailers not recommended. The campground sits near the Pozo-La Panza OHV area's roughly 44 miles of routes and the Machesna Mountain Wilderness, drawing hikers, hunters, and off-highway riders to the surrounding backcountry. Five of the seven sites can be reserved through Recreation.gov, with the remainder first-come, first-served.