This is a beautiful place, we came to fish, hike around the lake and just enjoy some peace. We didn't see many people catching fish, yet it was nice just to cast a pole and sit for a while. They have nice picnic areas and boats to rent. We will definitely check it out again and hopefully catch something next time. Great place for some family fun read more

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Love coming here. Even when the fishing is tough it's a great place to come relax and get away from the business of life. However when you get on the fish it's icing on the cake read more

Dixon Lake - View from the boat - Parks Near Me - Escondido, California

Came to visit an old spot that I used to visit with my kids when they were little. I used to live in Escondido from 1992 to 2006. Did some birdwatching today with my oldest kid who's visiting from New York. Came back to this town Escondido because of grandma's funeral - she was 98 years old. It's beautiful to be in nature and reflect on all of our memories with my grandmother - she loved nature too. Great little town, Escondido!! read more

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A Hidden Gem for Fishing in San Diego County I've been fishing at Dixon Lake for 17 years--it's one of the most peaceful and productive fishing spots in Southern California. The lake is beautiful, the water is well-stocked, and it's perfect for both seasoned anglers and families. I've caught some amazing trout here over the years. That said, it's kind of funny how the "world record" largemouth bass legend still hangs over this place. Props to the catch, but some folks here act like they personally landed it every day. The fishing's great--you don't need the ego trip to enjoy it. Overall, Dixon is a gem. Bring your gear, enjoy the view, and let the fish do the talking. read more

Dixon Lake - Dixon Lake - Parks Near Me - Escondido, California

Gorgeous place with a nice view. I booked two nights and stayed in my van for one of them. There's next to no shade on top of the hill if you're facing lakeside. There were literaly howling children throughout the night in the campsite directly next to me. I could kind of see down into their campsite from sitting in the van which felt invasive but it's the only way I could see the water from my campsite. Only stayed one night and got a credit for the second night in the morning. read more

The bathrooms are clean. They close the entrance to the campgrounds at dusk. A ranger patrols the area at night. They are very helpful. We saw a big rat in our camp. We didnt see any raccoons or squirrels. There is fishing and picnic areas during the day. read more

Dixon Lake - Parks Near Me - Escondido, California

Great campground with extremely friendly staff. Nicest people you'll ever meet over here. I've been to a lot of campgrounds. I never seen people nicer than these folks. read more

Great place for a quick getaway. Campsites are private and vary in size. Staff were friendly and check-in was very easy. It's charcoal only for the fire pits so that was the only thing that sucked. Place was clean and safe and bathrooms clean. read more

Dixon Lake is truly a beautiful place to go to relax and unwind ! It's really beautiful to find some peace and serenity:) read more

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Every worker I interacted with seemed absolutely miserable and annoyed to be there. From the concession stand to the boat dock, it felt like helping a guess was an inconvenience to them. The workers and park rangers will hide until you stand there forever. I will say the younger male park ranger that worked the morning boat dock showed professionalism and pride in his work. read more

Dixon Lake is my go-to camping spot for a quick getaway. Site 10 is my favorite for its shade and partial views of the lake and city of Escondido. It also feels secluded from other sites, which is nice. There are a number of hiking trails and a few playgrounds away from the campgrounds. I like that day use visitors aren't allowed in the campground area. No wood fires are allowed, the grill ring is for charcoal only. read more

Dixon Lake - View of the lake from Site 10 - Parks Near Me - Escondido, California

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Really enjoyed our time fishing here with my 3 kids. There's something for everybody here, grills to cook for the hubby's, playground for the little ones,& fishing for the bigger kiddos & adults! Parking is only $5 read more

What an amazing experience! I wish I had selected site 45 for the two nights but when I decided to add more nights it was unavailable. If you like listening to birds, don't mind the bees and want semi privacy through the evening then this site would be it. Our 2nd night was at 38 and with kids nearby it was rather noise and I was concerned about privacy. , it also didn't feel like camping because the view is well of the city you're just above oh and the cars/motorcycles going by. Def coming back and staying at 45 for the future! Additional sites are great! The staff at the concessions are incredibly friendly and helpful. I appreciate them even giving us the pass so when we came back late from a music event we wouldnt run into any trouble getting back in. Which, happened as she mentioned the campground is well managed all hours the guy stopped us to check our information and was informed from earlier personnel of our circumstances. Otherwise, it might have been rather hard getting to our site. Oh and the showers were great! I just wish a roach wasn't camped out. other campers left food for the pests. (watch out for that) Thanks everyone and we look forward to coming back! read more

Dixon Lake - Our 1st night of 2, Site#45 - Parks Near Me - Escondido, California

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This lake has always been a haven for me. Although it is a small lake there are many places to explore and enjoy. Dixon lake is right off of El Norte Parkway with plenty of parking outside and inside of the park you have many opportunities to explore this small nature park. There are many hiking trails, fishing docks and hidden areas to relax and unwind. One of my favorite things to do is to rent a paddle boat (renting the boat is $15 with a $15 deposit that is returned to you when you return the boat within the hour). It is best to find a partner to share the work but a single peddaler is fine. It is a workout though! Plus, remember to bring sunscreen and a hat. The lake is normally tranquil during the week. Monday thru Friday you can park inside for free. On the weekends there is a $5.00 charge. read more

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Great for Hiking, Camping and get togethers at one of their many covered picnic/grill areas. With all the rain this season, it's been incredibly beautiful. The trail systems are for every level ex: short/long, flat/steep, paved/gravel, etc. There are multiple points of entry, it's worth getting a map and exploring everything here. One of Escondido/San Diego's best recreation sites. read more

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Went here with my girlfriend for our first camping trip and had a blast. It was a short trip to test out the new gear and we were pleasantly surprised at how great out campsite was overall. They provide a picture and short video of each site on the reservation website so you can make sure you'll be happy with your choice before you reserve. Ours was clean, private, relatively quiet, and people were respectful of quiet hours around us. Had a great little view of the lake and cooked ourselves a nice dinner before. Definitely a fun little place to feel like you're getting out of the city. We'll definitely be back to do a little fishing and camping trip...I saw a good amount of people cleaning some decent sized trout when I was checking in. Highly recommend checking this place out for the day or for a little camping trip. read more

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My friends and I choose to camp here for our monthly camping adventures. It's Dec and possible rain in the forecaster. I arrive a day early just before dark. I quickly check in and drive to my site. Site #40 - No hook ups. NO WOOD FIRE ALLOWED AT THIS CAMPGROUND. Please note* When viewing the map of the campsites, there are two sections. Each section has its own road. It may appear that you could reach the other campground/sites by cutting/walking across. Each campground section is separated by shrubs and hillside. You would have to go to the main road to reach the other section of the campsites. I want to mention this in case you are camping with others that are reserving their own site. My friends and I are towing our teardrop trailer so when I see my site I am questioning my parking skills. I eventually got backed into space 40. This site is on a slant and you have steps that will lead you up to the flat area where there is room for tents. Also in this area is the picnic table and fire pit (charcoal or propane only allowed). If you have a lot of prep, you are in for a good leg and cardio workout! It wasn't so bad with the cooler weather hauling only my camp chair, portable hammock and bag of coals up to this area.... But I could only imagine what it's like during the warmer months. You will have a view of the city lights in the evening and you have a peek view of the the lake. Spigot available just below site #40, street level. Next to the spigot a few feet away is the dumpster. Because I had this site during the winter season flies were not a problem or the constant slamming of the lid was not present. Could be a different story during peak season. Also near the spigot is a stand with doggie bags available to clean up after your pet. I liked the fact that the rangers drove by every 30-45 min until 11pm. Restrooms were not far from my site, the showers on the other hand was located in the next camp area. Both shower room and restrooms were clean which I'm sure is a different story during peak months. There were campers in our area that were definitely here for fishing. I took a walk to the camp area next road over. In this area is also the group camp sites, and the amphitheater. There are trails within the campground and also trails at Daley Ranch just outside of the gates of Dixon Lake. Of course there is fishing and water activities available at additional cost. I would really like to return to Dixon Lake and take advantage of some other sites that would have more view of the lake. read more

Absolutely beautiful place to spend your day. Amazing lake that you can fish in, with a permit, and small boats to rent. No swimming allowed. Several camping spots to rent and clean restrooms. $5 to park inside the gates but many people park outside and walk in. read more

Dixon Lake - Parks Near Me - Escondido, California

We had so much fun! We rented out a cabin with friends, grilled our food, and had a ton of fun walking to the lake talking it up while fished. The cabins were a nice size for 5 people, includes a bathroom with a shower, and a clean kitchen. Def recommend for a weekend getaway in SD! read more

First time being at this lake, and it is absolutely lovely lots of ducks, fishing,picnic areas, parks, very quiet and peaceful and calm. At least the day we went might be a little more active during the summer. I can see this being a popular summer spot. If you're an outdoorsy person that likes to go hiking, and seeing nature and being part of the wilderness, without being too far away from the city life, this is a good spot to check out with a beautiful lake. read more

Dixon Lake - It's a map, it's a map,s map map - Parks Near Me - Escondido, California

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Dixon lake is beautiful lake, and offers fishing, camping and hiking areas. There are many parking areas around lake. This lake is not crowded, and always peaceful. read more

Camping Review- Dixon Lake is nice campground (and day use park) that's secluded yet still close enough to civilization. There are plenty of things to do here but most people either fish or hike. All activities are family-friendly. Booking a camping spot was easy and the rangers were nice and helpful. A very good experience for our large group. The spot was clean and the other campers were reasonably quiet. We booked campsite 21 which is actually an RV hookup site but it also has an area for tents and chairs. The bonus with this site is that you have a legitimate parking pad. This site also has a good view of the cityscape but other's may prefer a sites facing the lake. - Lots of family-friendly trails ( Daley Ranch and the Chaparral Nature Trail) - Great beginner's campsite - Watch out for wasps - Quiet time is 10PM, enforced - Coyotes - Racoons - Frogs - Ducklings read more

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Facilities quickly available , clean campsite and park employees responded quickly to our needs- Town markets very close - read more

It was fun to camp here! Campgrounds are kept mostly clean. Bathrooms are clean too. I had a very nice lake view. It was so relaxing. Please make sure you put all your food and ice chests away in your vehicles unless you sleep in your tent with it. Coyotes ransacked my camp the last night they even opened up my ice chests and helped themselves. I slept in my suv. So we stored some food in the tent the coyotes ripped holes in the tent to get to stuff in there too. I love wildlife so it really didn't bother me. We'll know next time to put it all in my SUV to be safe. Please don't let this scare you away they didn't bother us at all. I had a wonderful time :) read more

I have loved Dixon lake for many years. From rowboat to camping, to picnicking to fishing. The best part is the silence surrounding the lake. I just go up there to park, read or decompress. Relaxing! read more

Dixon Lake - Parks Near Me - Escondido, California

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This was my first lake/first camping trip so I have nothing to compare it with. It's a nice area attached to Daley Ranch, with hiking, boat rentals, fishing, trails, and a view of the city on one side and mountains on the other. My observations include: no camp fire allowed (it's too dry anyway), no going in the water (it's used for drinking water in the city), and the trail around the lake was uneven, overgrown with brush and just plain unkempt. There's a road that goes 3/4 around the lake and it's about two miles each way to and from the campsites for exercise; the trails seemed unideal after our first snake siting. Basically, this place is great to sit around your campsite, picnic, drink, listen to music, and hope nobody rents the site next to you (if I go again, I'm going to rent the site next to mine too). The highlights for me were sunrise, sunset, and feeding the ducks pellet food from the pedal boat. Overall, I might return, but I look forward to Palomar Mountains and other places first. Pros: - rangers patrol regularly - pretty clean - restrooms everywhere and cleaned daily - each site can have two cars - views - close enough to town if you forget something Cons: - gross showers - lake trail is not maintained - main road has soooo many potholes read more

Dixon Lake - View from site 12 - Parks Near Me - Escondido, California

Cool spot $9 to fish adult one poke $5 parking Military free Wednesday's Kids 8 and under fish free but require a paying adult permit We love this spot! read more

Such a beautiful park. My family and I go to do weekly hikes and fishing, so cool that the squirrels are so useto prople they will literally come to your week (one got on my lap) scary but cool great for fishing. You can rent a boat or snatch a paddle boat read more

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I love Dixon Lake. I have been coming here to enjoy the fishing and camping for over thirty years. I have cought allot of trout and catfish out of this lake. However, I must say if you want to catch fish, stay away from Dixon right now. I spent two days here without a bite. read more

Dixon Lake - My little puppy loves Dixon Lake. - Parks Near Me - Escondido, California

I highly suggest camping spot #45-no hookups, but the the most se lived with a great view of the lake and close walking to bathrooms. read more

Dixon Lake - Looking up to the parking area from the tent pad - Parks Near Me - Escondido, California

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Came camping here during COVID right when camping was still limited but encourage by the State during quarantine. We opt for a lake to fish instead of water to swim... I'm rarely in Escondido...other than driving by but boy is it humid at like 6am! I saw the campsite based upon the pictures and the few trees, thinking it was perfect to stay cool during the day....I don't know what I was thinking... we got infested with spiders... we did spray around our tents but they were dropping down like flies from the trees... so bad that we slept in the cars the last night. Anyhow, was told that they only allowed so many fishing license/boat rentals a day and to go early before they are sold out. So I woke up at the crack of dawn... first in line to get 2 boats and 2 licenses to fish and head back up to the campsite to pass back out. That didn't work out to well so I watched the sun rise. It was beautiful and relaxing. Once we all got ready we opted to all fit in 1 boat the first time out... this was my first time powering this thing and I may have hit a few times on the dock and got stuck in the shallow end... it was fun nonetheless and the kids had a good time...but the sun is killer and since we had it all day we decided we could come back later and take it out again. We had no luck fishing at all and was mostly using mealworms and worms sold at the shop. There is no fishing off the dock but there was another ramp area that most people were fishing off of who didn't have a boat. It was definitely an experience, we did a little hiking at night on the road path and was nice and quiet because most of the campsites were not in-use. The ranger did come by and check on our fire to make sure we were not burning wood. I would definitely go back but maybe during the cooler months. We barely had service at the campsite which was nice because the kids needs a screen break but sucked because we would need to go down to the store to get service if it was important...although it is tucked away inside the city... read more

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The views here are phenomenal but the walk around the lake was not easy with bringing the dog. It is beautiful there but no easy trial to find to take the dogs. It's better to to go to Daley ranch hike if takin dogs. The lake has porta potty restrooms, no drinking water. The roads have tons of pot holes so be careful are trails are very full of brush so not good during snake season. We saw two different docks below and several people were fishing and you can also go paddle boating. This place does have parking before you get to the park thats free and it would be a great place to picnic. Also there are a few ducks that you can see in the ladle making it fun for kids and a grassy area with benches. We will go back to being lung but do the Daley Ranch hike instead read more

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This is our go to camping spot to celebrate Independence Day! Booking can be a bit tricky, but the trip is always an easy one. Great hiking, room for kids to run, climb, ride bikes, etc., you can get in some fishing, or rent a pedal boat. It gets hot in the summer, so make sure you bring along some shade. read more

First of all, I'm not an expert camper just a guy looking to spend some time with his family. I was at site #16. The tent area is definitely private. If you have an RV, the tent will be separated by a hill so keep this in mind for this specific site. I did buy an adapter on Amazon for 5 bucks for the hookup and ran an extension cord for power. I didn't hike so I can't comment on the trails. I was able to reserve a spot prior to a busy holiday weekend. As the other mentioned, no wood fires so bring a propane fire pit if you want a better camping experience. Would I go back? Yes, only if I can't get another campsite in San Diego. This place was "just" alright. read more

Dixon Lake - Taken from the RV parking looking down towards the tent area. - Parks Near Me - Escondido, California

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Woke up this morning to my little guy saying can we go fishing pleaaaaassse. How can you say no to that! Checked the forecast and thought we would chance it. Well it was cold annnnd did sprinkle on us buttttttttttt my son caught his very first fish and a big one at that!!!! Sooo proud. I must say my Dad card had been on a big decline after two fishing trips and noooo fish. I would have paid a fish to run into his hook at this point. To see the excitement on his face and to watch him bring the fish in made me so proud and I think my dad card came up a little. Mama joined us and took some great pics! read more

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Been coming here since I was a kid like most locals. If I'm honest I'm sure it's five stars due to nostalgia. What I truly love is all the hiking trails on both sides of the lake. You can rent boats here. Bait and snack shop in main picnic area. Beautiful views 365 days a year. Great for bird watchers. read more

I have Loved Dixon lake for many years. I taught my children how to fish there. While recovering from surgery, I drove to Escondido to do a little trout fishing. Then I remembered how difficult it was to walk down to Trout Cove. I also considered the walk back up and started to regret my decision. When I got there while unloading my gear, I struck up a conversation with a passing park ranger. I asked him where the trout were biting and he told me people were catching them off of the ADA doc. Yes they have a doc for disabled folks. The walk was a little far but accessable. Fished for about four hours and went home and had pan fried Idaho Tailwalker Trout, potatoes Lyonaise, and steamed broccoli for dinner. Yum yum. Thanks Dixon Lake, I'll be back read more

Dixon Lake - Parks Near Me - Escondido, California

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I have been hiking here for years and I enjoyed coming here before covid. Even though there are ample signs (and people "should" follow rules) most do not. They do not keep physical distance and many do not wear face coverings and trash is strewn along the shoreline. Rangers should enforce these rules and safety measures. I book a camp site (#16) for two nights-three days. The first night was pretty peaceful as it should be. I hiked during the second day and settled in to my RV spot by 12:30 PM to enjoy the quiet surroundings. This was short lived. There were numerous cars coming and going from a single site in the corner of the cul-de-sac near me ALL afternoon dropping off campers. Mostly young people 18 and under. Group camping was not allowed, yet they kept streaming in after sundown. At one point a group of about 25 walked by my site making a LOT of noise, no social distancing or masks, they were drinking alcohol-on the road. About 20 minutes later they came walking back. It was 11:35 PM. They walked under my awning, yelling loudly. I opened my door and told them quiet time was at 10 PM. My comment was met with numerous rude, belligerent and swearing replies. I tried calling the Park Rangers office but all I got was a recording. My camping neighbors came to my door to share in their frustration about the large rowdy group. My other neighbors, a man and his handicap wife, stayed at their camper. At this same time (close to midnight) a Park Ranger finally showed up and drove up to the group. We explained to him what had been going on and he said he would take care of the situation. Apparently he needed some help as two Escondido Police Cars arrived on the scene. We were interviewed and told them what had been going on. The Police Officers informed me the group was told to leave and many had to wait for parents to pick up their little sweet innocent angles (who would never do anything wrong). The last group of kids finally got picked up at 12:50 AM. Because of the lack of enforcement on any level at Dixon Lake, I will not return until nature has thinned out the herd a lot more. read more

im in town from Vegas and Alexa Rose was amazing the way she explained everything.she was really helpful and super polite I want to give her a 5 star review.and tanks read more

Tucked away in Northern Escondido is Dixon Lake, a man made reservoir with a dam. Most people come here for fishing and picnicking. There are several tiny fishing docs with benches that are clean. Nice views. Boat rentals are available. At the entrance is Daley Ranch, but it was so overcrowded that I didn't bother to go there. Also there is alot of trash and toilet paper all over the place; there are plenty of trash cans available so I wish people would just pack it out and put it in the trash cans instead of littering. read more

Dixon Lake - Dixon Lake - Parks Near Me - Escondido, California